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I'm so tired of articles how bad/evil/insecure Skype is, while not suggesting any usable alternative. Skype, whether you like it or not, has no viable competiti
by muuh-gnu 15y ago
I'm so tired of articles how bad/evil/insecure Skype is, while not suggesting any usable alternative. Skype, whether you like it or not, has no viable competition, almost 8 years after its initial release. By "usable" I have the following requirements in mind:
* Cross platform: It has to offer clients for Linux, Win, OSX.
* It has to support voice and video.
* Easy to install: Even grandparents in Australia have to bee able to install it. No NAT and other configuration bullshit, just enter a name, a password and ready to go.
Skype has helped connect my all over the world scattered family for more than half a decade now. I am absolutely willing to give up any kind of privacy and security in order to be able to video-phone my family living thousands of miles apart whenever I want at absolutely no cost. No, absolutely no free software system has yet been able to provide the above 3 minimum requirements for me to consider ever leaving skype.
P.S. Thanks for the immediate downvotes.
- gniv 15y agohttp://www.google.com/chat/video http://www.google.com/chat/video
- muuh-gnu 15y agoNo free software. Theres no point in replacing one closed system by another, especially when the first one works much better. Googles system is only accessible through Gmail, is very awkward to use and has the "irrelevant addon" feel. Had Google _ever_ intended to offer widescale Voice&Video, they'd have built video into Gtalk when they had the chance.
- sabat 15y agoActually, Google's video/audio calls work in the browser. Not only is the software free, but you already have it.
- scotty79 15y agoDoes any one know any p2p open messaging system that could scale up to size of skype?