The new Hotmail design [Archive]

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Trotterwatch

December 4th, 2003, 17:19

Hotmail have had a slight redesign, and amongst things I noticed was it is definately less easy to use in Firebird.

Tabs can not be opened, nor can mails be opened in new windows (the right click options are simply not there). Oddly enough Internet Explorer does have the right click option to open in new windows.

Am I paranoid or has this new design deliberately crippled Firebird a little?

Remote

December 4th, 2003, 17:28

I haven't checked it out but of course Microsoft would do anything to keep explorer as #1...

Malcolm

December 4th, 2003, 18:44

This doesn't suprise me in the slightest. MS has made many of their pages broken in Opera and because Mozilla(Firebird) is getting very popular (and because most Linux web browsers are based off it) it wouldn't suprise me that MS is breaking compatibility with them aswell.

pandamoan

December 4th, 2003, 19:45

DuDe

December 4th, 2003, 19:47

Trotterwatch

December 4th, 2003, 19:48

I've had a Hotmail address for ages, which whilst not my main email address, is one I use for amongst other things - sign ups for forums etc So it does have it's uses.

vampireuk

December 4th, 2003, 21:30

Try replying to a email that has attachments, click remove attachments from a drop down option and try get back to that damned email you were writing.

2fast4u

December 4th, 2003, 21:31

more reasons to not use hotmail, folks .. well, or email in general.

smegforbrain

December 4th, 2003, 23:01

I've had a Hotmail address for ages

Same here.

Once again, the wonderful addage about "if it's broke, fix it" comes to mind.

You'd think they'd spend more time blocking spam rather that changing crap around constantly and confusing people.

But yeah, after the problems caused by using Opera and Hotmail, it wouldn't surprise me to see MS targetting Mozilla-based stuff now (I have the same right-click issues using Netscape 7).

Doomulation

December 5th, 2003, 12:38

more reasons to not use hotmail, folks .. well, or email in general.
Yeah well, if you're using Opera that is...
as you say, ie has no problems with it. But again...you can use msn explorer...i think it uses ie "embeded," but still...
nah...

Zilla

December 5th, 2003, 14:28

Try this Firebird Extension:

http://texturizer.net/firebird/extensions/#useragentswitcher

Make hotmail think you're using IE.

blizz

December 6th, 2003, 13:20

well the design looks nicer at least ;)

Jaz

December 6th, 2003, 18:52

I think it's a bit better.

RatTrap

December 24th, 2003, 14:29

you guys are getting worringly much into this.. i mean you must be so very into this.. coz i don't see the need to rebel on computer software companies.. or maybe your moms don't let you rebel in real life :p..

soon we won't see "flunk the police" or "down with bush" signs when your out on demonstrations.. but you'll be chanting stuff like "down with IE".. "flunk the MS".. i just think it's so silly..

Trotterwatch

December 24th, 2003, 14:38

I'm not against MS at all (note I didn't even use the almost customary M$ reference). However, I did start this post to find out if others had felt Microsoft deliberately limited functionality with alternate browsers.

So in your opinion, have they? I will reiterate, I am not anti MS :) Nor did I start this post for a pissing match ;)

RatTrap

December 24th, 2003, 16:19

i didn't think i needed to write down names :p.. i meant of course the guys who are against MS..

and about their strategy.. i would have donne the same thing years ago ;p..

Zilla

December 27th, 2003, 00:26

I'm not against MS, I just try not to use their products anymore...... ;)

Software as a service, and not a product? Lock him up! Guards! Guards!

Knew Know Now how?

Remote

December 27th, 2003, 01:31

Atm I can't think of one original think to rebel against, most of them are already taken ;) It's not as easy today as going to the barber and get a Beatles cut with hair that strokes the ears...

tygra

December 27th, 2003, 01:45

Hotmail always sucked ;)
i like Yahoo, been using it for like 6 years now. :D

pj64er

December 28th, 2003, 19:03

Im using Firebird, and I havent encountered any problems with Hotmail...yet. It actually looks better on firebird than vanilla ie...the ads are taken out and all the pieces fit together nicely :)

smegforbrain

December 28th, 2003, 23:48

So in your opinion, have they?

They are and have been for a long time now.

I mean, it's pretty obvious when they try and make Hotmail not work properly (or work at all) for any browser save IE.

zAlbee

January 12th, 2004, 07:02

I apologize for bringing up an old thread, but I have to point out that you are all wrongly accusing microsoft of crippling mozilla. The reason you can't open in new windows/tabs is simply because they converted all the links to javascript links. Trotterwatch, you mentioned that IE still gives a "open in new window" option on right click, but did you try it? It doesn't work. You get a new IE window opening that tries to load a URL like "javascript:G('/cgi-bin/HoTMaiL?')", which of course doesn't work because it's not a real URL, it's a javascript command. Mozilla is smart enough to realize this and saves you the trouble by not displaying the option altogether.

So basically Mozilla had some smart designers, which ended up fooling you guys into thinking that Mozilla lost functionality. And microsoft is still retarded of course, since they broke the "open in new window" functionality across ALL browsers.

I mean, it's pretty obvious when they try and make Hotmail not work properly (or work at all) for any browser save IE.Heh, looks like you'll have to save your conspiracy theories for another day... ;)

Trotterwatch

January 12th, 2004, 13:23

ou mentioned that IE still gives a "open in new window" option on right click, but did you try it? It doesn't work. You get a new IE window opening that tries to load a URL like "java script:G('/cgi-bin/HoTMaiL?')", which of course doesn't work because it's not a real URL,

Hate to say this, but it does actually work for me. I go to a new email, I right click and select open in new window in IE6. The email then opens in said new Window.

:/ So all these comments in this thread are still valid methinks.

zAlbee

January 13th, 2004, 00:26

huh, thats the weirdest thing ever. i had tried it in IE6 JUST yesterday and the links were all javascript/non-working. its back to normal urls today, but only in IE6. wtf??! it seems only partial though - the menu still doesn't work in new windows, only messages. i was positive it didn't work before - someone else had pointed this out to me 2 weeks earlier and i thought yes, they fucked up the new windows. :huh:

zAlbee

January 13th, 2004, 01:58

well i went digging deeper into their code and i'm starting to agree with you now...

the links all start out as <a href="javascript:G('/cgi-bin/getmsg?msg=MSG1064024...')">

In IE6, the script http://sea1fd.sea1.hotmail.msn.com/cgi-bin/dasp/EN/hotmail___90805000014.js is loaded which has the following bit of code:
DTa=document.all.MsgTable;

...

for (n=0;n<DTa.rows[i].cells.length;n++)
{
if (DTa.rows[i].cells[n].innerHTML.indexOf("href")!=-1)
DTa.rows[i].cells[n].children[0].href = DTa.rows[i].cells[n].children[0].href.replace(/javascript:G$\'|\'$/ig,"")+"&"+_UM;
}

This gets rid of the beginning javascript:G part so that you're left with a nice regular URL. It only runs after the page is done loading, which is why it didn't work when I tried it the first time (too impatient... :whistling )

Mozilla loads a different file http://sea1fd.sea1.hotmail.msn.com/cgi-bin/dasp/EN/hotmail___90805000012.js which has no similar code, even though it's both possible and easy to do it in Moz. Not only that but I don't see any real use for wrapping the URL in the G() function in the first place. Maybe there's some security advantage here, but I don't see it. hmph. microsoft is f*cked up.

matthew

January 16th, 2004, 01:24

i do not use hotmail coz its just pure rubbish compared to yahoo for web based
but then my yahoo account got hacked by my ex gf which basicly she means she knows my password and took it
she denies it all of course
and them people at yahoo i could kill em i sent em so many peice of evidence to show em that i am the owner of the account and they wouldn't give it back not happy at all
so i figured the best solution is to use my isp email account using imap since it can never hacked and if it does then i just fone my isp and say look this what happened give it back