“i’m” Making a Difference

You know those pesky ads at the bottom of your Messenger window? Well, Microsoft has decided to put them to good use through the Windows Live™ Messenger i’m initiative. If you are running Windows Live™ Messenger 8.1 or later, you can help donate a portion of the ad revenue to charity. The best part: it’s easy and it’s free!

All you have to do is add a special code after your MSN name (not in the “Personal Message” though). Every time you start a conversation, Microsoft shares a portion of the program’s advertising revenue with your chosen charity. At the time of writing, the list of codes is as follows:

• *red+u – American Red Cross
• *bgca – Boys & Girls Clubs of America
• *naf – National AIDS Fund
• *mssoc – National MS Society
• *9mil – ninemillion.org
• *sierra – Sierra Club
• *help – StopGlobalWarming.org
• *komen – Susan G. Komen for the Cure
• *unicef – U.S. Fund for UNICEF