I used to like Yahoo Messenger. It was my primary IM software when I wasn’t running multi-protocol clients. Unfortunately with recent releases Yahoo had decided to pollute the software with UI clutter in order to integrate Yahoo’s other services./

Unfortunately, UI clutter and size bloat are not the only problems with Yahoo Messenger. Apparently it also does some pretty sneaky things behind your back, as documented by this blog entry.

A friend of mine downloaded a version of Yahoo Messenger last year. Yahoo Messenger changed her browser settings without her explicit permission, and I never saw her on IM ever again. Way to go, Yahoo!

I have since moved onto Microsoft’s latest Windows Live Messenger, which fortunately allows MSN/Yahoo collaboration so I can still contact my Yahoo IM buddies. Windows Live Messenger is my default now, unless some other multi-protocol IM app can supersede it.

PS, the new Yahoo Messenger for Vista looks nice, but I will wait until someone confirms that it’s not a sneakware before I use it.

[read Exclusive - Yahoo Using Dirty Tactics to Switch Google & Firefox Users?]