Facebook Messenger for Windows is here

Fecha de publicación: 30-dic-2011 0:59:42

Have you ever noticed that, in a very subtle way, Inbox and Chat in Facebook joined together? If you didn't, log into your Facebook account and click here to see it with your own eyes.

Why did they do such a thing? Imagine if your Hotmail account joins your MSN Messenger chats... it sounds awful and creepy. But Facebook was concieved as a social network from its very origins. It has become the de facto communication platform between human beings. We share our goals and our fears with our "friends", but we can also have private conversations with every single one. And because Facebook wants to become the only, single and reliable channel of communication, it just put together inbox and chat, to help you "keep the conversation going on from the point you dropped it yesterday".

Last August I was fooling around in Spain when Facebook released "Messenger", an iPhone app which only purpose was to give access to your Facebook Chat/Inbox (named together "Facebook Messages"). I was only allowed to spend 20 MB on the local cellular data network, so I used it to keep contact with my family and friends in Mexico, instead of the Facebook app. Sending and receiving a bunch of text lines implies less bytes than getting updates, links and pictures from everybody in my news feed.

Back in town, I continued using the Facebook Messenger app for two main reasons

• when someone begins a chat with me, an instant notification pops-up,
• and when someone gives me directions or a phone number I can always check back my messages history to retrieve it (even if I was chatting on the web when that person gave me such information)

Today, the Facebook Messenger for Windows was leaked. Sure, we have had these multi-platform chat programs that can connect to MSN/AIM/AOL/FB/Yahoo/blablabla long time ago. Even you can connect to Facebook chat via Skype. Or you can use RockMelt to navigate and be aware of your social network at the same time. But this single release, sitting down in your notification area, will blow up other desktop messengers, AIM and MSN the most. Because people suddenly will become aware that there's no need to chat to someone in MSN when you have them in Facebook. And later they'll notice that Facebook notifications appear to them too. I'm sorry Microsoft, you were the king of instant messengers long time ago. Not anymore.

PS. I'm sorry to tell you this: Facebook Messenger for Windows does not rely on the port 80. In my frist test, it connected back to Facebook servers using these 3 ports: 62656, 62859 and 63965. So, if you are behind a corporative firewall, good luck trying to pass through!