Microsoft has never really done a very good job explaining their approach to the layperson. In fact, the first time I saw "Windows Live" was when my MSN Messenger suddenly disappeared, and was replaced with "Windows Live Messenger". At that age, I was a huge MSN advocate, but after some confusion with version numbers, updates, plugins (Plus!), and features, I just dropped the program altogether. It wasn't really a conscious decision. It just wasn't worth using anymore.
To be fair, I do believe that there should be some sort of connection between a company's products, but trying to make them all fit a "vision" is very limiting, and often comes across as forced. Do I like being able to use my gmail to sign into all Google services? Yes. Do I care if my YouTube page shares the same design as my GMail page? Not at all.
In fact, the product environment is flooded with terrible integration. Here are some examples:
- Apple's iPhone is a wonderful product (and I use it), but having it integrate with iTunes is a horrible idea. My iTunes takes longer than my Windows Media Player to start up (about 6 times longer) and I honestly don't find it very intuitive at all. Syncing makes very little sense until you're used to it, and I still don't know where my old text messages are saved.
- Windows 7 Phone is actually a pretty cool concept in my opinion. In fact, MSFT actually showed off a prototype at a conference I helped organize. For the longest time, I couldn't figure out (not that I tried to) whether "Windows 7 Phone" was a phone, an operating system, or both.
- Google Talk and Google+ integration is probably the most annoying one. I joined the HN Google+ group, and since then, thousands of people have added me to some circle or another. In the beginning, I actually took the time to add them back into my "HN Circle". Unfortunately, random strangers then started popping up in my GChat, and I spent days setting everyone not to show. Since then, I haven't added anyone to G+, and I've stopped using it altogether out of frustration.
I'm sure there are ways around some of the things I mentioned, but the driving point is that it wasn't obvious. Companies need to stop ruining their awesome products with their shitty products.
On the plus page, on the chat section, click the down arrow next to your name, select "privacy settings" in the dropdown and uncheck everything. Voila, no more people.
Thanks. After selecting "Privacy Settings", you need to select "Custom" if "Circles" is currently showing for "Choose who can chat with you". Then it will show all the checkboxes. Mine showed up unchecked at this point, and a "Save" of this dialog removed everyone from my chat list (and I use psi on the desktop).
this is a bit of a tangent, but I now have a new gmail, but my youtube is still connected to my old one. So whenever I go on youtube, I need to log out of my new gmail, log into my old one to get access to my "stuff". Very annoying.
I generally dislike the direction of the latest few versions of Windows Live Messenger. It has gotten more confusing and bloated over the past 3 years.
It seems like Microsoft can't just leave a product alone and move on to the next thing. They have to keep milking the same app brand for all its worth adding more and more features to the point of absurdity.
To be fair, I do believe that there should be some sort of connection between a company's products, but trying to make them all fit a "vision" is very limiting, and often comes across as forced. Do I like being able to use my gmail to sign into all Google services? Yes. Do I care if my YouTube page shares the same design as my GMail page? Not at all.
In fact, the product environment is flooded with terrible integration. Here are some examples:
- Apple's iPhone is a wonderful product (and I use it), but having it integrate with iTunes is a horrible idea. My iTunes takes longer than my Windows Media Player to start up (about 6 times longer) and I honestly don't find it very intuitive at all. Syncing makes very little sense until you're used to it, and I still don't know where my old text messages are saved.
- Windows 7 Phone is actually a pretty cool concept in my opinion. In fact, MSFT actually showed off a prototype at a conference I helped organize. For the longest time, I couldn't figure out (not that I tried to) whether "Windows 7 Phone" was a phone, an operating system, or both.
- Google Talk and Google+ integration is probably the most annoying one. I joined the HN Google+ group, and since then, thousands of people have added me to some circle or another. In the beginning, I actually took the time to add them back into my "HN Circle". Unfortunately, random strangers then started popping up in my GChat, and I spent days setting everyone not to show. Since then, I haven't added anyone to G+, and I've stopped using it altogether out of frustration.
I'm sure there are ways around some of the things I mentioned, but the driving point is that it wasn't obvious. Companies need to stop ruining their awesome products with their shitty products.