Chatting for the good of mankind-Windows Live Messenger

Microsoft's "i'm making a difference" initiative

By: Jenna Kelly

Posted: 3/28/07

It is one o'clock in the morning and I am at the library, appearing to work diligently. Yet in fact, I am actually on AOL Instant Messenger. The beauty of instant messaging is that it is economical, because it is free, and it is efficient because everyone from my high school friends, to my college friends, to my cousins, to my brother, is on it. But what if you could have all of that and make a difference too?

Microsoft intends to do just that with their new program Windows Live Messenger (WLM) and their "i'm initiative." WLM is a messaging system with a cause. By combining their WLM program with the i'm initiative, Microsoft seeks to attract those interested in social causes. Upon signing up each person creates an account and then has the option of selecting one of nine charities to support. The nine organizations to choose from are the American Red Cross, the Boys & Girls Club of America, The National AIDS Fund, the National Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society, ninemillion.org, the Sierra Club, stopglobalwarming.org, Susan G. Komen for the Cure, and the U.S. Fund for UNICEF.

The deal works like this: Microsoft will donate a certain portion of its advertising revenue to the charity of your choice every time you start a conversation on WLM. And there is no cap set on the amount of money that Microsoft will donate to each organization. In fact, the minimum amount that Microsoft will donate in the first year to each is $100,000.

"We are very excited that Microsoft has developed such a wonderful program, and has chosen to include the National MS Society as a nonprofit partner," says J. Christopher Broullire, Chapter President of the National Capital Chapter of the National MS Society. "We are proud to be part of such a unique initiative."

If the charity is not enough incentive to get involved, maybe the competition will. Georgetown is one of thirty-four top universities involved in the competition and we, in our never-ending Hoya spirit, do not want to be outshined.

If the idea of the Windows Live Messenger seems familiar to you, it may be because of two Hoyas, Kat Freeman (MSB '10) and Mishka Bonsu (Col '08), who have been spreading the word around campus. There is a Facebook group devoted to the cause and even Facebook advertisements that show up periodically. Freeman says of the i'm initiative and WLM, "WLM has all the main features that other messengers have and more; plus, the i'm initiative lets you donate money without going out of your way. Imagine what a difference you can make even if you just use the messenger to talk to a few select people."

After asking some fellow students, however, there seemed to be some hesitation in switching from the tried and true AOL system to this new one. Philip Goodman (SFS '10) worries that "it doesn't have the popularity right now to make it an effective IM program even though it sounds like a great idea." Jesse Mueller (Col '10) adds his skepticism of the Microsoft corporation, "it seems like a tactic of theirs to gain popularity and press." When I told Freeman of their criticisms she responded, "press or no press, Microsoft is doing a good thing here."

It may take time for WLM to catch on, but Microsoft is eager to donate money and hopefully joining the initiative will become popular among students who are looking to make a difference."

To become a part of the "i'm making a difference" initiative, visit www.imforacause.com. Just think, next time you are at Lauinger library pretending to work on a paper, you could be chatting with your friends while simultaneously making strides to help a cause you care about.