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. 
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
- 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
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