Hotmail's face-lift spurs complaints

Hotmail came out with an upgraded service Thursday after it aborted attempts to launch it earlier this week.

The Microsoft Network experienced glitches Tuesday after the company implemented the new upgrades. But by Thursday, Microsoft said that the issues had been resolved and the new version was available.

The upgraded version of Hotmail has an interface similar to MSN Explorer, with new buttons, icons and tabs. The Web site also introduced a new junk mail filter and added two languages--Dutch and Swedish. In addition, the service has a quick address-list function that provides Hotmail members with fast access to their five most frequently used contacts.

Although the new upgrade is Microsoft's latest attempt to provide consumers with an easier way to manage e-mail, some Hotmail members complained about the new design.

"I have used Hotmail as my main Web-based e-mail for some time, although now it looks like I am going to have to change that," Norman Hansen of Concord, Calif., said in an e-mail to CNET News.com.

Hansen complained of minuscule font sizes and crashes to his computer when he tried to print. He also expressed irritation at the amount of unrelated content such as the ever-present MSN banner.

Another Hotmail member who has been using the service for several years agreed with Hansen, saying that while the new service is "more sophisticated, and everything is much more accessible," the automatic signature and other new features annoyed him.

"My biggest nightmare is that I'm going to get locked out of Hotmail, or I'm going to wake up and they're going to be charging me," he said.

Clamping down on spam
Despite complaints, Microsoft is still touting the upgraded service, particularly its new spam filter. The company said the filter enables people to choose three different options for stamping out unwanted junk mail. One option is similar to the previous version, while another option has more stringent methods of reducing spam such as routing suspicious e-mail to a bulk folder. The exclusive level will enable people to receive e-mail only from people listed in their address books.

Two years ago, when Hotmail implemented a new spam filter, it was met with criticism after consumers complained that the flow of "spam" to their in-boxes did not slow.

However, Sarah Lefko, MSN product manager, said the company is now using a variety of tactics to block junk mail, including keeping track of words commonly used in spam, patterns of words and numbers, as well as looking for mail that is not addressed to the specific Hotmail user.

"While the tactics of spammers get increasingly complex, we continue to enhance our filtering capabilities," Lefko said. "Fighting spam is a constant battle and one that we're committed to."

Christopher Stutheit of Laguna Niguel, Calif., applauded MSN's efforts, saying that the added features combined with "a more intelligent spam filter" make the service more enjoyable.

"It's hard to see why anyone would have a problem with this new package," Stutheit wrote in an e-mail. "Everything is smoother, sleeker and more user-friendly...It's the best free service out there by far."

However, Jason Catlett, president of Junkbusters, said that no filter system is flawless. While Hotmail's new junk mail filter offers people the ability to control the setting on their spam filters, with filtering there is always "an inevitable tradeoff."

"There's no perfect technology for filtering," Catlett said. "You either are not deleting some spam or you are deleting real messages. It's an intrinsic problem in automatic categorization of text messages--you get false positives and you get false negatives."

[d_wildemann]

hotmail change

Have had multiple freezeups and more ads. Both my wife and I preferred the old format and will consider moving to another email service. I like gmail but will have to notify many contacts, newletters, etc.

[lasteraivao]

I do not like the new hotmail look. I donot have space to read anything and it is so crammed up.

[bigbeaudoll]

I liked the old Hotmail. It didn't make me feel that I was so dumb that I had to have the new hotmail clutter up my mail. I waste a lot of time clicking that I never had to do before. Let's get the old hotmail back. It was better.

[ehill0788]

I heard about Hotmail up-dating stuff. I received an email purporting to be from hotmail's staff saying that I had to up-date my information or I would be disconnected, so I gave the information asked for. That was yesterday.

This morning, I had no hotmail account, I could not access it no matter what I tried. My cousin called me about an email she had received. It said I was stranded in London and wanted me to send her money, so I could get home. This was not so.

I knew then that I had been scammed. I tried to contact Hotmail to let them know about it, but there was no way to contact them. I lost everything and I had no way to warn others that it could happen to them.

Elizabeth Hill

[lasteraivao]

The new hotmail look is crammed up. No Space and confusing. Go back to the old hotmail. Once said,
" If it is not broken don't fix it "

[boozip]

Enlarge your resolution to 1024x768 and you shouldn't have any problems being crammed.

[lmarlen56]

I CANNOT READ MY COMPLETE MESSAGE AS THE WINDOW IS NOT LARGE ENOUGH

[boozip]

Increase your resolution settings. And please learn to use your caps lock key correctly =-)

[mwinter39]

I cannot get to everyone in my contact list, as it will not scroll down far enough. Also, under My Contacts the names are alphabetical by last name, first name. When I click on TO: the contact list comes up alphabetically by first name, and I can't get to the bottom of the list. Why do my contacts come up different ways. I want them to remain sorted the same way, by last name first. How can achieve this? Also, if I go to my contact list and put a check mark after several friends names, then click on "Send Email", only one name appears on the email I wish to forward. I am not happy with the new face of Hotmail. I was very comfortable with the old one. It wasn't broken, so why did we have to fix it?????

[svollack]

The new hotmail made me throw up. I am not feeling well and the ad that keeps coming up on the right hand side is so disgusting, a huge, flabby, stretch marked gut just hanging there, actually turned my stomach. I went to check my email and my husband said, "oh gross, what are you looking at?" I am embarassed to check my email. Then to add insult to injury, my email messages are now being cut off by the oversized ad which I believe is being marketed to me because hotmail knows I am a female in my 30's. Well, I am a very fit 30 something old who is insulted by marketing...to the point that I think I will just move on to gmail.