eMessenger Web-Based MSN IM

Jeff Hester

September 28, 2004

Sometimes firewalls at work or school do nasty
things to your IM habit -- getting between you and
your friends and associates. I’ve seen MSN Messenger
blocked by corporate IT security freaks, and even
seen MSN Web Messenger blocked as well.

Finally it seems I’ve found a web-based alternative
that really works. It’s called eMessenger,
and it lets you sign-in and IM your MSN Messenger
buddies anywhere you have an Internet connection.

eMessenger gets around the firewall problems by using HTTP; the same protocol used to surf the web. To sign-in, you first visit the eMessenger website and sign-in with your MSN login information. It’s important to note that this information is sent unencrypted. If some malevolent, net-saavy person were to sniff the eMessenger network traffic, it’s possible that they could intercept your login credentials. If this worries you, create a new MSN account just for testing purposes, or skip it until a more secure solution is found.

The Contact List

The contact list works pretty much as expected, with options to change my nickname, my status and view my online contacts. The icons used to represent away or idle status are different from MSN Messenger, but still easily identified.

The Chat Windows

A single click on a contact name will open a chat window. This works pretty much just like the MSN Messenger chat windows, and even replaces your emoticon shortcuts with the familiar MSN emoticons. You type your message and press Enter to send.

The Bottom Line?

eMessenger is a handy tool for those cases when you’d otherwise be blocked from using the regular MSN Messenger program. It’s a little slow at times, and there is a limit on the number of users that can simultaneously access the system. The interface is good, but not as polished as MSN Web Messenger. The key for me is that it works!

Visit www.e-messenger.net and add your comments here.