Yahoo representatives said on Wednesday that the company had warned users of older versions of its IM client software to upgrade to newer applications or risk getting shut out of its network. Yahoo is giving users until 24 September to install current editions of its software, according to company spokeswoman Mary Osako.
According to Osako, the company is making the move in order to protect IM users from unwanted advertising spam. Osako said it was necessary for Yahoo to continually develop new versions of IM in order to "prevent spammers from potentially hacking into older platforms."
She said only a small percentage of Yahoo's IM user audience need to upgrade: those still operating Yahoo Messenger for Windows 5.0 or older, Yahoo Messenger for Mac 2.0 or older and Yahoo Messenger for Unix 1.02 or older. Most users already have more recent versions of Yahoo Messenger.
However, she did say that the upgrade would probably disable access for all Yahoo Messenger users who access the service via third-party IM client software such as Trillian. Trillian is software that integrates multiple IM clients into a common interface.
"Third-party clients will likely be affected, but we're trying to communicate with other providers around the common goal of opening up the IM community," she said.
Yahoo's announcement comes on the heels of similar news from rival IM software maker Microsoft that it plans to bar third-party client software from gaining access to its MSN Messenger IM applications. On 15 October, Trillian users will also lose access to the Microsoft IM client.
Trillian did not return calls requesting comment on the Yahoo announcement.
Talkback
It's a bit like having a different TV set for each channel...!
Grow up, guys, or you'll all lose out.
I believe Microsoft and Yahoo's anti-competitive approach to 3rd party integrators like Trillian is despicable, and is bordering on illegal. It is tragic that after all these years of compatibility wars and so-called cooperation between the dominant vendors on w3 and IEEE and other standards bodies, that we appear to have learned nothing about open systems, compatibility and the right of the consumer to choose how they use a service.
It appears that once a vendor feels they are in a leading position, they think they are legally entitled to block all competition in any way possible .... even if it actually harms their customers.
As a Trillian user....I really hate this decision. I run a help site and try keep aim, icq, yahoo, and msn open so that people can get in contact with me no matter which program they might prefer to use. I've LOVED the convenience of Trillian...and the fact that I just run ONE program instead of four at one time...bogging down my computer. I'm truely sad to see this come to an end.
As a user of yahoo, AIM, ICQ and MSN - and using Trillian as my "one stop shop" to utilise all these programmes you can rest assurred i will be telling family and friends that use yahoo to change their choice of IM to something that does allow trillian.
Quite frankly, I run too many programs already. trillian was my way of keeping from completely frying my computer. This is pettiness, pure and simple.