[ahmetgns]

Compatibility is a sweet thing

Yesterday, Microsoft released a new beta version of Messenger labelled "version 2008". Despite the lack of beta tags in this version, Microsoft insists that Messenger 8.5 is still in beta stage so no, this is not a final version. In fact, since the release, everything I've read about the new beta is criticism and I personally can't praise their new setup system. But still, a new version is a new version and Messenger Plus! got to be compatible with it.

The good news: you won't have to upgrade your Plus!, version 4.23 is still entirely compatible with the new Messenger. I'm continuing to work on the next big update which should be released sometime in October. Maybe then I'll follow the trend and release a brand new install suite for 32bit systems only .

Patchou

[ahmetgns]

First glimpse of version 4.50

3 days away from Halloween, I think it’s safe to say that the next version of Messenger Plus! will finally be released in November, and not before we start seeing snow falling from the sky of the old city of Quebec. Beta tests will begin next week and the translation teams will get their due in the middle of the month if everything goes as expected.

In the meantime, you’re invited to take a look at the very first public screenshot of the new software. In my opinion, the new GUI complements the new features and options perfectly. That being said, my own opinion doesn’t matter much here, yours is the one that counts so we’ll be monitoring your reactions very closely once this version is released.

Happy Halloween! it’s candy time again!
This is Halloween, this is Halloween…

Patchou

[Misafir]

Messenger Plus! Live

Developed by Patchou Initial release 2001-05-19 Latest release 4.60.324 / 2008-03-19 OS Windows XP, Windows Vista Available in Multilingual (20+) Genre Add-on License Freeware with optional adware sponsor Website Messenger Plus! Live - The Windows Live Messenger Extension Messenger Plus! Live (known more as its former name Messenger Plus!, commonly abbreviated MsgPlus, MP!L, or incorrectly as MSN Plus) is a freeware add-on for Windows Live Messenger created by Patchou. The software provides additional functionality to Microsoft's Windows Live Messenger by adding its own controls to the main interface. These controls affect Messenger's behaviour and appearance, often through additional dialog boxes.
The add-on was first released in May 2001 under the name "The Messenger Plus! Extension" for MSN Messenger and Windows Messenger. It later changed its name to "Messenger Plus!" and then, for the release of the new Windows Live Messenger client, "Messenger Plus! Live" was chosen. It has become one of the most widely used add-ons for Microsoft's IM clients, citing over 300 million downloads as of December 2007[1].
Messenger Plus! Live 4.60, released on the 19th of March 2008, is the latest branch and contains many new features (such as skinning), visual improvements and bug fixes.

Features

Messenger Plus! Live generally expands the features of the public version of Windows Live Messenger 8.1 and 8.5 as well as the private version of Windows Live Messenger 9.0. Notable features include a set text formatting codes similar to BBCode, custom status tags, multiple instances, event logging, chat logging and encryption, contacts on desktop, auto-reply messages, emotion sounds, tabbed chatting, messenger locking and JScript scripting allowing users to add their own functionality. Version 4.50 added support for skinning Windows Live Messenger without the user having to physically edit the program's resource files.
A more complete list of features can be found here.

Languages

Messenger Plus! Live is available in more than 20 languages:

• Arabic
• Chinese Simplified
• Chinese Traditional
• Danish
• Dutch

• English
• Estonian
• Finnish
• French
• German

• Hebrew
• Hungarian
• Italian
• Japanese
• Korean

• Norwegian
• Portuguese
• Spanish
• Swedish
• Thai

• Turkish

Creator

Messenger Plus! was created in 2001 by Cyril Paciullo, who is better known by the pseudonym "Patchou". He was born in France and currently resides in Canada. He develops and maintains the Messenger Plus! Live software full-time.

Adware

The author currently bundles optional adware software developed by Circle Development Ltd.
Some software review websites criticized the user agreement, stating that the 'sponsorship agreement', which authorized the installation of the optional adware software, was misleading because it looked like a standard EULA, and was only available in English. Since Messenger Plus! 3.60 was released (on the 27th of September 2005), the setup includes a separate sponsor license agreement in addition to a traditional EULA. Both agreements have also been translated in several languages.
McAfee SiteAdvisor warns that the website Messenger Plus! Live - The Windows Live Messenger Extension is linked with adware Adware-Lop/Swizzor.
A separate adware uninstallation program is provided by Circle Development Ltd. which appears when users attempt to uninstall the sponsor program of Messenger Plus!.

Issues with Windows Defender

As of the 17th of August 2005, the Messenger Plus! website contained a petition to Microsoft's anti-spyware division regarding Windows Defender's (known as Microsoft AntiSpyware at the time) detection of the Messenger Plus! executable as spyware and subsequent warning that Messenger Plus! would attempt to install spyware at runtime (post-installation), rather than the setup program itself that contained the installer for the threat detected.
The petition, which had 401,683 signatures and was 10,137 pages long in total, was sent to Redmond on September 20, 2005[7] stating that Messenger Plus! should not be labeled as being a threat.
On the 23rd of September 2005, just 3 days after the petition was mailed to Redmond from Canada, Microsoft released new definitions for Windows Defender that fixed the false threat detection affecting the Messenger Plus! executable together with other detection improvements.[8]
Recent versions of Windows Defender also stopped detecting the Messenger Plus! Live installer as being potentially dangerous.

Renaming

Windows Live Messenger 8.5.1302, with the two added Messenger Plus! Live 4.5.0.312 buttons on the right-hand side.



To coincide with the newly branded Windows Live Messenger, new versions of Messenger Plus! are called Messenger Plus! Live. It has been completely rebuilt from the ground up and includes a totally new GUI design which blends more into the GUI of Windows Live Messenger.
The MSN Messenger compatible Messenger Plus! will no longer be supported. However, the last version of Messenger Plus! (version 3.63) will still be available for download on the official website here and is able to run along side Messenger Plus! Live.