Babies in the 80s would be familiar with a brand most of us grew up with: Microsoft’s Windows Live Messenger, also known as the MSN Messenger. Launched in 1999 as a simple messenger, the service peaked at 330 million active users at one point, but Microsoft decided to shut it down to make way for Skype.All users would be ported over to Skype, officially ending the service worldwide by 31st October 2014.
The software giant Microsoft also confirmed earlier that users of the service in China would no longer have access to MSN Messenger by end of October. MSN came to China in 2005, but later faced stiff competition from other local messengers such as the QQ messenger and other mobile chat apps such as WeChat. A number of Chinese Windows Live users received emails from Microsoft last Thursday, Chinese newspapers reported, informing them of the planned closure.
Obituary by BBC’s technology reporter Dave Lee
MSN Messenger was a hard-working internet visionary which taught a generation to touch-type and lol, writes BBC technology reporter Dave Lee. It touched the lives of millions of teenagers who, in an age before real social networking, were just getting accustomed to what it was like to live on the internet.
MSN Messenger heralded a new era: a time when chatting up a classmate no longer meant the terrifying prospect of actually having to say something to them. It meant no longer would young teens have to endure the torture of ringing the landline number of their newest crush – knowing there was a high probability that dad would pick up. But after all the “ASL?”s and “u there?”s, Messenger’s loyal subjects became less dependent. “I’ll brb”, people said… but they never did. Other sites, smarter and better looking, would see Messenger cast aside.
In an age of exciting digital discovery, Messenger became the web’s wooden toy.
What We Remembered About MSN
For all of us who grew up with MSN Messenger, here are some things that you would definitely remember about MSN, taken from MSN Memories: 
Rest in peace MSN Messenger, You Will Always Be In Our Memories.
