Yahoo chat servers have been around for aeons, from the very beginning of Yahoo itself. Of all the successful features of Yahoo, this has been the toughest to replicate- and has been quite a monopoly (although MSN live messengers did exist- they have not been able to unsettle Yahoo's popularity).
But the rise of Google Talk- which is faster and compact, compared to Yahoo's Instant Messenger has upstaged Yahoo- I notice so many people preferring Google Talk to chat with friends, Yahoo has understood that its position is vulnerable. It has made Yahoo sit up and pay attention.
It has much to do with Yahoo's nonchalant attitude to the perenial problem of Chat Bots. There have been countless complaints and innumerable Trojan attacks through the Chat servers, not to mention all the spam that fills up precious bandwidth (which makes Yahoo chat servers so slow, and prone to frequent crashes), yet Yahoo has maintained a stand that these never existed.
But, with the rise of Google Talk, Yahoo has decided to do something about this scourge. Its quite a simple method- just prevent automated IDs from entering the Chat rooms. Which means you can have a million automated IDs (and use them for mails etc.) but you cant come into a Chat room unless you're real.
By the new security laws in Chat servers- you need to type a special code displayed as a Captcha (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captcha) every time you enter into a Chat room (So if you change 5 rooms- its 5 codes you need to enter).
So effective is the system that you find instant relief for all the real (loyal) users. While Chat rooms were flooded with Bots earlier, they've all been eliminated, or rather replaced by the real people- the ones they can chat with. Of course, there are real spammers, but that's a minority and besides its blatantly clear who is the spammer and who is the real person.
What this means is- Yahoo has finally decided to listen to its customers, and has understood that customer is God and that everyone else has to bow to them.
Enough said, Yahoo direly needs its old customers back from Google Talk. Lets see how this new move from Yahoo works out.
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