The new Live Messenger

So, I've gotten sort of used to the new Messenger by now, but one thing still drives me up the wall. It's the inability to send stuff like .zip  and .mp3 or .wma files without having a virus scanner, or the fact that messenger removes or blocks files that it finds scary when it receives them. (The latter I find the weirdest: why does it freaking bother transferring that stuff if it is going to get rid of the file upon arrival anyway? Why accept the transfer in the first place?)

But, all this stuff has been in messenger for ages, and I can understand why, but.. for the love of God. We're at version nine by now. After all this time, there's still no way to disable that security crap? Was there nobody who thought that it might be a good idea to add a button that says "Yes, I absolutely understand that receiving this MP3 will physically destroy my PC and give me syphilis, and I fully take the blame, so disable the file blocking feature now"? Microsoft actually enables people to turn off UAC, and apparently encourages people to do so by catering for the UAC-less, but in Messenger? No man, you can't send that .zip of your visual studio project. That stuff is dangerous! Can't turn this warning off either, it's for your own good.

It's insane. I'm constantly renaming files so that they have a .messengermustdie extension before I send them. I've been doing this for years. What on earth is the Live Messenger team thinking?

Think of the children Bas!

They don't read the texts and warnings they just click the link that works,..

One of my greater annoyances is with Office Communicator, MSN's bigger brother. You are not able to send a hyperlink to your collegues. It automatically adds an underscore for you.

As a matter of fact, I am getting fed up with all these tight user rights settings. You know I have to run Internet Explorer as administrator to view reports on SQL Server 2008 Reporting Services? Reporting Services 2008 team says; 'We cannot imagine that you want to run your reporting services enviroment without tight authentication.' and the Internet Explorer team says; 'We cannot imagine that anyone writes web applications that require your NTLM ticket.'. WELL, their limit power of imagination has gotten me into quite a discussion with our customer.

No sir, we cannot use reporting services for that scenario. We have to run the browser in administor mode. Yes, we are aware that your ICT department does not want to do that,..

My biggest beef is; why are non security related products making these security decisions for me?

there!

Isn't it easier to just configure messenger to virus scan the files? Then it stops complaining and you can send what you want.

AndyC said:

Isn't it easier to just configure messenger to virus scan the files? Then it stops complaining and you can send what you want.

Rather than installing antivirus and configuring it, isn't it easier to just enable users who think they know better to disable those security features?

Bas said:

AndyC said:

*snip*

Rather than installing antivirus and configuring it, isn't it easier to just enable users who think they know better to disable those security features?

Not from an overall perspective. Email is really still only around in its current form because there was a significant amount of traction in place by the time it became a mass-virus dispersal tool, if there wasn't we'd all be using one of the alternative email protocols by now. No single IM network has reached that point yet and likely never will, if Microsoft weren't actively preventing the MSN network being used to distibute viruses, you can bet your last dollar it'd become obsolete in next to no time.

AndyC said:

Bas said:

*snip*

Not from an overall perspective. Email is really still only around in its current form because there was a significant amount of traction in place by the time it became a mass-virus dispersal tool, if there wasn't we'd all be using one of the alternative email protocols by now. No single IM network has reached that point yet and likely never will, if Microsoft weren't actively preventing the MSN network being used to distibute viruses, you can bet your last dollar it'd become obsolete in next to no time.

if Microsoft weren't actively preventing the MSN network being used to distibute viruses, you can bet your last dollar it'd become obsolete in next to no time.

See, I have no idea how an option to turn off these protection features would diminish that. Sure, it'd enable me to send a .zip file with a trojan. I can do so now, anyway, so what are they gaining?

I don't know. I'm looking for a choice between turning this protection on or off, but instead, Microsoft is giving me the option of using WLM or an IM client that lets me send ZIP files.

Hm.

Bas said:

AndyC said:

*snip*

Rather than installing antivirus and configuring it, isn't it easier to just enable users who think they know better to disable those security features?

You don't need to install AV.

Just check the box that says use WLOC Safety Scanner.