This is what the people at msn says…

I had trouble with msn, and thus I wrote in to the folks of MSN… here is their reply..

Hi Nicole,

Thank you for contacting Windows Live Messenger Technical Support. My name is Ann and I’ll be glad to assist you with your concern.

Based on the information I received, I understand that you are having trouble sending instant messages to Windows Live Messenger and your contacts said that their messages bounce when they are trying to send instant messages to you. At first it was an intermittent issue, but its getting more frequent. A quick check with your ISP, Starhub Singapore, ryields no useful result, and that your Internet connection is up and running. I can imagine how important it is for you to have this issue resolved immediately. Please know that I will help you resolve this problem in the quickest way possible.

Nicole, the Windows Live Messenger service is currently experiencing temporary technical difficulties. It’s possible that you may have been affected by this connectivity issue. We at Windows Live know that conversing with your contacts is important to you. We are now working diligently to resolve all issues and restore regular service as quickly as possible.

Nonetheless, I have included some basic troubleshooting steps to make sure that your Windows Live Messenger program as well as your computer is both configured properly to connect to our servers. If, however, you still cannot send instant messages even after performing these troubleshooting steps, it’s really possible that you’ve been affected by the outage.

Under normal circumstances, problems in sending instant messages it is possible that you have a Spyware on the computer may be preventing the messages from being delivered, your contact exited or changed their status to Appear Offline or your contact was disconnected from the .NET Messenger Service because of a temporary network or Internet issue. The contact may appear to be online.

Therefore, to resolve your issue regarding you cannot send instant messages I suggest that you have to install and use a spyware removal program, sign out and sign in to Windows Live Messenger then try to send message and determine the status of the .NET Messenger service.

I also included some troubleshooting steps that might help you resolve your problem. I know some of the steps that I have included are a bit technical in terms but I think you can handle them just fine.

For the issue that you cannot send instant messages, you have to follow the steps listed below:

1. Install and use a spyware removal program. For information about these programs and how to help protect you from deceptive software, visit the following Web site:

http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/default.mspx

2. Close the conversation window, wait several minutes, and then try to send the message again.

3. Sign out of Windows Live Messenger, sign in to Windows Live Messenger again, and then try to send messages.

4. The .NET Messenger service may be experiencing temporary connectivity issues.

To determine the status of the .NET Messenger service, visit http://messenger.msn.com/Status.aspx. If there are issues with the service, wait, and then try to sign in again later.

If you need further assistance, you may contact us at http://support.live.com. For additional information and self-help instructions, visit https://account.live.com/HelpCentral.aspx and choose “Windows Live Messenger” from the drop-down menu.

Thank you for contacting Windows Live Messenger Technical Support. Have a great day.

Sincerely,

Ann

Windows Live Messenger Technical Support

With Windows Live Messenger, you can now talk to your Yahoo! Messenger friends. To learn more, paste this link in your browser:

http://get.live.com/messenger/addyahoo

Hmm, I think I am really affected by the outage then… What should I do ?

The Gal
Nicole