Using Windows Live Messenger

Skype Explained Visually

Skype

Skype was founded in 2003 initially as an instant messaging site; was bought by Ebay in 2005 and video chat was added by the end of that year. By the April of 2006 Skype had already accumulated 100 million registered users; the unique selling point of Skype being the ability to make free calls to other Skype users, all around the world. This meant that even international calls were free, as long as both users were using Skype.

One of the most appealing features of Skype is the video chat; users can use webcam or the camera on their mobile phone to project images to each other, accompanying live audio chat via microphones. Video calling is also free, no matter where you are in the world, and enables you to talk with loved ones from the comfort of your own home, without having to pay a penny. Also the clarity of the picture when using video chat is very high, images are not blurred and lagging is very uncommon, making Skype a reliable choice for regular users. This video feature is extremely popular among all users as it not only allows them to talk face to face with people far away but it's also available wherever you are via Skype Mobile.

Skype offers extremely reasonable rates for your mobile for overseas calling; for under £10 a month you can make unlimited calls to landlines and/or mobiles all over the world. And for only £5 a month you can make calls to all of Europe. Also you can send SMSs at a much lower rate- texting as far as the USA will cost you less than a penny, whilst using other mobile tariffs can cost up to 50p per text. You can also buy 'Skype Credit', this credit can be used to call landlines and mobiles, send text messages or even to purchase a Skype mobile number so that non Skype users can ring your Skype number. This credit remains in your account for 180 days after the last action on your account, then it is wiped- therefore you should ensure to send an SMS or make a phone call at least every 6 months to keep their balance untouched.

The text instant messaging system that accompanies the video chat feature is also very useful bother on it's own and in conjunction with the video calling. It is especially useful when you want to share things such as a URL or send files to the person you are talking to.  There is also a tool that shows you when the other person is typing to ensure you don't both speak at the same time and end up in a confusing conversation. The text IM feature is useful in situations where it just isn't convenient to talk out loud; such as on public transport or in a quiet office; the use of text only chat eradicates the need for noise, and allows silent communication.

However there have been some negative comments about Skype on the Internet; the main source of a problem seems to be Skype's lack of a contact telephone number, or any other means of official direct communication, to report any malfunctions with the site or any personal problems that may occur. For example many errors with billing have been mentioned, customers have been overcharged or charged for incorrect transactions and have had no means of reporting the problem and to receive refunds.

Advantages:

• Calls are free from Skype to Skype and extremely less expensive from Skype to phone
• You can hold conference calls with up to five people all across the world
• You can send files and photos whilst conducting a video call at the same time
• Allows you to purchase credit so you can use this when calling phones
• Skype has made communication easier breaking down the usual problems as time, distance and money.

Disadvantages:

• If using Skype on a bad connection, the images sent are often slow and out of sync with the voice call
• Need equipment; such as a web cam and microphone, to use the programme
• No good Skype customer service

Skype news stories:

http://www.jconline.com/article/20100831/LIFE03/8310301

Man sees the birth of his first child in the USA all the way from the army barracks where he is stationed in Iraq via Skype.

MSN Messenger

MSN Messenger is the online chat based service provided by Windows in conjunction with their Hotmail service; members who have a Hotmail account automatically have an MSN Messenger account. A free download is available online and is currently the most popular IM service in the world; users are regularly required to update the system for free to enhance their use. The widespread use of this service, especially between youngsters, has also boosted MSN Hotmail's statistics as thousands of people have signed up purely to reap the benefits of creating a free Windows Live Messenger account.

Once logged in to MSN you are required to 'add' contacts into your list; there are unlimited numbers of contacts you can have. Once contacts have been added you can then create groups and assign existing contacts into certain groups; this is extremely useful when looking for people who you want to talk to quickly. You can also send a joint message to all the online participants in that group; for example if you needed to tell your sports team about an upcoming fixture it can be done simultaneously. There is also a 'Favourites' folder which is situated on the top of the screen; this shows clearly which of your favourite contacts are available which is useful to people who may have many contacts but only regularly converse with a few. Another advantage of the Favourites folder is that you can quickly see who is online that you may want to speak with instantaneously as the Favourites folder is always open when logging on to Messenger. It also increases the size of the Display Picture and details of the contact when added to the favourites folder to further increase the attention placed on them and encourages you to converse with them. 

Once in MSN Messenger there are lots of interesting features that are available to you; for example 'Video Call'. This free web cam based chat enables two recipients to view and broadcast Web Cam whilst chatting via microphones connected to your PC. Web cam images can also be edited in colour and paused when connected; however many users in the past with slower connection have reported problems with this service as the Web Cam may disconnect or lag during use. But this video call service was one of the first of it's kind when added by Windows many years ago; it was a feature that now allowed users to not only talk via text but now video and microphones, all for free. Though the first versions of this feature where shaky in reliability and shaky in quality at the best of times; but over the years as this feature has soared in popularity Windows have dedicated a lot of time in improving the performance it gives, so to not lose users to larger video calling sites such as Skype that are emerging today.

Online participants can also share folders and files with each other; for sharing single files of music or pictures, documents can be sent individually. However if you are wanting to send a whole album of photos, or large numbers of documents, you can create a 'Sharing Folder' which allows the recipient to manually save everything they want, and is quick and easy to do. The sharing folder eradicates the need to send photos or documents via Email services. There are also many other exciting things to do when online; you can participate in online gaming tournaments with a contact of your choice, there are a variety of games and activities to be done between two people such as Checkers and Quizzes. These games and quizzes were designed to help users eradicate boredom without having to leave the MSN page.

There is a variety of privacy options that can be carried out on MSN; if you feel that a contact is acting inappropriately towards you, you can 'report' them to the Windows team who will investigate the problem and take out further action. You can also delete contacts that you may no longer converse with, or who's accounts have been replaced. You can also 'block' contacts; blocking contacts means they cannot see if you are online, and can't talk to you until you unblock them again. Any contacts that are deleted are also removed from your Hotmail contact list, and can be blocked at the same time so they can't contact you if you are still a part of their contact list.

There are also a lot of features to make your MSN more personal to you; such as changing your 'Display Name'- the contact information that is viewed by all of your contacts. This Display Name can contain a variety of emoticons, coloured text and other various text features; there are a lot of websites dedicated to themed display names on the web. You can also change your status, this tells your contacts if you are available to talk with or not. There are a variety of statuses to choose from, such as 'away' or 'busy', and the option to appear off line which allows you to view and talk to available contacts but unwanted contacts can not initiate conversations with you. Also, to make your conversations more interesting, you can change the theme of your home page of newer MSN Plus versions; pictures or inbuilt themes can frame your homepage and make it a lot interesting. Not only can you home page be edited; but the background of your conversations can be customised either using the inbuilt backgrounds on Messenger or by incorporating images from your computer to be used. These can vary from contact to contact- so no matter who you are talking to you can have a background that appeals to your mutual interest or something that reminds you of that person.


MSN is now so popular around the world the creators have developed many different ways to ensure it retains it's popularity. Due to technological advances Windows has made MSN compatible with almost every mobile phonwe that has been developed in the last 4 years or so, and on some networks such as 3, access and use of this service is completely free anywhere in the UK. Also, due to the development of iPhones and iPod touches, there is now a free app available on every device that allows the user to access their account via their iPhone or iTouch. Although the effectiveness of using MSN on your iPod isn't as great as using it on a computer; it is hard to talk and reply quickly to a message and using the small keys to type fast is often a large feat for less experienced users. 


MSN Interview (conducted via MSN)


When did you first create an MSN account?
Anna says:
I first created my MSN account in 2005, when I started High School
Rosie says:
Why did you want to use MSN ?
Anna says:
I wanted to use MSN because its a good place to meet and talk to friends, and free! I didnt have facebook, so MSN was very useful
Rosie says:How often do you use MSN, and have you used it more as you have gotten older?
Anna says:I use MSN every night, and i have used it more as i've gotten older as people have moved away (my sister at uni) so i like to be able to talk to her easily, quickly and for free
Rosie says:What do you think is the best feature available on MSN?
Anna says:I think that video call is the best feature on MSN, as it allows you to see who you're talking too in good definition, and you can speak to them as you would over the phone
Rosie says:Do you think the features available on MSN Messenger allow you to personalize your account?
Anna says:I do think they allow you to personalize your account
it enables you to change your display picture, and have screen names that suit you and your mood, making it much more personalised
Rosie says:What features of MSN made you choose it over other instant messaging options?
Anna says:I chose MSN over other instant messaging options because when i got my hotmail account, MSN instant messaging came with it, so i gave it a go! Also, its very easy to use, and you can have plenty of contacts

Rosie says:
If MSN became a service that required a monthly fee to be paid, would you continue using it?
Anna says:
It depends on how much the monthly fee was, if it was over £5 then no, but i'd regret not using it, as its very useful to me!
Rosie says:
Do you think there is anything MSN could do to make it's service better?
Anna says:
I think the only thing that MSN could do to improve its service would be to make sure that when it malfunctions and stops working, the troubleshoot works, and solves the problem if at all possible

Advantages:

• All aspects of msn; from the essential hotmail account to the video calling options; are completely free of charge
• Easy way to share large quantities of photos or files with a contact
• Allows for instant communication and replies
• You can add many people to a conversation so you can talk to them all at once
• You can access your account from any computer that has MSN downloaded onto it; it's not stored on only one device.

Disadvantages:

• Poor internet connections can interfere with the conversation; often shutting down the service frequently
• It's easy to lose your details through hacking and new accounts are often required to be created after log in details have been accessed
• Once downloaded it automatically appears every time you log in, even if you do not wish to use it

News Stories:


Windows Live Messenger connects with Facebook allowing MSN users to talk with online friends on Facebook via Messenger.
http://au.ibtimes.com/articles/45908/20100825/facebook-live-messanger-windows-live-messenger.htm


Article outlining how big and well used Windows Live Messenger is around the world.
http://www.liveside.net/main/archive/2009/11/06/how-big-is-windows-live-messenger-worldwide-really-big.aspx

Chat and Instant Messaging

"Instant messaging (IM) is a form of real-time direct text-based communication between two or more people using shared clients. The text is conveyed via devices connected over a network such as the  Internet." Wikipedia