June 9, 2009 on 9:40 am | In News | 163 Comments
As Yahoo! Messenger gets older so too do some of the “vintage” versions that are still in use by some users.
In an effort to provide the best experience for our users and maintain high security standards, we will officially retire Yahoo! Messenger versions 6.0 through 7.5 in August, 2009. This means that if you are currently using a version of Yahoo! Messenger that is below 8.0, you will no longer be able to sign in and use it after the retirement date in August.
If you are one of these users, you’ll begin seeing messages in-product about the upcoming retirement. You have several options for continuing to use Yahoo! Messenger:
Option 1: Download the latest version for Windows
You can use Yahoo! Messenger 9.0 which offers enhanced security as well as better protection from spam (info | video demo | download). It was even voted the best overall client in the 2009 About.com IM Awards. 9.0 also includes more advanced features like voice calling, free mobile text messaging (SMS), as well as the ability to IM with friends that use Windows Live™ Messenger.
Option 2: Use Yahoo! Messenger for the Web
If you can’t use the latest version mentioned above, you can always sign in to Yahoo! Messenger for the Web from any web browser. No extra download or installation is required. With our web version, you can send IM’s as well as SMS text messages to your friend’s mobile phones for free. Our web version also includes anywhere archiving, allowing you to access your message history from any computer or browser. Try it now at http://webmessenger.yahoo.com.
Option 3: Use the built-in IM feature in Yahoo! Mail
Both versions of Yahoo! Mail offer a built-in feature that lets you send and receive IMs. If you’re using the all-new Yahoo! Mail, just click the status menu next to your name in the upper header and change your status to “Available”. This will sign you into Yahoo! Messenger (you also have the option of staying invisible). IM conversations occur in separate tabs within your Mail page.
In Yahoo! Mail Classic, you’ll see a module on the left hand side of the page labeled “Chat & Mobile Text”. Click on the status menu in that module to change to “Available” (or Invisible). IM conversations will show up in a small box in the lower right corner of your Yahoo! Mail Classic page (but it won’t interfere with your Mail messages or using Mail).
As an alternative, there are also solutions available for your mobile phone. We recently launched Yahoo! Messenger for the iPhone and additionals versions are available for other mobile handsets. Find out more
And remember, no matter what version you migrate to, your contact list always goes with you. As the date gets closer, we’ll remind you again here on the blog and provide the final date for retirement.
Thanks,
Sarah Bacon
Product Manager
June 2, 2009 on 11:31 am | In 9.0 version | 139 Comments
A lot of users are just now discovering Yahoo! Messenger 9.0 after upgrading. If you are new to 9.0, here are some tips on what’s new, and how to customize it to your liking.
Contact list view
When you signed into 9.0 for the first time, you probably noticed the changes in your contact list right away. This is the new “detailed” view of the contact list which shows a larger display image, status message and latest update from each contacts. If you prefer the older look of the contact list, just click the menu to the right of the contact search box and select “Compact List”. Similarly, you can click on the Contacts menu at the top of your main Messenger window to find these options.
Conversation / message formatting
In the IM conversation window, we switched to a format where the first message is on the same line as the name, and then subsequent messages are shown without names alongside. If you prefer to have your friend’s name next to every message they send in the conversation, there is a keyboard shortcut you can use to change it back to the old style. Click here for instructions on how to change your message format
Status menu makeover
We made a few changes to let you more easily share what you’re up to, what you’re into or what you’re thinking with your friends. One of the problems we wanted to address was being able to show you’re available or busy but still be able to share something with your friends like a website, video or funny thought. With this new status menu, you can indicate whether you’re busy or available and separately, provide a status message and even link to something interesting. Yes, the “canned” status messages are gone, but the last nine status messages you used will be listed in the dropdown menu.
Click here for more details on the new status message menu
New skins
We added eleven new skins to 9.0. To switch skin designs, click the gold dot to the left of the minimize/maximize/close buttons in the upper right corner of the main Messenger window.
Updates from your friends
Yahoo! Messenger 9.0 now displays updates from your contacts alongside their status messages when they make updates on the Yahoo! network at places like Yahoo! Movies, Sports, Shopping, Travel, or on other social websites like Twitter, YouTube, Last.fm, and more. The same goes for you – you can instantly share your own updates with your friends on Yahoo! Messenger.
Click here for more details on Updates in Yahoo! Messenger 9.0
Want to find out more about our latest version? Click here to read more blog articles about Yahoo! Messenger 9.0.
Sarah Bacon
Product Manager
June 1, 2009 on 10:00 am | In Avatars | 11 Comments
Do you sit around and dream up ideas that will green up our planet? Ok, I don’t either but you probably have some ideas worth sharing and if you’re a do-it-yourself kind of person, listen up!
In Yahoo!’s new Make It Green initiative, we want to turn great ideas that improve lives and help our planet into actual products. We’re looking for the best green do-it-yourself ideas — and we need you to help us.
Submit your idea, and if it’s chosen, you could see your product on store shelves, get $2,500 and a share of the sales, and possibly appear on the Everyday Edisons TV show. Note that there is a $10 entry fee.
Need some inspiration? Dress up your Avatar in new Make It Green gear or use the Avatar Makeover plug-in to dress up your Messenger friends. Maybe together you can dream up your green idea over IM and have it turned into an actual product.
And if you’re stumped for ideas, that’s ok. We need people to vote on ideas too! Take a few moments to browse the submissions in the Make It Green Idea Gallery. Be sure to give a thumbs up to the ones you think are the best.
Sarah Bacon
Product Manager
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