Use the new 'secret emoticon' and tell Microsoft where to send some money!

"How about to me?!"

No.. but to a very good cause!

This may sound like one of those "Send this e-mail to 10 friends and Microsoft will send you money" e-mails, but believe me, it is entirely true.  As part promotion, part gesture-of-good-will, the Windows Live team has decided to give a portion of their advertising dollars to charity. 

"Which charity?"

You decide!  (And this is where it sounds kinda like those e-mails..) All you need to do is run Windows Live Messenger 8.1, and put a special code/emoticon ( in your "name" entry that designates which charity you want to give to.

Here are the basics (cut from Nicole's blog (emphasis mine), where you can find even more details and links to information):

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1. Use Messenger 8.1
2. Add the i'm emoticon to your display name by entering the code of the cause you would like to support (hint: I suggest adding it at the end of your name so you still appear in the correct alphabetic order in your contacts list)
3. Send and receive IMs
4. A portion of the advertising revenue generated by your usage of Messenger will be donated to your cause. So the more IMs you send and receive the more money will be donated to your cause.

note: currently the donation only applies to Windows Live Messenger users in the United States. If you are in the US and you are IMing with a contact in another country your IM activity will be counted towards the donation.

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Here's the list of i'm emoticon codes and the causes you can choose from:

What are the i'm emoticon  codes and causes?

• American Red Cross --  ready to help, code = *red+u
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America --  providing a positive place for kids, code = *bgca
• National AIDS Fund --  fighting AIDS, code = *naf
• National MS Society --  joining the MS movement, code = *mssoc
• ninemillion.org --  helping 9 million refugee kids, code = *9mil
• Sierra Club --  exploring and protecting the planet, code = *sierra
• StopGlobalWarming.org --  stopping global warming, code = *help
• Susan G. Komen for the Cure --  finding the cure, code = *komen
• UNICEF --  helping kids survive, code = *unicef

Still not convinced that this is on the up-and-up?  Here is the official i'm initiative web site.  (im.live.com)

What an easy way to make sure a worthy charity gets some money!