Msn online status

[StrangerInBeijing]

I'm creating this online contact form (pretty cool, using ajax and all that....check it out at this site under development (http://www.niconel.com/main/contact.php)
But I want to add links to msn, yahoo , skype and other Instant Messaging applications.
As you might know, msnim:add?contact=..... just does not cut (working in IE only)..not even what I've got in mind.
There must be a way where one can show an online/offline icon according to my status, and clicking it start my msn messenger.
OK, stupid question for someone that already decided there are a way : How can one do this?

[StrangerInBeijing]

For Yahoo:
<a href = 'ymsgr:sendim?novavnu'>
<img src="http://opi.yahoo.com/online?u=YourID&m=g&t=StyleID" border=0>
</a>

[StrangerInBeijing]

Here's what I got for msn:

How to display your msn status on your webpage?
MSN Status Image is an image that displays your current MSN Messenger status. To use MSN Status Image you will first need to register on Web2Messenger.com (http://www.web2messenger.com/) and get your username there. There is NO way to display your MSN messenger status without registration on w2m.

Down for maintenance though. Knowing Microsoft...probably will be back one with the release of msn version 11

[dinosaur_uk]

Hello Stranger,

I have found these scripts online.

I have managed to get the MSN one to work but not the Skype

[StrangerInBeijing]

Thanks a lot dude...too bad it dont work. Always show you as offline, no matter what.

Anybody know of a standard way of doing this? Or did the ppl that created this never foresee the possibility that someone will require this funcitonality? (wont suprise me with microsoft)

[StrangerInBeijing]

This also did not work, until I changed the setting in msn about allowing only people in my contact list to see my online status:
<!-- Begin Online Status Indicator code -->
<!-- http://www.onlinestatus.org/ -->
<A HREF="http://www.google.com">
<IMG SRC="http://www.the-server.net:8001/msn/nico@niconel.com"
align="absmiddle" border="0" ALT="MSN Online Status Indicator"
onerror="this.onerror=null;this.src='http://www.the-server.net:8001/image/msnunknown.gif';"></A>
<!-- End Online Status Indicator code -->
Changing the setting worked, but seemed unstable in IE (sometimes show my status as unknown, while I'm online). Obviously no use then.

Guess I'm just going to abandon it. This code does not work, and even when it does, you still have to find a way of doing something when the user click it, and the code that open msn messenger, also only work in IE.

Unless someone got another idea?

[McCain]

You want someone to be able to launch their msn messenger by clicking a link on your webpage? I don't think you will ever be able to do that. That would we a huge security risk if web developers could launch programs on the users computers!

[sunburnt]

You want someone to be able to launch their msn messenger by clicking a link on your webpage? I don't think you will ever be able to do that. That would we a huge security risk if web developers could launch programs on the users computers!

You can do this for any application that registers a protocol handler. AOL Instant Messenger, for example, registers the "aim:" prefix, so that you can write links in the form of: aim:goim?screenname=SCREENNAME&message=MESSAGE

Several P2P programs do the same thing to handle links to files.

[StrangerInBeijing]

You want someone to be able to launch their msn messenger by clicking a link on your webpage? I don't think you will ever be able to do that. That would we a huge security risk if web developers could launch programs on the users computers!
Actually, you can with msn, yahoo and skype.
I dont know about yahoo/skype (because I did not check), but the following works in IE, but not FF.
msnim:add - Allow your visitors to add you to their MSN contacts immediately. Example: <a href="msnim:add?contact=email@address.com ">Add me to your MSN Messenger contact list</a>
msnim:chat - Clicking this link will open a conversation with email@address.com and allows instant chatting. Example: <a href="msnim:chat?contact=email@address.com ">Click here to chat</a>
msnim:voice - Allow your visitors to start Voice chatting with you in just one click. Example: <a href="msnim:voice?contact=email@address.com ">Start a Voice chat with me</a>
msnim:video - Launches a Video conversation straight from a web page. Example: <a href="msnim:video?contact=email@address.com ">Start a Video chat with me</a>.

I guess I can write some code that check the user's browser, continue if it's IE, or pop a more friendly message if it's not (FF give a not so nice error message)

[dinosaur_uk]

it is not to launch IM, but to show the online status?

[StrangerInBeijing]

One want both if you think about it.
And actually, having it open msn or sth is more cool than showing the online status..if offline, can still add you to their contact list

[TheBigB]

The way you try to check the status is the block-checker way.
Because of huge protest from many users against block-checkers, msn decided to add a new status to people outside you contacts list (which is set by default), making it unable to tell whether someone is online or not.
The msn script should work, when you go to your msn settings -> 'privacy' tab and uncheck the first checkbox.

[TheBigB]

btw, I like your site design, but for the top menu you might consider not using caps or just use a smaller font-size ;)

[McCain]

You can do this for any application that registers a protocol handler. AOL Instant Messenger, for example, registers the "aim:" prefix, so that you can write links in the form of: aim:goim?screenname=SCREENNAME&message=MESSAGE

Several P2P programs do the same thing to handle links to files.
Ohh, yeah, didn't think about those... But they are special cases, and often the user has a choice when installing the program if he/she wants to register the protocol handlers. There aren't any universal ways to launch a program on the user's computer because of security concerns.

[StrangerInBeijing]

Thanks for the input kids. (And reviewing my site .. need that)
Even though not really, I'll mark this one as resolved.
Hope someone that look for advice on this find it helpful in future.