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I don't see why people would quit using Skype now. The fact that it has been bought by Microsoft doesn't change that Skype is evil. It already was. It already w
by p4bl0 15y ago
I don't see why people would quit using Skype now. The fact that it has been bought by Microsoft doesn't change that Skype is evil. It already was. It already was a closed source software using a proprietary protocol and doing stuff you don't know with your bandwidth.
Don't get me wrong, it's great if people switch from Skype to something free (as in freedom), but not if it's because it has been bought by Microsoft, this makes no sense.
- stashdot 15y agoThe simple reason is that the Linux version of Skype might be axed as a result of the acquisition. This has happened before.
- fname 15y agoExcept that they refuted that very statement in their press release Skype will support Microsoft devices like Xbox and Kinect, Windows Phone and a wide array of Windows devices, and Microsoft will connect Skype users with Lync, Outlook, Xbox Live and other communities. Microsoft will continue to invest in and support Skype clients on non-Microsoft platforms. http://www.microsoft.com/Presspass/press/2011/may11/05-10CorpNewsPR.mspx http://www.microsoft.com/Presspass/press/2011/may11/05-10Cor...
- Joeboy 15y ago> Except that they refuted that very statement in their press release They rebutted it. I don't really see how they could refute it.
- pbhjpbhj 15y agoI don't see a rebuttal of the claim that they will no longer update the linux client (which beta is about 4 years old IIRC), or probably just drop it. If one was really naive I guess one might imagine that "invest in and support Skype clients on non-Microsoft platforms" might cover linux rather than a limited set of possible platforms. I have no worries about the java based client on my phone for example.
- riffraff 15y agothey do say "Microsoft will continue to invest in and support Skype clients on non-Microsoft platforms." Arguable if they will or not, but I don't think they could have been more direct than this
- rst 15y agoIt says "non-Microsoft platforms". It doesn't say "all currently supported non-Microsoft platforms". So, this may just mean "we're not going to ditch the Mac".
- hboon 15y agoWhat happens is they will support it for 2 years and then drop it. See: http://www.afterdawn.com/news/press_releases/press_release.cfm/3823/microsoft_completes_tender_offer_for_fast_search_transfer http://www.afterdawn.com/news/press_releases/press_release.c... and 2 years later: http://www.cio.com/article/532513/Microsoft_to_Drop_Linux_Unix_Versions_of_Enterprise_Search http://www.cio.com/article/532513/Microsoft_to_Drop_Linux_Un...
- wyclif 15y agoThe reality is that losing the Linux client for Skype isn't a tragedy, since it sucks and has since the beginning, unlike the Mac client.
- steve-howard 15y agoReally? "Evil" just because it's closed-source? Regardless, I'd imagine most Linux Skype users have at least a few Windows users on their contact lists -- and good luck getting them to switch operating systems.
- limmeau 15y agoThe other point was using bandwidth. If you run Skype on a well-connected computer, you can't decide whether you want to become a big Skype relay node for your part of the world; Skype decides that for you.
- p4bl0 15y agoYep. And that's why (with the closed protocol) Skype is forbidden on the whole French university and research network (RENATER).
- p4bl0 15y agoThe word "evil" is too strong, I agree. But even if people continue to use Windows, at least they could use a software with an open protocol for their communications, not something with which you don't know what some company do with your data. Disclaimer: I'm guilty myself since I use facebook for instance.
- deleted 15y ago[deleted]
- p4bl0 15y agoEnglish is not my natural language, I didn't knew that "guilt" is such a strong word. What I meant is that I say and think that it's much better to use open protocol and free software, in particular for (possibly private) communications, but that I know that it's not easy to do so when virtually everyone is using the same "wrong" (or maybe it's another too-strong word) thing. This is why I said that I'm using facebook, to nuance my comment.
- 15y ago
- daliusd 15y agoJust humorous accident. I got request to update Skype this morning and after update all I get is this: http://i.imgur.com/qYcwd.png http://i.imgur.com/qYcwd.png (after that skype crashes).
- sigzero 15y agoStop using the word "evil". It doesn't apply.
- windsurfer 15y agoEvil is a subjective word. It is the author's point of view. It's like saying a product looks bad.
- pyre 15y ago> doing stuff you don't know with your bandwidth. But FreeNet is GPL and this pretty well describes it's standard operating procedure... Do you think FreeNet is evil too?
- blauwbilgorgel 15y agoWhen Skype is installed, it changes each phone number in your browser to a Skype button. For years webdesigners have been going crazy trying to convince either their clients to uninstall Skype or Skype to provide a durable fix for not wanting your phone-numbers highlighted. You can safely call the Skype extension evil malware, if your giant call-to-action phonenumber is forced to be written like this: 012-34[span style="display:none"]_[/span]5678 or it becomes hijacked by a video chat program. This thread starts at 2007 and goes downhill from there: http://forum.skype.com/index.php?showtopic=78380 http://forum.skype.com/index.php?showtopic=78380 (Look at the meta tag solution, that works for a while, but doesn't work in XHTML strict. Microsoft and Skype definitely deserve each other)
- sebkomianos 15y agoDoes it? I still see numbers normally in all my 3 browsers (Chrome, Opera, Safari).
- kschua 15y agoIt is a firefox plugin