SlackmasterK wrote:
Microsoft could guarantee never to have an IM server outage, thus forcing me to use other networks for my IM

Is there any IM network that *guarantees* 100% uptime?
I bet the answer is - NO.

SlackmasterK wrote:
I could run it with the messenger service disabled (not just stopped, disabled.)

MSN Messenger is not connected to the messenger service in any way (except same name).

SlackmasterK wrote:
Guarantee there will be no ads

Yeah! And please no commercial breaks in "Lost" too.

SlackmasterK wrote:
Run in minimal desktop and memory footprints

On your 286 pc?
I find Messenger pretty fast actually.

SlackmasterK wrote:
Not look like that fruity WMP10 [still use Mplayer2 and Winamp]

Winamp? Isn't it even more fruity? In fact it has no native GUI too.
Oh, idea for future mindless MS bashing - you can also blame Microsoft for terribly slow codecs (since unlike newer players your Mplayer2 does not support fast ASF/WinMedia reader).

SlackmasterK wrote:
Funny that I can log into an MSN IM account via an E-mail address that hasn't existed in a few months

Would you like monthly or weekly checks for your e-mail validity more?

SlackmasterK wrote:
I want to disable sounds, smileys, and those annoying notifications

OMG! You already can! For several years already!

SlackmasterK wrote:
Dunno if it helps but I've found the easiest and most final way to stop messenger from respawning every time I shoot it down is to replace msmsgs.exe with ping.exe - it's part of my standard Windows install procedure. No load on boot, no load on outlook, no load spontaneously at random without cause, no recreating msmsgs.exe after it's deleted. I call this my BFG move, because it's the best way to kill it dead. and disable that service!!!

Or you can just set the option in "Preferences". Or in "Group Policy". Or simply in registry. Or use provided .inf file to remove it. Or disable it using "Add/Remove programs". And again, Windows "Messenger" service is not connected to MSN Messenger. And msmsgs.exe is not Windows "Messenger" service.