I’ve mentioned about some web IMs before, but somehow I’m still stuck on using Meebo. But found this entry talking about SINA’s Woocall. This could be a good web IM tool, but I will never know because it takes too much damn work to implement it on my website. Just look at their requirements.

“For those who are interested in adding Woocall, all you need is:
1.Carefully read our service statement and privacy protection policy.
2.Agree with our service contract and protection policy.
3.Copy and paste the service statement and privacy protection policy onto a word document and voice out your agreement on it, as well as add the main web page of where you want to add on Woocall so to show the content of the web site or company. Then send this document to woocall@vip.sina.com for approval.
4.We’ll quickly send you an approval through email, along with the newest version of Woocall and documents needed to help you install Woocall on your website.”

First, look at the way they phrase the first step for implementing “Carefully read out…”. Yes that kind of scares me. Second, agreeing documents, no biggie. Third, you WHAT?! Copy and paste the documents into a word document and then what… add what web page? your what main web page? like a screen shot? like HTML? What? Why? and then send an email. And finally you wait for a quick response.

That’s just way too much work to get something running. Unless you’re a hardcore Sina user, then maybe you won’t find it a PITA to implement. This is something that they need to change. It’s so much more painful that using a form to register because you well you have to do so much more.

Woo.. that’s the most complicating process ever, but unique. I remember cutting a pasting a code for Meebo after just logging in. I mean the most you would ever do for Meebo is to register and that’s a lot less painful than this process with Woocall. It just seems like they wanted to skip that programming part (input forms with two check boxes for the policies) and do everything manually. Unless it’s a business strategy…. I don’t know but if it is Sina, please enlighten me!

Ok, you probably think I’m a bit bias. Praising Meebo this, Meebo that, but really, it’s a great service with an excellent UI (for me at least).