Skype

[Kezzer]

VOIP is fine (if not for me), but i'm not sure i trust a proprietary system like Skype

For what reasons? I'm not picking, just curious to know.

[directhex]

For what reasons? I'm not picking, just curious to know.

control

with a plain SIP system i can use any phone i want with an adapter, run a local server on anything capable of running user code (e.g. a linksys router running linux), and so on

with skype, i get the official skype client & i have to enjoy it

[g8ina]

I would use it but no-one talks to me

[kickstart 1]

I use it now and again, if i can find someone to chat to

[chrestomanci]

control

with a plain SIP system i can use any phone i want with an adapter, run a local server on anything capable of running user code (e.g. a linksys router running linux), and so on

with skype, i get the official skype client & i have to enjoy it

Agreed. The official skype client contains loads of tricky code to prevent it from being reverse engineered or debugged. For all we know it could be full of spyware or worse, we only have skype's word that there is nothing bad in there.

The skype client is only available for a small number of platforms. If you want a client for a linux smartphone (or any linux basically other than 32bit x86), you are SOL. The official client is also quite bloaty.

The way skype routes it's packet causes problems. It uses firewall piecing methods to sneak where it is not supposed to be, and if you run skype on an firewalled box, it will route packets from other people through you. A friend of mine is sysadmin at an Oxford college. Every PC in the place has a worldwide routable static IP address with a 10Gb connection to the internet. Given the chance Skype would attempt to route half the UK's phone calls through one of those PCs, and suck up all the available bandwith, Because of this skype is banned, from student PCs, even though it would be a great help for the foreign students.

The fact that skype is now owned by eBay/paypal does not help as IMHO, they are one of the most money grabbing and venal companies on the internet.

[Kezzer]

Agreed. The official skype client contains loads of tricky code to prevent it from being reverse engineered or debugged. For all we know it could be full of spyware or worse, we only have skype's word that there is nothing bad in there.

I blame George Orwell for your insecurities

And there's probably conditions in the EULA.

[directhex]

The way skype routes it's packet causes problems. It uses firewall piecing methods to sneak where it is not supposed to be, and if you run skype on an firewalled box, it will route packets from other people through you. A friend of mine is sysadmin at an Oxford college. Every PC in the place has a worldwide routable static IP address with a 10Gb connection to the internet. Given the chance Skype would attempt to route half the UK's phone calls through one of those PCs, and suck up all the available bandwith, Because of this skype is banned, from student PCs, even though it would be a great help for the foreign students.

http://www.oucs.ox.ac.uk/network/voip/skype.xml

[Tomahawk]

Yeah I use it alot, mainly for calling my friends who have Skype in various countries, also have/and do use it for calls to landlines but not so often.. as said the rates are great!

In general VOIP is a great idea and currently as people know is really taking off, it could be rather beneficial to companies who rely on telecommunications on a day to day basis as a cost effective alternative.. Skype is great.. haven't tried another as have felt no real need to.

[Blademrk]

Used it a lot to keep in touch with my parents when they went to Canada for a month last summer. €10 worth of credit seemed to last ages, in fact I've still got 10p left (although when I converted it to £'s half way through the month it did seem to go a lot quicker).

Overall I quite liked it (although I did seem to get random chinese people asking to be added to my address book for some reason).

I tend to use MSN as my main IM client

[Merlin4458]

lol, i get like 2 people a day from china asking for my details "Hi im travelling to the UK and want to know about the culture and better learn my english" lol. Declined...... But yeh ive been using skype to talk to my gf in north carolina and using windows live for the webcam. Works great. Plus put a tenner on ages ago, and jsut lasts me.
Shares might be tempting to get involved with as i recon this will take off, especially with the whole 3 deal they have got now,.

[EvilWeevil]

I use Skype for business...but not that much.

[Zak33]

Skype rocks.

Used it for 2 years now, use it most nights for gaming in LIneage2, and use it for typing chat too.

And file transfers.

Love it.

[Agent]

Does anyone know of a decent Ethernet -> Phone adaptor that works with Skype?

[unreal]

I've got Skype on my smartphone, which is awesome when randomly jumping on public WiFi services :>

[Tobeman]

Skype rocks.

Used it for 2 years now, use it most nights for gaming in LIneage2, and use it for typing chat too.

And file transfers.

Love it.

CPU usage is insane for gaming though

[j1979]

can you use it to call mobiles or land lines?