MSN refused Opera

Evil Phil

I tried to access a friends shared photos on MSN, using opera 6 set to identify itself as IE 5.0, and got the following.

The page or task you requested cannot be viewed with your current browser.

The page or task you requested requires one of the following browsers running on a Windows operating system.

MSN Explorer
Download it here:


Microsoft Internet Explorer version 4.0 (or later)
Download it here:

The Corinthian

That makes me feel very unconfortable...

Bard

Just get it to identify itself as IE

In Opera 4 or 5, you'll find the option in the preferences.

In Opera 6.0 you can skip quickly to it with:

File > Quick Preferences > Identify as MSIE 5.0

Opera 1 - MSN 0,

hah,

Baz_

Originally posted by Evil Phil
I tried to access a friends shared photos on MSN, using opera 6 set to identify itself as IE 5.0, and got the following.

sorry bard but it had to be highlighted

dahamsta

Phil, if you can get anyone else to replicate this, you should report it to The Register, Wired or C|NET. They all tore into Microsoft when they found browsers being blocked out of MSN sites a couple months ago. I'm sure The Reg wouldn't mind another quick stab...

adam

Evil Phil

Right I've refined this problem for testing purposes. If anybody is willing to try this with Opera or any other browser and report they're findings back here that would be great. You'll need a passport account. http://www.passport.com if you don't already have one, if you have a hotmail account then you do have one.


2 Tests:

Test 1
Goto http://photos.msn.com/.
Click on the My Photos link.

Expected Result:
This should bring you to a .Net Passport logon page.

Test 2
Goto http://photos.msn.com/.
Clink on the Sign In button which will bring you to a Logon to .Net Passport page.
Logon to Passport, this will bring you to a welcome page.
Try use any of the photo options on this page e.g. Add Pictures, My Web Pictures etc.

Expected Results:
The photo options links should bring you to the appropriate page.



I tried the above two tests with Opera 6 and Opera 5 identifying itself as MSIE 5.0. Got the following error message for both.

The page or task you requested cannot be viewed with your current browser.

The page or task you requested requires one of the following browsers running on a Windows operating system.

MSN Explorer
Download it here:


Microsoft Internet Explorer version 4.0 (or later)
Download it here:

Tried the above two tests with MSIE 5.5. Get the expected results both times.

Tried the above two tests with Netscape 6.2. Got the following:

The .NET Passport service is currently unavailable at this Web site for one of these reasons:
• The site may contain an error that affects the .NET Passport service.
• The site may not be a genuine .NET Passport participating site.

Netscape problem perhaps? It seems however, that MSN are targeting Opera for refusal.

Note: I ran these tests from a Windows 2000 pro box.

dahamsta

Yip, I had the same problems as you. Opera Version 6.0 Build 1010 on Win2K without the Java runtime. Go on, tell The Reg. You know you want to.

I don't know if they'll take any notice of you, but you might want to tell Opera Software too, particularly if you're a registered user. They get right snippy about this.

adam

Evil Phil

Cool, I'll wait for a couple more reports and then I'll get onto them.

Enygma

Yup same results here

Evil Phil

I have emailed the Register and will keep you all upto date. dahamsta and enygma you are now officially:

A couple of my colleges

Which is true as long as you both work in I.T. You do, don't you?

dahamsta

I'm a college? Can I be MIT?

heh

adam

Bard

ok- sorry about that- didn't read your entire post properly... ("it was 4am" is my only excuse).

Same thing happened for me in Opera 6 build 999.

I don't think this would be news to el Reg however. MS have been blocking out other browsers from their own services for a while now.

Someone should bring them to court...

Evil Phil

Yes you can be MIT. Any chance of developing A.I. spell checking? Seems I'm not intelligent enough to do it myself


You must have a had a few pints when you finished in work, eh Bard?

dahamsta

I don't think this would be news to el Reg however.

Ah, but it was.

MS have been blocking out other browsers from their own services for a while now.

Ah, but they stopped. (Opera's commentary.)

There was a lot of hype about this on C|NET and Wired too, as I said in a previous post. You really have to start reading posts Niall.

Someone should bring them to court...

Difficult case to try, but I reckon Opera probably would have if Microsoft hadn't backed down. The PR and resultant sales probably would have justified it.

adam

dahamsta

Yes you can be MIT.

Yaaay!

Any chance of developing A.I. spell checking? Seems I'm not intelligent enough to do it myself

I have developed artificial intelligence. It was artificial, it had intelligence, it just wasn't very intelligent. In short, it was thick. I named it Medion.

adam

Bard

Originally posted by dahamsta

I have developed artificial intelligence. It was artificial, it had intelligence, it just wasn't very intelligent. In short, it was thick. I named it Medion.

adam

dahamsta: "Medion... <csssk!>... I am... <csssk!> your father!"


Noooooooooooooooooooo!... Say it ain't sooooooooooo!

MarcusGarvey

I have developed artificial intelligence. It was artificial, it had intelligence, it just wasn't very intelligent. In short, it was thick. I named it Medion.


I knew it. It all makes sense now.....