Chatmag News
IRC and Internet Chat News and Information.
MSN Closes Live Chat Rooms and Groups Chat Rooms.
17 October 2006 Chatmag News.
MSN has announced the closing of their live chat rooms, and the live chat feature in MSN Groups.
This closing follows the closing of the user created chat rooms in Yahoo! Chat in June of 2005.
According to the MSN Site:
"IMPORTANT NOTICE:
Chat Service will no longer be offered on or after October 16th, 2006. We appreciate your use of the service and apologize for any inconvenience.
If you wish to use alternative Windows Live communication services, we recommend the following Windows Live services:
* Windows Live Spaces
* Windows Live Messenger
* Windows Live Mail Beta
For a list of all Windows Live Services, please visit http://ideas.live.com"
No reason was given for the closing, although a number of unmoderated chat networks have shut their doors in response to the hysteria over Internet chat room predators.
The television program Dateline NBC and their series "To Catch A Predator" has fueled the current controversy regarding Internet chat, and the prevelance of predators. Citing figures not drawn from any reputable study, Dateline NBC has provoked a reaction to this emotional issue.
In recent months, Dateline NBC and their partners, Perverted-Justice.com have been questioned by journalist scholars and legal experts for their flaunting of standards of both journalism and the legal system.
Both MSN and Yahoo! Chat had been approached with the notion of installing moderators/monitors, with no response, leaving the chat rooms open to all, without protections for the law abiding chatters. MSN and Yahoo! Chat failed to realize that in order to operate a decent safe chat environment, proactive steps must be taken, including filtering, and the installation of moderators/monitors.
Chatmag will retain the MSN Groups listings in the Directory, with the notation that no live chat is available.
--Chatmag News--
External Link:
MSN Groups Editorial. Live Chat Closed.
