Recently while setting up someone to use Windows Messenger I came across something interesting. Yahoo’s spam mail filters deliver Microsoft’s request for confirmation e-mail to the bulk mail folder. Yahoo competes with Microsoft in the instant messenger market with their Yahoo Messenger application. Throwing vital information from a competitor into the bulk mail folder is something that should be carefully looked at. This caused me a delay in performing the sign up for this person as I assumed the mail was delayed in internet traffic somewhere, it wasn’t until several hours later when I checked again that I found the mail still wasn’t in the inbox, this e-mail was delivered to the bulk mail folder.
This post is not saying that Yahoo is engaged in a conspiracy to cause problems to its e-mail users who try to signup with alternate instant messenger providers, however it is an issue which Yahoo should treat carefully, if people feel Yahoo is attempting to restrict them and coerce them into using their products then Yahoo’s public image will be damaged. Something similar has happened with all the anti-trust issues surrounding Microsoft, in the eyes of many people Microsoft is not a corporation they “trust”, Yahoo should be careful that they don’t follow Microsoft down that road.
Related Links: (Partial) Screenshot of the Microsoft passport e-mail (used with windows messenger service) in the Yahoo bulk mail folder. A previous weblog entry on Hotmail shutting out the (then) latest Mozilla browser.
