[Bashae]

Which is better, MSN or ICQ?
Well here are a few comparisons...
Login
MSN: Uses Email as login name.
ICQ: Uses numbers as login name.
Members
MSN: Can add any user's email service which has a messaging service, e.g. Yahoo.
ICQ: Can only add ICQ members.
Messaging
MSN: Can message or use webcams.
ICQ: Can use private chatting rooms, send small messages, use webcams.
Away Icons
Both can use Away Icons.
MSN: Uses symbols, no message.
ICQ: Uses symbols, messages in certain cases.
Emoticons
MSN: Limited emoticons, small range of emoticons compared to ICQ, can create your own.
ICQ: Limited emoticons, big range of emoticons compared to MSN, can't create your own.
File Transfers (Thanks to rabk)
MSN: Fails 50% of the time, more often with large files or those with odd formatting.
ICQ: File transfer much better compared to MSN.
Miscellaneous
MSN: Can access email, can surf the web and play games with contacts.
ICQ: Can create own website, create actions in chat rooms, search engine for members, Google access from ICQ, Lite (basic, smaller size) or Pro (advanced, larger size) versions.

I have not added other messaging services as they are inferior compared to these two.

The main reason for this poll is to find out what other members like using. We should ALL use either one or both (although it is a bit inconvienient) of the messaging service so we can get chatting about SeeD, ideas or just plain fun. If everyone uses different ones, it can get annoying at times, e.g. I have MSN and U really want to add a certain member. I check his profile and he only has ICQ.
See annoying it can be? But if we use both that probably wouldn't happen but that can get annoying too switching back and forwards. But what is YOUR opinion? Because that's what this is about! So keep rolling in the posts!

This post has been edited by Hell Sin: 22 October 2003 - 12:56 PM

[rabk]

File Transfers
MSN: Fails 50% of the time, more often with large files or those with odd formatting.
ICQ: ROCKS!!

I personally have transferred 1GB video files (concert footage) over ICQ. MSN would freeze after 30 seconds, never even getting the transfer started.

[Phieta]

Login
AIM: Uses short, easy-to-remember name as ID name, or your AOL screen name if you use real AOL.

Members
AIM: Can only add AOL and AIM members.

Messages
AIM: Can use IM, Chat rooms, live voice chat, and (with Direct Connection open) use the "Record Sound" feature to make a small recording up to 10 seconds.

Away icons
AIM: Only one away icon; appears next to name on buddy list. Has customizable away messages (turn on or off as needed; can save) and a customizable idle message (for when you forget to turn it on)

Emoticons
AIM: Only 16 emotes.

File transfers
AIM: Never fails unless one person cancels; cannot IM the person you are transferring to while you are transferring (though I believe you can open a chat room temporarily)

Miscellaneous
AIM: Themable, has unobtrusive sounds that call you back to the AIM window if you're doing something else (MSN's don't work half the time), add-ins for certain games (MS Hearts, Baldur's Gate, etc)

[Spikeout]

Msn, it's easier to remember words than #'s.

[wibble]

icq was great (although the last version I used was 2000a ), shame hardly anyone uses it