Microsoft confirms takeover of Skype

[mewantsbitcoins]

No more free calls
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-13343600

[Anonymous]

They willl probably integrate it into msm messenger and you wont be able to use it on other platforms.

Then youll have to buy a license for it. Its probably a win for google voice.

[Jaime Frontero]

what a bunch of crap.

i use skype on linux, and pay for a phone number.  had that number for four or five years.

not too much longer, i reckon.  microsquash doesn't do so well writing linux software - and i ain't had a MS software product on my iron since the NSA backdoor thing.

well, i'm glad it cost 'em 8.6 billion to get my cancellation e-mail, anyway.

[Anonanon]

Anonanon confirms pending uninstall of Skype.

[sortedmush]

Finding an open source alternative to Skype has been on my todo list for a while.

Any recommendations?

[wolciph]

Finding an open source alternative to Skype has been on my todo list for a while.

Any recommendations?

The open-source protocol XMPP (Google Talk's protocol) has videoconferencing support. I think it has two extensions for that (the X stands for eXtendable, so the use of an extension to the protocol is perfectly normal and desirable): one is old pretty bad from what I understand, the newer one is developed by Google (open-source) and should work just as well as using Skype.

[wolciph]

Finding an open source alternative to Skype has been on my todo list for a while.

Any recommendations?

The open-source decentralized (like e-mail) protocol XMPP (Google Talk's protocol) has videoconferencing support. I think it has two extensions for that (the X stands for eXtendable, so the use of an extension to the protocol is perfectly normal and desirable): one is old pretty bad from what I understand, the newer one is developed by Google (open-source) and should work just as well as using Skype.

[cartman]

I tried out Jitsi. I don't like its implemented in java, but the design is neat and it has support for some chat protocols (icq, msn, yahoo, sip, xmpp, aim, google talk..).
It has built-in OTR. Also audio and video conference is encrypted. It works on all platforms and is opensource. Those were my criteria. There are two others which meet these criteria: blink and qutecom (not sure about OTR).
You need a sip-adress for all clients...

if you have other ideas, i would like to hear about them. the most difficult thing is to get your peers to switch. there is hope if some of your peers use an additional client for some of the mentioned chat protocols, so trying out doesnt mean to run a third application. its also important, the application is available for all platforms.

[em3rgentOrdr]

Forget Skype.  I stopped using it after the US mandated that all Skype communications must have a government backdoor.

[kiba]

Forget Skype.  I stopped using it after the US mandated that all Skype communications must have a government backdoor.

Governmental backdoors are just another security holes that can be exploited by evil Chinese crackers.

[em3rgentOrdr]

Forget Skype.  I stopped using it after the US mandated that all Skype communications must have a government backdoor.

Governmental backdoors are just another security holes that can be exploited by evil Chinese crackers.

+1

Backdoors of any kind seriously complicate any security proofs.

[meri21]

I think not Microsoft ,Facebook is interested to bye it. according to latest news. but it dose matters for me.

[Timo Y]

No more free calls
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-13343600

Charging for Skype-to-Skype calls would be just as ridiculous as charging for each email you send from MS Outlook. I don't believe Microsoft would ever do something that stupid. Everyone except a few oldies expects VOIP to be free.  If Microsoft did that, it would infuriate 95% of Skype users who would run to Gtalk.

What is more likely to happen is that they will start charging for the Skype client and continue offering a lightweight client for free, which would be fair enough IMO.

MS isn't the control freak that it used to be, in fact, MS is a much more relaxed company than Apple in this respect despite its uptight image.

I predict that Skype will start accepting BTC as payment before the end of this year.  Let's see if I'm right...

[mewantsbitcoins]

I don't know. IMO MS might make skype a part of windows and if they do, you'll be paying for it with your license fee

[em3rgentOrdr]

Who knows.  We don't have a clue.  Maybe MS would send all your Skype communications to the gubbamint in exchange for lower taxes.

[gsan]

I've been using Jabber video chat with my jabber.org account on my Nokia N900 and it usually works better than Skype. I don't know of any other clients (since I got everyone to buy an N900) but I'm sure there are.