4 ms·

Anyone know why they phased that out? Seems like a performance benefit and not many downsides I can think about warranting removal.

TazeTSchnitzel 8y ago
Mobile devices get hot and have bad battery life if they become supernodes, and are obviously not reliable.
codebje 8y ago
The massive rise of carrier grade NATs perhaps.
jetrink 8y ago
A series of headlines: 2009 - NSA offering 'billions' for Skype eavesdrop solution [1] 2011 - Microsoft buys Skype for $8.5 billion. Why, exactly? [2] 2012 - Skype replaces P2P supernodes with Linux boxes hosted by Microsoft [3] 2013 - Microsoft handed the NSA access to encrypted messages Subhead: Skype worked to enable Prism collection of video calls [4] 1. https://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/02/12/nsa_offers_billions_for_skype_pwnage/ https://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/02/12/nsa_offers_billions... 2. https://www.wired.com/2011/05/microsoft-buys-skype-2/ https://www.wired.com/2011/05/microsoft-buys-skype-2/ 3. https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2012/05/skype-replaces-p2p-supernodes-with-linux-boxes-hosted-by-microsoft/ https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2012/05/skype... 4. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jul/11/microsoft-nsa-collaboration-user-data https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jul/11/microsoft-nsa-...
toomuchtodo 8y ago
Scaling. https://www.zdnet.com/article/skype-ditched-peer-to-peer-supernodes-for-scalability-not-surveillance/ https://www.zdnet.com/article/skype-ditched-peer-to-peer-sup... https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/247/2013/06/sort/time_rev/page/1/entry/6:271/20130623090855:0B714E0A-DC06-11E2-9F35-8CD4CCA160A2/ https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/247/2013/06/sort/time...
ocdtrekkie 8y ago
Definitely is about mobile, where users' devices are frequently not actively running the app at the same time. Skype used to have a ton of issues with certain features requiring both parties be online. For instance, since it was peer-to-peer, sharing pictures and/or file attachments would fail if you weren't online at the same time as the other person, and of course, you were subject to the their upload speed for you (and each other person in a chatroom) to download it.
- Fellshard 8y ago
  Not that it's any more reliable now.
tinus_hn 8y ago
It’s an innovation covered by the Virnetx patent. The same happened with Apple FaceTime.
joncrocks 8y ago
As far as I understand, Skype never owned the IP around the P2P solution. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skype_Technologies#P2P_licensing_dispute_lawsuit_and_IPO https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skype_Technologies#P2P_licensi...

TazeTSchnitzel 8y ago

Mobile devices get hot and have bad battery life if they become supernodes, and are obviously not reliable.

codebje 8y ago

The massive rise of carrier grade NATs perhaps.

jetrink 8y ago

A series of headlines: 2009 - NSA offering 'billions' for Skype eavesdrop solution [1] 2011 - Microsoft buys Skype for $8.5 billion. Why, exactly? [2] 2012 - Skype replaces P2P supernodes with Linux boxes hosted by Microsoft [3] 2013 - Microsoft handed the NSA access to encrypted messages Subhead: Skype worked to enable Prism collection of video calls [4] 1. https://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/02/12/nsa_offers_billions_for_skype_pwnage/ https://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/02/12/nsa_offers_billions... 2. https://www.wired.com/2011/05/microsoft-buys-skype-2/ https://www.wired.com/2011/05/microsoft-buys-skype-2/ 3. https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2012/05/skype-replaces-p2p-supernodes-with-linux-boxes-hosted-by-microsoft/ https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2012/05/skype... 4. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jul/11/microsoft-nsa-collaboration-user-data https://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/jul/11/microsoft-nsa-...

toomuchtodo 8y ago

Scaling. https://www.zdnet.com/article/skype-ditched-peer-to-peer-supernodes-for-scalability-not-surveillance/ https://www.zdnet.com/article/skype-ditched-peer-to-peer-sup... https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/247/2013/06/sort/time_rev/page/1/entry/6:271/20130623090855:0B714E0A-DC06-11E2-9F35-8CD4CCA160A2/ https://www.listbox.com/member/archive/247/2013/06/sort/time...

ocdtrekkie 8y ago

Definitely is about mobile, where users' devices are frequently not actively running the app at the same time. Skype used to have a ton of issues with certain features requiring both parties be online. For instance, since it was peer-to-peer, sharing pictures and/or file attachments would fail if you weren't online at the same time as the other person, and of course, you were subject to the their upload speed for you (and each other person in a chatroom) to download it.

Fellshard 8y ago
Not that it's any more reliable now.

tinus_hn 8y ago

It’s an innovation covered by the Virnetx patent. The same happened with Apple FaceTime.

joncrocks 8y ago

As far as I understand, Skype never owned the IP around the P2P solution. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skype_Technologies#P2P_licensing_dispute_lawsuit_and_IPO https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skype_Technologies#P2P_licensi...