As of Oct. 14, in Canada, the U.S. and Japan, the company will move the forums to a subscription-based service that will require users to register identities and billing details and pay a "nominal fee."
MSN forums/chatrooms in other countries including Europe and Asia will be just shut down. The reasoning behind it - kids get too much junk
analyst Rob Helm, with independent research firm Directions on Microsoft, said "I think this change will have welcome side effects ... but fundamentally I believe this is a move to make MSN more profitable."
"I am not sure what Microsoft is trying to achieve here if it is not a financial decision, as it is not going to stop chat on the internet," said Ian Brown, director of the Foundation for Information Policy Research.
The government seems to be on this as well. Making up laws about internet communications. I personally dont know how ISPs will react to that
Tories (here in canada) for example want to introduce laws that "claim will make it more difficult for paedophiles to use internet chat rooms". How they going to do that - I donno... maybe when you sign up there will be a checkbox labled check here if you're a paedophile or something. They also want to increase penalties to those who refuse to unlock decreapted info stored on the net
I can see it now - "Access to MSN chatrooms - $5. Keeping encripted files on the net - $50 a year. Still being able to get a girl's phone number in a chat - priceless. There're some things that can't be charged for, for anything else Microsoft will milk you for all its worth"
And damn straigh. M$ is just taking advantage of uninformed parents and kids and trying to make more cash.
Update from yet another source
In their new paid chatrooms, M$ wants to be able to identify and, presumably, curtail what Microsoft considers offensive behavior and to cut down on spam. Meaning if you post something our friend Billy G. will consider offensive, its all logged under your account with your CC info. Thats like chatting with your home address posted instead of your nickname.
Which ofcourse defies the whole purpose of a chatroom in a first place. Everyone will just move on to non M$ chatrooms. IRC for example.
I wonder if they can charge you for spamming?
Quote:
you've posted same message 5 times in past minute. $5 fine will be charged to your CC
Quote:
our filter detected the use of the F word, another $5 fine will be charged to your CC
Quote:
words Billy G. and gay were found in same sentance. The lawsuit costs will be charged to your CC
sources:
here
and here
and also here
you guested it
If you'll place enough of "pay pre view" ads (if there're still such) you gonna make them go bankrupt 
