It all started few months ago when the version of MSN 7 was newly released into the cyberspace for regular chatters like me to download. I have to admit that the latest version, MSN 7.5 is indeed fun to use with some new features. The obvious addition to it is of course the voice clip messaging. However, my chatting nightmare is not related to its new messaging method.

I remember back then when most of the people in my contacts list were still using MSN 6, chatting was just, needless to say, chatting. Unlike the situations that I'm in now. As of now, conversing in MSN with some of my friends have become more like WATCHING MINI CARTOONS. So why am I complaining? Obviously I'm annoyed by the countless animated icons that have been appearing in almost every chat windows that I have been chatting in. It is true that MSN created this feature to add some spice and a sense of fun into this software but an overuse (abuse) of it has really taken out the concept of chatting from its originality.

I remembered when I first used an animated icon and yes, I admit I do use them from time to time. Animated icons back then were merely used to bring out the smile on someone's face. There are a few cute creatures icons that I have used (mostly when chatting with the ladies) but I don't use them to the extreme point that every damn sentence that I type ends with a blue seal waving its ass at you. Somehow I guess that's where animated icons such as the bouncy alphabets and pathetically drawn smileys started to spawn from. These two aside, even the dots a.k.a full stops have their very own bouncing version. Almost everything they type out is animated. Now do you understand why it feels like watching cartoon while chatting in MSN? Well as far as I'm concerned, it does.

Lately, instead of reading the word "shit" I have been seeing a pile of it in the chat window visually. Well, typing a pile of poo literally (say "shit") is still common but giving me a visual description of it is like telling me that I haven't seen a pile of dung before. This is like telling me that I have to look at an erected dick to know that it's real. Not only this, giving the expression that you're laughing by typing 'hehe' is clear enough. There is really no need to make it shake vigorously to show that you are laughing like a hyena in front of your screen. I have one or two animated icons for this laughing expression too. But I still prefer to describe it in words, really. I would appreciate it if someone expresses their delight at my lame jokes with a wide mouth smiley or any smileys that doesn't actually MOVE. It's okay to use the animated ones and though it's nice to see new different icons from different chat buddies, too frequent use of it feels er, awkward.

Those who use and are using it still have said that they just like the icons. After a long while since I started using MSN, I am now taking a slightly longer time to read what my friends typed after this recent evolution of the instant messenger. There are cases where an icon of a cartoon character shaking or nodding its head were named "no"/"nop" or "yes"/"yea"/"ya". Hence, when my friends construct a sentence like "Why are you not asleep yet?", I can see a dumb looking Casper along that sentence, shaking its head in disagreement. Then there are icons with glowing MANDARIN WORDS. Please pardon me but WHICH PART OF MY FACE SHOWS YOU THAT I CAN READ MANDARIN??! Of course I didn't reply with any rude remarks. Instead, being the usual nice fella that I've always been, I right click on the "creative" icons and then click add to see what is the freakin' word that is used as the command. Though not every sentence requires me to do so but this is really, seriously, annoyingly getting on my nerves.

Imagine having myself in an emergency situation and asking for help through the instant messenger. Someone in the house just dropped dead got a bad fall and I could see some blood (exaggerating). I hurried myself to the pc and open up my contact list. I pick a friend who is online to ask that person to come over and help out. And when I start the conversation, what do I see? Glowing alphabets saying 'hi' to me, an arrow glide upwards asking me 'what's up' and last but not least, STEPHEN CHOW SHING CHI's FACE LAUGHING AT ME at the end of his sentence. In case I got the spelling of his name wrong, that is a famous Hong Kong actor who is a funny guy actually. Anyway, with all those fancy stuff that appear throughout the convo, I think I'd rather carry the dead body injured person by myself. Maybe the fella might even die laughing due to the excessive use of the so-called "cool" icons.

A tip for adding smileys/emoticons/animated icons in the future. Please, for the love of MSN use the bracket symbols or any other symbols together with the shortcut keys that you're going to use. Some examples of how I entered commands for those icons are as follows:

- (fuck)
- [you]
- /btch

By typing in commands with such symbols it would do many people using MSN a big favour, especially me, yours truly. Let's say, when you feel like cursing and lashing out at someone. You forgot that you once added a 'doggie style' icon. It was inserted the word 'fuck' as its command so without thinking much you start filling up the chat between you two with that word. You relentlessly cursing him with word in a fit of anger, giving your best to upset that person. But no, instead of feeling guilty the one you're scolding is actually smiling at the other end. Because the chat window is showing a shorty screwing a dog in 9 out of 10 of your raging phrases. So instead of seeing the cursing words, he's actually thinking that you please your dick by screwing animals. Get the picture? If you don't, I could do some demonstration (in MSN la!) to enlighten you.