Yahoo! Messenger was originally launched under the name Yahoo! Pager on 1998-03-09.
In addition to instant messaging features similar to those offered by ICQ, it also offers (on Microsoft Windows) features such as: IMVironments (customizing the look of Instant Message windows, some of which include authorized themes of famous cartoons such as Garfield or Dilbert), address-book integration and Custom Status Messages. It was also the first major IM client to feature BUZZing and music-status. Another recently added feature is customized avatars.
On December 5, 2007, Yahoo! Messenger announces the release of Yahoo Messenger for Windows Vista as a Beta Release. It includes transparent Glass Windows and a new skin and GUI for the Windows Sidebar and program. Also integrated new tabs for going between different chat windows.
On October 29, 2007, Yahoo! Messenger announced the release of Yahoo! Messenger 9 Beta. It features a new and improved interface, new emoticons (also hidden emotions), the integration with Flickr account and a new in-line media player which enables the user to view maps, photos and videos from sites like Yahoo! Video and YouTube right in the IM window.
Yahoo! has announced a partnership with Microsoft to join their instant messaging networks. This would make Yahoo! Messenger compatible with Microsoft's .NET Messenger Service. It also made Microsoft's Windows Live Messenger compatible with Yahoo!'s Network. This change has taken effect as of 2006-07-13 - Yahoo! Messenger has integrated instant messaging with Windows Live Messenger users, and is fully functional.
British Telecommunications' BT Communicator software is based on Yahoo! Messenger. BT Communicator was withdrawn on 2006-12-31.
Yahoo! Voice is a Voice over IP PC-PC, PC-Phone and Phone-to-PC service , provided by Yahoo! via its Yahoo! Messenger instant messaging application. It is also available for the Mac OS X platform .
On June 19, 2005, with no advance warning, Yahoo! disabled users' ability to create their own chat rooms. The move came after KPRC-TV in Houston, Texas reported that many of the user-created rooms were geared toward pedophilia. Many regulars in these rooms used the rooms to set up meetings to have sex with children and trade lewd pictures. While it was thought this move came as a result of several advertisers pulling their ads from Yahoo!, a more likely cause was a $10 million lawsuit filed by watchdog groups of internet portals on behalf of a 12-year-old victim of molestation .
Yahoo! has since closed down the chat.yahoo.com site (which is now a redirect to a section of the Yahoo! Messenger page) because the great majority of chat users accessed it through Messenger. In August of 2007, it began requiring word verification in order to use Yahoo! Chat. Officially, this is to guard against spammers and automated bots, which had been a source of frustration for many chatters (This method has proved highly unsuccessful, as many rooms now have more bots than users). However, as this also logs users' IP addresses, this feature could presumably be used to monitor against the type of behavior that prevailed in the pedophilia-oriented rooms. The company claims to be still working on a way to allow users to create their own rooms while providing safeguards against abuse.
As of October 2008, Yahoo's inability to control chat bots and spammers continues to be a major issue. Over 90% of all chat messages, even in supposedly family oriented chat rooms like genealogy, appear to be originated by automated spam bots spewing solicitations for adult activities, web cams and pictures.
<a href="ymsgr:sendim?notarealuser">Send Message</a> To specify a message body, the m parameter is used, so that the link location might look like this:
ymsgr:sendim?notarealuser&m=This+is+my+message* ymsgr:sendim? Example: ymsgr:sendim?myid
* ymsgr:addfriend? Example: ymsgr:addfriend?myid
* ymsgr:sendfile? Example: ymsgr:sendfile?myid
* ymsgr:call? Example: ymsgr:call?1-800-555-7654
* ymsgr:callPhone? Example: ymsgr:callPhone?1-800-555-7654
* YMSGR:chat? <"opens chat room list" Note: bigblueball does not like ? at the end of a link!
* ymsgr:im?
* ymsgr:getimv?doodle
* ymsgr:getimv?yfighter
Interoperability between Yahoo! and Windows Live Messenger was launched July 12, 2006. This allows, for Yahoo! and Windows Live Messenger users to chat to each other without the need to create an account on the other service, provided both contacts use the latest versions of the clients. For now, it's impossible to talk using the voice service among both messengers.
The most common method of delivering a malicious payload is the use of social engineering to construct a message that appears to be coming from a contact on the recipient's contact list. A socially engineered message is one that is written in a friendly, informal manner, that could easily be mistaken as coming from a friend. The message usually will say something like "Click here to see pics of me from vacation!" or "Is this you?" with a web address -- known as a "poison URL" -- for the recipient to click. Upon clicking the web address, the recipient is connected to a website containing active content, which is immediately downloaded to the recipient's computer. In most cases, the payload contains an installer, a number of hidden files containing text, and code which causes the same socially engineered message with poison URL to be sent to every contact on the contact list. When the message is sent to all contacts, the cycle starts again, as each contact believes they are receiving a message from a trusted friend. In this manner, IM-borne malware is capable of propagating very rapidly through company and external networks.
Worms and viruses are discovered on a regular basis by security companies, particularly by the three companies with IM-specific security products, Akonix Systems, FaceTime Communications, and Symantec. According to IM security researchers at Akonix, the number of new threats identified each month is 30 to 35, with a high of 88 in October, 2006.
Yahoo! recently released a preview version of Yahoo! Messenger for Windows Vista. It has been designed to exploit the new design elements of Vista's Windows Presentation Foundation and entitles a whole new user interface and features. Currently it lacks some basic functions such as webcam support and Chat.
The Mac OS X client version 3.0 Beta 2 has been released: file transfers have been re-enabled as have group conferences.
Oldest version for which customer care support is available: 8.0 (as of April 2, 2007)
Oldest version that can log in (has not reached end of life): 6.0 (as of April 2, 2008)
| Version | Release date | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | March 9, 1998 | ||
| 3.0 | August 17, 2000 | ||
| 3.5 | |||
| 4.0 | |||
| 4.1 | |||
| 5.0 | November 2001 | ||
| 5.5 | August 15, 2002 | ||
| 5.6 | |||
| 6.0 | August 2004 | Support for Windows 95 and Windows NT dropped. | |
| 6.1 | |||
| 7.0.0.426 | August 8, 2005 |
| |
| 7.0.0.437 | August 30, 2005 | ||
| 7.5 | |||
| 8.0.0.505 | June 20, 2006 | Plugins possible | |
| 8.0.0.508 | July 13, 2006 | Interoperability between Yahoo! and Windows Live Messenger contacts | |
| 8.0.0.701 | August 10, 2006 | The release date signifies the release of a beta version. This is not clearly documented on the Yahoo site. | |
| 8.0.0.716 | September 15, 2006 | ||
| 8.1.0.195 | October 24, 2006 |
| |
| 8.1.0.209 | December 4, 2006 | Patched an ActiveX Control Buffer Overflow | |
| 8.1.0.239 | January 19, 2007 | Improvements in voice quality and sign-in, fixes for minor bugs with Windows Vista | |
| 8.1.0.244 | March 14, 2007 | ||
| 8.1.0.249 | March 28, 2007 | Patches a security flaw | |
| 8.1.0.401 | June 8, 2007 | Fixes a vulnerability with the Webcam ActiveX control | |
| 8.1.0.402 | June 15, 2007 | Fixes a buffer overflow in an ActiveX control | |
| 8.1.0.413 | July 17, 2007 | ||
| 8.1.0.416 | August 22, 2007 |
| |
| 8.1.0.419 | August 29, 2007 | Two more security patches | |
| 8.1.0.421 | September 6, 2007 | ||
| 9.0.0.797 Beta | October 29, 2007 |
| |
| 9.0.0.907 Beta | November 7, 2007 |
| |
| 9.0.0.922 Beta | December 18, 2007 | ||
| 9.0.0.1389 Beta | May 29, 2008 |
| |
| 9.0.0.1912 | September 23, 2008 |
|
Yahoo! Messenger was originally launched under the name Yahoo! Pager on 1998-03-09.
In addition to instant messaging features similar to those offered by ICQ, it also offers (on Microsoft Windows) features such as: IMVironments (customizing the look of Instant Message windows, some of which include authorized themes of famous cartoons such as Garfield or Dilbert), address-book integration and Custom Status Messages. It was also the first major IM client to feature BUZZing and music-status. Another recently added feature is customized avatars.
On December 5, 2007, Yahoo! Messenger announces the release of Yahoo Messenger for Windows Vista as a Beta Release. It includes transparent Glass Windows and a new skin and GUI for the Windows Sidebar and program. Also integrated new tabs for going between different chat windows.
On October 29, 2007, Yahoo! Messenger announced the release of Yahoo! Messenger 9 Beta. It features a new and improved interface, new emoticons (also hidden emotions), the integration with Flickr account and a new in-line media player which enables the user to view maps, photos and videos from sites like Yahoo! Video and YouTube right in the IM window.
Yahoo! has announced a partnership with Microsoft to join their instant messaging networks. This would make Yahoo! Messenger compatible with Microsoft's .NET Messenger Service. It also made Microsoft's Windows Live Messenger compatible with Yahoo!'s Network. This change has taken effect as of 2006-07-13 - Yahoo! Messenger has integrated instant messaging with Windows Live Messenger users, and is fully functional.
British Telecommunications' BT Communicator software is based on Yahoo! Messenger. BT Communicator was withdrawn on 2006-12-31.
Yahoo! Voice is a Voice over IP PC-PC, PC-Phone and Phone-to-PC service , provided by Yahoo! via its Yahoo! Messenger instant messaging application. It is also available for the Mac OS X platform .
On June 19, 2005, with no advance warning, Yahoo! disabled users' ability to create their own chat rooms. The move came after KPRC-TV in Houston, Texas reported that many of the user-created rooms were geared toward pedophilia. Many regulars in these rooms used the rooms to set up meetings to have sex with children and trade lewd pictures. While it was thought this move came as a result of several advertisers pulling their ads from Yahoo!, a more likely cause was a $10 million lawsuit filed by watchdog groups of internet portals on behalf of a 12-year-old victim of molestation .
Yahoo! has since closed down the chat.yahoo.com site (which is now a redirect to a section of the Yahoo! Messenger page) because the great majority of chat users accessed it through Messenger. In August of 2007, it began requiring word verification in order to use Yahoo! Chat. Officially, this is to guard against spammers and automated bots, which had been a source of frustration for many chatters (This method has proved highly unsuccessful, as many rooms now have more bots than users). However, as this also logs users' IP addresses, this feature could presumably be used to monitor against the type of behavior that prevailed in the pedophilia-oriented rooms. The company claims to be still working on a way to allow users to create their own rooms while providing safeguards against abuse.
As of October 2008, Yahoo's inability to control chat bots and spammers continues to be a major issue. Over 90% of all chat messages, even in supposedly family oriented chat rooms like genealogy, appear to be originated by automated spam bots spewing solicitations for adult activities, web cams and pictures.
<a href="ymsgr:sendim?notarealuser">Send Message</a> To specify a message body, the m parameter is used, so that the link location might look like this:
ymsgr:sendim?notarealuser&m=This+is+my+message* ymsgr:sendim? Example: ymsgr:sendim?myid
* ymsgr:addfriend? Example: ymsgr:addfriend?myid
* ymsgr:sendfile? Example: ymsgr:sendfile?myid
* ymsgr:call? Example: ymsgr:call?1-800-555-7654
* ymsgr:callPhone? Example: ymsgr:callPhone?1-800-555-7654
* YMSGR:chat? <"opens chat room list" Note: bigblueball does not like ? at the end of a link!
* ymsgr:im?
* ymsgr:getimv?doodle
* ymsgr:getimv?yfighter
Interoperability between Yahoo! and Windows Live Messenger was launched July 12, 2006. This allows, for Yahoo! and Windows Live Messenger users to chat to each other without the need to create an account on the other service, provided both contacts use the latest versions of the clients. For now, it's impossible to talk using the voice service among both messengers.
The most common method of delivering a malicious payload is the use of social engineering to construct a message that appears to be coming from a contact on the recipient's contact list. A socially engineered message is one that is written in a friendly, informal manner, that could easily be mistaken as coming from a friend. The message usually will say something like "Click here to see pics of me from vacation!" or "Is this you?" with a web address -- known as a "poison URL" -- for the recipient to click. Upon clicking the web address, the recipient is connected to a website containing active content, which is immediately downloaded to the recipient's computer. In most cases, the payload contains an installer, a number of hidden files containing text, and code which causes the same socially engineered message with poison URL to be sent to every contact on the contact list. When the message is sent to all contacts, the cycle starts again, as each contact believes they are receiving a message from a trusted friend. In this manner, IM-borne malware is capable of propagating very rapidly through company and external networks.
Worms and viruses are discovered on a regular basis by security companies, particularly by the three companies with IM-specific security products, Akonix Systems, FaceTime Communications, and Symantec. According to IM security researchers at Akonix, the number of new threats identified each month is 30 to 35, with a high of 88 in October, 2006.
Yahoo! recently released a preview version of Yahoo! Messenger for Windows Vista. It has been designed to exploit the new design elements of Vista's Windows Presentation Foundation and entitles a whole new user interface and features. Currently it lacks some basic functions such as webcam support and Chat.
The Mac OS X client version 3.0 Beta 2 has been released: file transfers have been re-enabled as have group conferences.
Oldest version for which customer care support is available: 8.0 (as of April 2, 2007)
Oldest version that can log in (has not reached end of life): 6.0 (as of April 2, 2008)
| Version | Release date | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.0 | March 9, 1998 | ||
| 3.0 | August 17, 2000 | ||
| 3.5 | |||
| 4.0 | |||
| 4.1 | |||
| 5.0 | November 2001 | ||
| 5.5 | August 15, 2002 | ||
| 5.6 | |||
| 6.0 | August 2004 | Support for Windows 95 and Windows NT dropped. | |
| 6.1 | |||
| 7.0.0.426 | August 8, 2005 |
| |
| 7.0.0.437 | August 30, 2005 | ||
| 7.5 | |||
| 8.0.0.505 | June 20, 2006 | Plugins possible | |
| 8.0.0.508 | July 13, 2006 | Interoperability between Yahoo! and Windows Live Messenger contacts | |
| 8.0.0.701 | August 10, 2006 | The release date signifies the release of a beta version. This is not clearly documented on the Yahoo site. | |
| 8.0.0.716 | September 15, 2006 | ||
| 8.1.0.195 | October 24, 2006 |
| |
| 8.1.0.209 | December 4, 2006 | Patched an ActiveX Control Buffer Overflow | |
| 8.1.0.239 | January 19, 2007 | Improvements in voice quality and sign-in, fixes for minor bugs with Windows Vista | |
| 8.1.0.244 | March 14, 2007 | ||
| 8.1.0.249 | March 28, 2007 | Patches a security flaw | |
| 8.1.0.401 | June 8, 2007 | Fixes a vulnerability with the Webcam ActiveX control | |
| 8.1.0.402 | June 15, 2007 | Fixes a buffer overflow in an ActiveX control | |
| 8.1.0.413 | July 17, 2007 | ||
| 8.1.0.416 | August 22, 2007 |
| |
| 8.1.0.419 | August 29, 2007 | Two more security patches | |
| 8.1.0.421 | September 6, 2007 | ||
| 9.0.0.797 Beta | October 29, 2007 |
| |
| 9.0.0.907 Beta | November 7, 2007 |
| |
| 9.0.0.922 Beta | December 18, 2007 | ||
| 9.0.0.1389 Beta | May 29, 2008 |
| |
| 9.0.0.1912 | September 23, 2008 |
|