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Messaging system is geared to youth | |
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| Time: 06:03 EST/11:03 GMT | News Source: Seattle Times | Posted By: Bill Roach | ||
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Some of the youngest employees at Microsoft are getting ready for a public test of a software program they've been working on for 18 months. The group, part of the company's NetGen division, will start beta testing next week on a product called Threedegrees, an instant-messaging program geared at customers aged 13-24. Threedegrees is free, but users will need to have a high-speed Internet connection. Users also will need to have the Windows XP operating system, an update to the system called Service Pack 1, another update called Windows XP Peer-to-Peer Update and the MSN Messenger 5 instant-messaging program. Once those are installed, a user can create online groups of up to 10 people and can be a member of more than one group. | ||
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| #1 By 6859 (206.156.242.36) at 2/19/2003 9:09:13 AM |
| Waitaminute... Aren't most instant messaging systems geared towards youths?... |
| #2 By 415 (68.54.10.120) at 2/19/2003 9:42:43 AM |
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Sounds like it might be pretty cool, and I'm a couple years outside the demographic! ;-)
Regarding this "groups of up to 10 people" statement, I think that it's pretty dumb to impose a hard limit of just 10 people in groups. They've got to think beyond some 10 year old who has 4 friends total. Come on, think about fraternity houses, dorms, and juvenile detention centers! |
| #3 By 415 (199.8.71.121) at 2/19/2003 12:35:41 PM |
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JWM - 10 years ago I could only dream about being able to play a 3d multiplayer online game, in real-time, with my friends and family or just some complete strangers. Today I can play that game, voice chat, text chat or instant message, and listen to most of my music collection ALL AT THE SAME TIME!
My point is... I remember some people who used to say how stupid and useless they thought those dreams were... ;-) |
| #4 By 1845 (12.209.152.69) at 2/19/2003 3:25:07 PM |
| Hmm, JWM.Age > 25. I suppose by virtue of his age he can't understand the appeal of such an application. :-) |
| #5 By 7390 (198.246.16.251) at 2/19/2003 4:27:13 PM |
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The beauty of technology as a tool is that people find interesting and unique ways to use it. But the technology has to be out there. As someone pointed out, a few years ago if someone told you that you would be doing what you are doing on the web know you wouldn't belive it.
Granted this tool may not be of use to you but I am sure that once the general public has it they will bend it to their needs. I can see a groups of friends on wireless devices in a class room having a use for this. And ofcourse the Porn industry will make good use of this since most web based technology seems elevate that industry. I am not sure that this tool has it but one thing that I would like to see is temporary membership! Sometimes I want to give out my IM ID to a coworker or a client because we need to communicate about a specific issue. But I don't want that person having my ID forever. And me removing them from my list really does nothing to solve the fact that they still have me on their list. I would like something like a 1 week (or any prefined time limit) list where you will be removed from your and theirs. Does this make sense? |
| #6 By 3653 (63.162.177.140) at 2/19/2003 6:51:47 PM |
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Have you guys been around a teenager lately? Just the other day, I was watching my niece (12 years old) and she had 7 IM conversations going on at once. She would quickly type a response and then tab to the next conversation. She just went in a cycle for half an hour.
I'm not sure if thats similar to other youngsters, but I was pretty amazed by it. |
| #7 By 7390 (63.211.44.114) at 2/19/2003 7:26:48 PM |
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If people want this than fine. I just think it will be another app that losses MS money.
#12, JWM I don't think that you get the big picture that is Microsoft. Granted there may not be a "direct" revenue stream from some of their products but I am sure they are not loosing money in the long run. Take windows media player, by your statement you would consider that to be another way that MS is loosing money. But clearly they are giving user another reason to stay on the Windows platform and maybe have to use the latest version of OS. You can add Outlook Express, Movie Maker, Heck even IE (since it is free by your statment they are loosing money on it). Not to mention this gets .NET to become ubiquitous and I don't need to explain the monitary value in that do I? |
| #8 By 10 (64.108.36.146) at 2/19/2003 8:29:59 PM |
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#5, where did u see the interface? This post was edited by Tegument on Wednesday, February 19, 2003 at 20:30. |
| #9 By 10 (64.108.36.146) at 2/19/2003 8:43:45 PM |
| thanx, just saw it on winbeta as well. |
| #10 By 7390 (63.211.44.114) at 2/19/2003 9:44:11 PM |
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What? MS Bob didn't make money? :)
or smart tags or myWebServices Clearly some stuff didn't produce the expected results but hey they are not perfect. On a different topic, anyone remember something called the Brain UI? it was suppose to be a "new" way to organize files or something. I remember playing with it like 4 years ago and thought that future versions would have use. |
| #11 By 1845 (12.209.152.69) at 2/20/2003 4:26:52 AM |
| I'm using a leaked beta of 3degrees and I like it. It's not ready for prime time, but it's still a cool app. |
| #12 By 1845 (12.209.152.69) at 2/21/2003 1:58:50 AM |
| I didn't say I liked the UI. I said it's a cool app. Winks are dang fun. Shared music is quite nice too. I listened to hours of my friend's Fugees yesterday andy my friend listened to my Eminem, neither of which we would have been able to do easily or legally otherwise - since we live a few thousand miles apart. The skin ability of the app is nifty, but the UI definately needs work. Winks are quite fun and that you can easily create new winks is even better. It's not a killer app to win over billions of Microsoft worshippers, but it is still a cool app. And if folks don't like it - they can write up a bug storm durning the public beta or just not use it. |
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