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Who noticed the change in the ICQ Focus Group? I doubt that many did!
But infact, since a few weeks the Marketing Direcor of ICQ, Yeal Givon is no longer listed as operator there.
Is that one of the many strange “strategical” changes which they used to do in the past of the ICQ Focus Group?

Nobody knows, but I found it interesting!

Technorati Tags: ICQ Focus Group, ICQ

This blog entry is the successor of this blog entry.

Since I didn’t write in my latest reply to the answer from ICQ Supporter Michael Bing, that the Message History Converter works 100% for me now, it seems the ICQ Team thought it should calm me down in advance 🙂

Here’s the reply of ICQ Supporter Nick Slater:

“Hello,

Thank you for reporting the difficulties described in your ticket. Your feedback is important to us and we are looking in to the matter.

The ICQ Team works day and night to create new and improved features that will enhance the ICQ user experience.
The new version of ICQ History Converter will include improved features.
Some of the reported difficulties should be solved in this new version.

We apologize for the inconvenience.

Thank You,
Nick Slater,
The ICQ Support Team.”

As I said, it works for me. The old ICQ Pro (or “Classic ICQ”, that’s how the ICQ Team calls those old clients now) history of about 200 users from 2001-2004 got shrunken down from ca. 800 MB to incredible 70 MB!

But since the re-release of the Message History Converter does not work 100% for a small percentage of users, (see an example of such an user, here) they are forced to re-release it a 3rd time in an improved version to make it work for everybody.

You may wonder “why is this so complicated to make a silly easy History Converter, since the ICQ Team itself should be able to code this for their own product pretty easily!”, then you probably do not know how crappy the old message history system was. I have written a long post about this here.

Happy Reading! Get Some Popcorn! 😉

Technorati Tags: ICQ, Message History

Thanks to the new MSN plugin IMTiger which got released today in a new version, MSN users can now again put AIM/AOL9/ICQ contacts on the MSN Buddy List.
Concentrated readers will ask “Why does this crazy guy say “again””?!

Because thanks to my friend AJ who pointed this out to me, I can say, that in 1999, MSN Messanger was compatible with AIM, so Microsoft and AOL teamed up here.

Let me quote a bit from this news article:

“In 1999, when Microsoft launched MSN Messenger, the software allowed users to communicate directly with AOL Instant Messenger users. AOL, then the largest IM network, blocked MSN. The two companies proceeded to play a game of cat and mouse for months, until MSN finally said it would no longer access AOL to protect customer “security.””

Oh by the way: Yet, it does not support UNICode, yet

Technorati Tags: ICQ, MSN

As earlier mentioned I enjoy old computer games.
I have figured, that even digital joysticks don’t get better after 10-20 years.
Luckily, SpeedLinkhas a released a 1:1 re-production model of the legendary Competition Pro in an USB variant.
Since I am bad at reading schemes and soldering, I have asked my Mac Gyver-like grandfather to do it! You can see the joystick cable with 9 pin D-SUB plug which will be used to teplace the USB PC cable! 🙂

Competition Pro USB from 2004 (left) vs. Competition Pro 9 D-SUB from 1994 (right)! 🙂

Technorati Tags: Old computer games, Competition Pro

Well, there is another ridiclious absolutely kitschy and silly thing on my blog now, a Weather Pixie!
I have choosen the one I have actually choosen because I thought I would choose one which had blueish jeans.
I have “found” her on the Melissah bloggy – Take me on a Cruise, here.

Thanks Melissa! 🙂

Technorati Tags: weatherpixie, blog

The ICQ Team released, after I had written details about the ICQ Message History Converter problem, a new version of the ICQ Pro to ICQ 5 History Converter which now converted my old history from Classic ICQ2003b Pro to 100%!

Very well done, ICQ Team and thank you! 😀

It’s so great to have the complete history on one place again and so finally I can delete the ca. 1 gb big old Classic ICQ 2003b installation (= with message history from ICQ2000b-2003b)!!

Technorati Tags: ICQ, Message History

As I have reported earlier the new ICQ Help Center is out. So I took my chance to try out the new Ticket Center and opened two tickets.
Yesterday they replied to one of my ticket. ICQ Support is famous for their “copy & pasted text blocks” which sounded pretty much computer generated and didn’t fit to my questions at all.
Now, the holy ICQ Supporter even got a name, and it sounds better and fit exactly to my opened ticket and to my stuff I wrote:

“Hello,

In regards to the bug in the Message History export function, it is possible that the feature wont work as expected, especially if your are trying to export history from a NON-ICQ contact (for example, an AOL or AIM).
Please check whether the user on your contact list is an ICQ member. In addition, special symbols, like smileys may not appear when exporting history from ICQ 5.

As for your comment about the bug in the docking feature of ICQ 5, we are aware of it and working on a solution.

You mentioned in your message some problems found in the Message History Converter tool, which were reported to the expert group. Again, we are working on a solution to these problems. You might want to download our NEW History Converter, which was released on Thursday, May 19, 2005 (if you haven’t done so already). You can download it from this link:

Last but not least, as you may already know, we are always happy to receive comments and suggestion from our users. All comments and suggestions are taken into consideration and our goal is to implement those features that will benefit the whole ICQ community.

Thank You,
Michael Bing
The ICQ Support Team.”

So let’s analyze a bit… 🙂

1) History Save function: I didn’t know that this is known to be troublesome with AIM/AOL9 contacts.
Infact I didn’t tell him from which kind of contact I couldn’t export the history.

So: Good reply!

(I have written in my re-reply to him the missing information).

2) Bug in the docking feature:
In past, they just wrote to me a “how to use the contact list”. Now, this is a lot better reply.

So: Good reply!

3) Message History Converter problem:
he somehow made a mishmash of “Focus Group” and “Expert Board” and called it “Focus Group” 😀
Anyway, good reply. He just missed to tell me the download link. But all problems are fixed now, infact it works perfect now!

So: Good reply but missing link

4) Adding old ICQ status to Status Manager:

Just the ususal: “We do our best to implement all suggested features” reply! 🙁

So: Very bad reply 🙁

I have written a re-reply to him, so hope you will look forward to Part II of this Ticket Story! 😀

Technorati Tags: ICQ, help

I have added a new feature to my blog! a blogmail service from Blogarithm so you get an email telling you as soon as I have done updates to my blog!
I have found this though this thread on a blog from some person living in Parkistan.

Hope you will like the new feature! 🙂

Technorati Tags: blog, blogarithm

I have found a site where you can win a GMail invitation and get an Orkut Invitation (title is link).
Ok, giving away Gmail invitations is no bad, even I do it.
But since Orkut is a network of friends, I think this invitations for everyone spoils the meaining of the trusted friends network – I e.g. would never invite a person I don’t see as a friend.

Just my opinion, well…

Technorati Tags: Orkut Invitation, GMail invitation

Good News!
After the reply from ICQ Team regarding the Message History problem I have had, they replied a 2nd time to my detailed error report.
Please read their reply, here.

Let’s hope they can fix it! I will stay thrilled and keep my Pro history files, of course 😉 😀

I will keep you updated about this issue!…

Technorati Tags: ICQ, Message History