Access to the Instant Messaging has been added to the profile screens. If you want to use the web interfaces for these tools for a member just click on their profile button. These indicators show up simply by putting your Instant Message ID's in your profile in the appropriate spaces.

These were placed here instead of in the Thread listings because the ICQ status indicator takes up to 10 seconds to load on its own.

If you have ICQ and want members to know when your online you need to check the box that says "Notify other of Status via the WEB" or something similar. It is located in the Preferences and Security dialog.

I don't use any other Instant Messaging programs but I am sure someone will post on how to make your indicator show up properly.

Nice addition Wayne - thanks very much! Only thing I would request is replacing Yahoo! Messenger with MSN Messenger...

Will think about adding MSN Messenger to the mix. Not sure about replacing Yahoo though, more likely would be one additional profile option.

I think that addint to many is kind of pointless, just my 2 cents.

Well, the entire feature to MOST people is pointless. It's useful to some of the people, some of the time.

You'd also be very surprised at how many MSN Messenger users are here...far more than Yahoo! Messenger users.

The problem with MSN Messenger is there is no web integration, meaning you can't fill out a web form to send a message to a registered user. With ICQ, AIM and Yahoo these essential features of integration are available. Without them all we can do is add your MSN Messenger number to the database anyway.


As it is now you click on the indicators for ICQ, AIM or Yahoo and send the individual a message. You can't even get an indicator for MSN Messenger. So you see there is a little more to it to than just showing some addresses and a few pretty icons.

If you would like to see more complete integration like what is possible with the others, write MSN support and request these features. It can be done without changing the client software and only requires some scripts and a form at the server. This is the same way that the other big three do it.

If MSN can do these things, let me know what the address is for the instructions to set it up and I will. I looked on their Messenger site and they don't even mention it.

This thread talks about it a little...might be a good place to get some sort of movement going. :

http://vbulletin.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=2223

Yeah I read that as well... I also went to MSN's site and couldn't find any web aware features except the contact list that was mentioned.

Yeah, I don't believe MSN offers an online notification icon like AIM, ICQ, and Y!.

I really like the new feature added to the profiles, though.

Instead of having the ugly icons you should just have the username be the link instead of the picture. And if they aren't online, it isn't a link. Or at least replace the ugly pictures.

I really think that even addind just a profile addition for showing a MSN Messenger ID would be great. Even if it doesn't support web aware or other interactive features. We could at least look it up in the profile.

I agree with Timothy.

I did this back in the days of MSN IM 1.0, then again about a month ago. No response either time though.

Having just the MSN IM name would be great, I don't think too many of us use the integrated thing that ICQ/AIM/Y! has anyway.

I know at least 20 members of this community who use MSN IM regularly. I'd say that about 80% of these people are within the top 40 most active members.

Wouldn't that REALLY slow down loading times? It would have to perform some sort of query for ICQ everytime...I'd imagine that could take a second or two for each user...

It already does a query for the image. And it would only be on the profile page. So...

I mean the usernames as links - weren't you referring to the username on my post to the left right now, for example?

No. I meant in the profile they have the ICQ number could just be a link, not the ugly picture. And the AIM screen name could be a link, not the ugly AIM picture.

Oh I see - yeah that's probably a good idea...something like this:

TWTCommish (I'm online!)

or

TWTCommish (Send Message!)

I was referring to idea of putting an ICQ image indicator along with the other postbit icons: "www," "profile," "email," etc.