Microsoft to Close Chat Rooms

I like to bash Microsoft, but when they do the right thing for the right reason, they deserve credit. So, I applaud them for shutting down their on-line chat rooms on MSN, as these rooms have been used far too often by pedophiles and junk e-mailers. As a side issue, some people are criticising Microsoft for shutting down a feature which is free to all subscribers to MSN, while pushing their premium services. I’m sorry, I just don’t see this criticism as justified, if it is a free service, they can take it away whenever you want and if you really, really gotta have it, pay up! Microsoft has a very civic minded reason to shut down this service, they are not trying to boost some premium service by doing this, and so I don’t think they deserve criticism.