“Microsoft’s instant messaging network is rejecting users who have signed up using a .Mac email address,” Macworld UK reports.
“Existing users of MSN (now Windows Live) have been knocked off the network when they try to sign in if they have originally used a .Mac address to sign up for the service,” Macworld UK reports.
“In a moment’s hubris, Microsoft insists users change their email address before using the service,” Macworld UK reports. “‘Because of a recent system update, you must change the email address that you use to sign in to Windows Live Messenger. Until you change your email address, you won’t be able to use Windows Live Messenger,’ an error message explains.”
Full article here.
[UPDATE: 1:48pm EDT: Microsoft has told MacNN “that it recently became aware of an ‘internal error during routine testing that resulted in customers using .Mac domains being asked to change their e-mail address in order to access to their Windows Live IDs. A Windows Live ID is the sign-in and password that customers use to access Windows Live Messenger, Hotmail and other Microsoft online services,’ the company said in a statement. ‘Access to Live IDs has been restored to our customers who use .Mac domains. We regret any inconvenience this caused for our customers.'”
MacDailyNews Take: So, now – right after you finish screwing those Chevy mud-flaps onto your BMW – you can access Windows Live Messenger, Hotmail and other Microsoft online services on your Mac again! Ain’t life grand?
Hubris?
This would be a sign of insecurity, rather than hubris. However, I’m not sure that there is a “.mac” problem here… I wonder if this is what anyone with a web email experiences. I read the following on the MS support pages:
Microsoft Office Live Communications Server 2005 SP1 with public instant messaging (IM) connectivity enables IM capabilities between the Windows Live Messenger Service and corporate instant messaging systems. Messenger users can now IM the Messenger users they IM with today, as well as users of a connected IM system. As part of this service enhancement, you must now change the ID you are using for signing into Messenger in order to continue using this service.
I smell fear.
Oh, I forgot to mention that many corporations have anti-webmail policies.
And why is this bad. MSN blows chunks. The only reason to be on there is if you’ve been on there and don’t want to change emails.
All this really is, is another attempt by MS to try and make Mac users feel like they are some remote part of the computing community.
No one with a Mac should be supporting anything Windoes anyway.
Either dump MSN, or get a Gmail address if you really need to use MSN.
Rejecting someone based on their email address is beyond idiotic.
Its all just a big mistake.
I wonder how this will play in light of their convicted (US and European) monopoly status.
word = values
as in microsofts lack of values
OK, I was wrong.
It was specific to .mac accounts. Microsoft has issued an apology and apparently fixed the problem.
http://www.macnn.com/articles/07/09/21/ms.corrects.mac.issue/
Oh no!
If I have a .Mac email address I can’t use a Microsoft product of service?
<strike>Damn you to HELL,</strike> Thank you, Microsoft.
Hopefully this goof will get a lot of airplay so that more people learn how incompetent M$ are.
I was about to post that link too. This affected me for about a day, but thankfully they fixed it, since I use Adium but about 95% of my contacts are MSN-based.
MSN? What’s that??
Actually it has been fixed already (a few days ago).
I had this problem but didn’t change my email address, now I use my dotmac email address on msn again without any problems.
So who in the hell would want to use there serve anyway?
Not me…
No right minded mac user would want or needs to use anything M$$$ any more…
It’s time we all simple be done with and let go of M$$$ once and for all…
The new paast time is watching MSSS’s money slowly dry up
Another Microsoft “accident”.
oops! tee hee
“We accidentally programed in a feature that blocks Mac users. Our bad.”
They can’t make that claim for all of the holes they have “accidentally” programed into their OS.
“Viruses’ Welcome here – Vista”, heck I think they grow there.
I wish I could give a crap: I wouldn’t use MSN with your computer
Kind of like insurance, keeping the fleas out of the .mac camp
As suspicious as this might be, I’d love to know the last time MS delivered a planned feature that actually worked.
Although MS did “fix” the problem way too fast; patches at MS take at least a year.
There’s a stench from Redmond, and it’s not just Ballmer….
right after you finish screwing those Chevy mud-flaps onto your BMW
Since when does BMW build anything big enough to need mud flaps?
Now hey, quit ragging on Hotmail! After all, where else would I send all my crap mail signups to? I surely don’t want to soil my .Mac account!
After all, MS does have its’ uses.
clunker: http://www.bmwusa.com/vehicles/X5/48i/
“where else would I send all my crap mail signups to? “
Yahoo?
Before any indignation creeps in, remember the careless caveat:
Never attribute to malice that which can be explained
by mere incompetence!
8^)
It is just another evident that Microsoft is EVIL company.
Hm . . .
Usually, but MS has an uncanny talent of being evil and stupid. Their CEO is the perfect, living example.