Protect your privacy
As soon as you begin using Windows Messenger, you'll likely discover how handy it is to be able to have conversations in real time with some of your favorite people. You may find, however, that depending on how you have Windows Messenger set up, you may get invited to join a bunch of people's contact lists. If you want to keep control of who your contacts are (and who can contact you), it's a good idea to use some of the built-in features in Windows Messenger to safeguard your privacy.
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Setting privacy, blocking, and status options
Windows Messenger offers two different ways you can protect your privacy. First, you can specify who can add you to their contact list, which limits the type of outside contact you'll receive. Second, you can block specific users from contacting you—or temporarily block contacts within a specific conversation.
With Windows Messenger, you can also display when you're ready to talk and when you're not. By setting your status to Online, you can let your contacts know you're available. If you're busy or don't want to be disturbed, you can display a different online setting, such as Away, Busy, or Appear Offline.
Control who contacts you
The first step in establishing who can and can't add you to their contact list is setting an option in Windows Messenger that makes sure you are notified if other people add you to their contact lists.
To control who contacts you:
1. | In Windows Messenger, on the Tools menu, click Options. |
2. | Click the Privacy tab. 
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3. | Select the Alert me when other people add me to their contact lists check box. |
4. | Click OK. |
Now that you've selected this option, a person cannot add you as an active contact until you approve the addition. You will receive a notification so that you can approve or decline the addition.
Organize your allow and block lists
You can tailor your contact list to individually specify who can see when you're online and contact you, while others are blocked from seeing your online status or making contact.
To set up your allow and block lists:
1. | On the Tools menu, click Options. |
2. | Click the Privacy tab. |
3. | All contacts on your contact list are displayed under My Allow List. To move one of the contacts to My Block List, click the contact's name, and then click Block. |
4. | If you want to move a contact you previously blocked back to My Allow List, click the contact name in My Block List, and then click Allow. |
5. | Continue adding contacts to the lists as needed. Click OK to save your settings. |
Tip: If you want to see who has added you to their contact list in Windows Messenger, from the Tools menu, click Options, and click the Privacy tab. Then click the View button. This displays a list of all users who currently include your e-mail address in their contact lists.
Quick tips for blocking and unblocking contacts
You don't have to dig deep into dialog boxes to block and unblock contacts. Any of these shortcuts will work:
| • | If you're in the middle of a chat session, you can click the Block button to end the conversation immediately. The person at the other end of the connection doesn't know he or she has been blocked—it just looks as though you suddenly went offline. |
| • | If you notice that one of your contacts has come online and you decide that you really don't want to hear from that contact right then, right-click the name in the contact list, and click Block. When you're ready to chat, right-click the name again, and this time click Unblock. It will appear to your contact like you've just come online. |
