MSN to merge with Skype, apparently!

Well I understand that skype has test based messaging too, but I find it to be a resource-hog for a text based IM client. The biggest advantage of MSN over all other IM client is just... custom emoticons. I love my onions *points at his avatar in PC* and I use them all the time in my IMs. To be honest, so far I don't know any other IM that allows custom emoticons but MSN and that's why I use MSN.

I'm still looking over what IMs allow custom emoticons, and so far, it's a fruitless search =/

I don't like this at all. Not only is the MSN interface way better than the Skype one (imo), but I have an awful internet connection that can't even handle PC on some of the beefier themes, never mind video calling.

Captain Fabio said:

I am still sad about this, as I use MSN and Skype just isn't the same to use as a IM client.

If anyone finds something that we can use instead of having Skype as the soul client, I would be very interested to hear about it.​

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We could all flee to Yahoo! Messenger or AIM. If you mean use MSN without Skype, you could try something like Pidgin, though idk how those will function after this.

I just seen this today, so I took a screenshot. I'm pretty sure this all just means that the two programs are becoming more compatible with one another, as opposed to merging.

My only problem with this is Skype's current UI is very bad. I wish they'd go back to an older one. Skype 4.2 had problems, but it was way better than modern skype.

msn is dying off i can skype trying to save them it will work but the merging of all there data is going to cause so many problems and bugs

Pvt Tamama said:

msn is dying off i can skype trying to save them it will work but the merging of all there data is going to cause so many problems and bugs

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No problems or bugs so far, and the merging of contacts works just fine.

Interoperating them is good.

Combining them, maybe not.

I'll be having to use ICQ again because my friends that use MSN are migrating there.

I'm not too happy about that. I've been using msn as a way of contacting my online friends since 2005, and I've grown pretty used to it. It's easy to share things, use custom emoticons and all that. I think WLM's popularity started to drop when they changed to 2010-2011 version. The lack of being able to change your name and the sudden disappearance of the pencil made a lot of people angry (just google it, the comments are usually negative). The forced switch from 2009 to 2011 a few months back wasn't very nice either. I understand why it has to happen, but I don't understand why they removed the two things that made msn so much much. I also have to add that the sudden integration of social networks isn't my cup of tea either.

I don't have facebook or twitter (and I'm not planning to any time soon)... therefore msn is will probably stay my main way of communicating with my global friends (and class mates). I only use skype for the occasional (very rare) video call, and I don't like it that much...
Something I must say is that a friend of mine isn't allowed to use skype on her (what do you call it) student chamber (?) because it supposedly asks too much from the internet. I don't think the change is beneficial for everyone.

Again the only thing I miss is custom emoticons... it was the only reason why I use MSN and no replacements in existence seems to support custom emoticons.

Abnegation said:

I just seen this today, so I took a screenshot. I'm pretty sure this all just means that the two programs are becoming more compatible with one another, as opposed to merging.

Spoiler:

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'Update to Skype' implies they will cease support for WLM (ie. client updates, I think).
Not that it really seems to matter; I've been using a 2009 build the whole time and had no problems. Newer WLM builds are probably worse than Skype, to be honest.

Frostweaver said:

Again the only thing I miss is custom emoticons... it was the only reason why I use MSN and no replacements in existence seems to support custom emoticons.

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I'm told they generally work on Trillian, which I'll be using if WLM ceases to exist entirely.

I'm not a fan of Skype, but I use pidgin for my iming needs so it isn't that big of a change

To be honest, I don't like the idea of this merge.. I know Skype is owned by Microsoft, but they should at least keep the services separate. Not all people who use WLM use Skype and there are some who use both, so it wouldn't seem logical to those who use both.

Also, I use older builds on both Skype and WLM. I have to use an older version of WLM because it's the latest build for XP computers and I downgraded my Skype to a low number (4.1) because of the factor that Skype 6 slows down my computer more and Skype 4.1 lacks the advertisements.

Well to be fair, MSN has been buggy lately (one of my contacts was easily taken over by a spambot), and I got a Skype account just to chat with my best online friend from San Francisco. My main concern about the merge is that will it affect our passowords if we're using two separate ones for each account?

I'm pretty upset by this. MSN is a lot more customizable and looks much better. D: Been trying to get into Skype but it's nowhere near as nice as MSN, so I'll be really upset when the switch is made.

I've just updated to Windows 8, they're still including their Messenger as a pretty big part of the Windows package. Having integrated it to their Metro apps screen, as well as redesigning the entire program to be quite a nice looking interface. I still don't know how much I believe they're merging.

I can't say I care, but then again I'm one of those people who prefer Skype by 100 miles. But seriously, I don't know if I actually see them merging after what Abnegation just said.

Seems there's just a forever looping condition of contradictions. I'm inclined to think this is true, after seeing this however.