MSN "unable to add the buddy" "username is invalid" Pidgin 2.7.9

[Jaremy Bronson]

Similar to Jeff Mill's recent email, I get this error when adding a
user to MSN.
After filling in the add buddy fields and clicking ok on the
authorization request, I get the following:
Unable to Add
Unable to add the buddy first.last at foo.com* because the username is
invalid.  Usernames must be valid email addresses.


Debug info below:

(12:56:27) msn: Add user:first.last at foo.com* to group:MSN
(12:56:27) msn: C: NS 000: FQY 42 50
(12:56:27) msn: S: NS 000: FQY 42 57
(12:56:27) msn: Process FQY
(12:56:27) msn: FQY response says first.last at foo.com* is from network 0
(12:56:31) util: Writing file blist.xml to directory
C:\Users\profile\AppData\Roaming\.purple
(12:56:31) util: Writing file C:\Users\profile\AppData\Roaming\.purple\blist.xml

I checked the blist.xml file and found an entry for
first.last at foo.com* in the permit pile of my MSN contacts.

I have tried disabling all of my plugins - no change.

I removed first.last at foo.com from the permit section in blist.xml and
the next attempt gave the same error and the entry was back in
blist.xml

I asked this user to try to add me to his MSN IM, but I never saw a
request prompt.


*(email address changed to protect the innocent) :-)