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Did Skype lose millions of users only when those users uninstalled Skype on their desktop, or long before that when those users started installing WhatsApp on t

Did Skype lose millions of users only when those users uninstalled Skype on their desktop, or long before that when those users started installing WhatsApp on their phone? Most people probably can't remember the exact moment that Skype was no longer relevant.

Abishek_Muthian 6y ago
Fair point, but I don't think Skype & 'mobile first' new generation chat apps like WhatsApp, Messenger, Telegram, Signal etc. belong to the same category. > Most people probably can't remember the exact moment that Skype was no longer relevant. When smartphones became the go-to compute device for many. Yes Skype was made available to smartphones too, but like many other 'mobile first' applications which replaced traditional desktop software Skype was pushed down by the chat apps.
- jorangreef 6y ago
  Yes, you're right that desktop and 'mobile first' apps are a different category, so that at first, it would seem like the comparison between Skype and WhatsApp is a category error. But I suppose it's also fair to say that Signal is now a good example of a 'privacy first' app, a new category that WhatsApp equally don't seem too interested in. I think the analogy still holds both ways: exact uninstalls are not important once the communication starts moving elsewhere, and 'mobile first' and 'privacy first' are categories that companies ignore at the cost of losing millions of users.
mnw21cam 6y ago
> Most people probably can't remember the exact moment that Skype was no longer relevant. What do you mean? Skype is being used more now than this time last year. It has just been renamed. The first few versions of Teams would even call themselves "Skype" when connecting to PulseAudio.
- deleted 6y ago
  [deleted]
- freeone3000 6y ago
  Teams is an evolution of SkypeForBusiness, which isn't exactly Skype -- consumer Skype still exists. (Teams for Families sounds like it would be the Skype replacement, but it's derived from standard Teams)
  - hyperdimension 6y ago
    Skype for Business... -> Lync ... -> Office Communicator Say what you want about Microsoft, but they are the (Forefront?) experts at re-re-re-branding. -- Sent from my MS Passport.NET account.
m000 6y ago
Legit question: What are the alternatives to Skype? Although it's become much less relevant for IM purposes, it's still my to-go application for ad-hoc video calls with friends and family. Mostly because (a) it has an actively maintained desktop client, (b) it is offered as a standalone service, (c) it is home-user friendly (won't splash you with meeting and calendar buttons like zoom).
- javagram 6y ago
  FaceTime, Facebook messenger/instagram video calling, Google hangouts or whatever their new chat and video app is called, and since 2020 Zoom as well got a lot of home user adoption.
- vel0city 6y ago
  Signal now has video calling through their desktop application. (a) its actively maintained (b) unsure about requirements of "standalone service", but its stand alone as its only a chat service (c) its just a messaging client, no calendar/meeting kind of stuff Other than that I've had good success with web-focused services like Google Meet and Jit.si. There isn't a desktop app but to an extent that's been a win. All you need to do is email/text a link to your chosen friends and its all in their browser using web standards (or semi-standards, no plugins at least for modern FF/Chrome/Edge). No accounts, assuming they have a modern browser there's no software to install, just click and go.
  - m000 6y ago
    Thanks for the pointer to the Signal desktop app! It looks pretty close to what I had in mind. As for the definition of a standalone service: One that doesn't tightly integrate with other offerings/ecosystems. Skype is kind of ok because other than connecting with your MS account, it doesn't promote other offerings. Also Microsoft's business model is not based on collecting and selling your data, at least not in the same extent as Google/FB. Web-focused services work ok if you're comfortable with the web. But for parents, grandparents etc., I feel that a standalone client with a simple interface is more foolproof.

Abishek_Muthian 6y ago

Fair point, but I don't think Skype & 'mobile first' new generation chat apps like WhatsApp, Messenger, Telegram, Signal etc. belong to the same category. > Most people probably can't remember the exact moment that Skype was no longer relevant. When smartphones became the go-to compute device for many. Yes Skype was made available to smartphones too, but like many other 'mobile first' applications which replaced traditional desktop software Skype was pushed down by the chat apps.

jorangreef 6y ago
Yes, you're right that desktop and 'mobile first' apps are a different category, so that at first, it would seem like the comparison between Skype and WhatsApp is a category error. But I suppose it's also fair to say that Signal is now a good example of a 'privacy first' app, a new category that WhatsApp equally don't seem too interested in. I think the analogy still holds both ways: exact uninstalls are not important once the communication starts moving elsewhere, and 'mobile first' and 'privacy first' are categories that companies ignore at the cost of losing millions of users.

mnw21cam 6y ago

> Most people probably can't remember the exact moment that Skype was no longer relevant. What do you mean? Skype is being used more now than this time last year. It has just been renamed. The first few versions of Teams would even call themselves "Skype" when connecting to PulseAudio.

deleted 6y ago
[deleted]
freeone3000 6y ago
Teams is an evolution of SkypeForBusiness, which isn't exactly Skype -- consumer Skype still exists. (Teams for Families sounds like it would be the Skype replacement, but it's derived from standard Teams)
- hyperdimension 6y ago
  Skype for Business... -> Lync ... -> Office Communicator Say what you want about Microsoft, but they are the (Forefront?) experts at re-re-re-branding. -- Sent from my MS Passport.NET account.

m000 6y ago

Legit question: What are the alternatives to Skype? Although it's become much less relevant for IM purposes, it's still my to-go application for ad-hoc video calls with friends and family. Mostly because (a) it has an actively maintained desktop client, (b) it is offered as a standalone service, (c) it is home-user friendly (won't splash you with meeting and calendar buttons like zoom).

javagram 6y ago
FaceTime, Facebook messenger/instagram video calling, Google hangouts or whatever their new chat and video app is called, and since 2020 Zoom as well got a lot of home user adoption.
vel0city 6y ago
Signal now has video calling through their desktop application. (a) its actively maintained (b) unsure about requirements of "standalone service", but its stand alone as its only a chat service (c) its just a messaging client, no calendar/meeting kind of stuff Other than that I've had good success with web-focused services like Google Meet and Jit.si. There isn't a desktop app but to an extent that's been a win. All you need to do is email/text a link to your chosen friends and its all in their browser using web standards (or semi-standards, no plugins at least for modern FF/Chrome/Edge). No accounts, assuming they have a modern browser there's no software to install, just click and go.
- m000 6y ago
  Thanks for the pointer to the Signal desktop app! It looks pretty close to what I had in mind. As for the definition of a standalone service: One that doesn't tightly integrate with other offerings/ecosystems. Skype is kind of ok because other than connecting with your MS account, it doesn't promote other offerings. Also Microsoft's business model is not based on collecting and selling your data, at least not in the same extent as Google/FB. Web-focused services work ok if you're comfortable with the web. But for parents, grandparents etc., I feel that a standalone client with a simple interface is more foolproof.