Tuesday, May 10th, 2011, 6:28 pm
Goodbye, Skype
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was never a major user of Skype. Heck, I only started using it on occasions around 2008, after I had repeatedly rejected invitations to join it. The reasons were multiple, e.g.:
- It was non-standard (the protocols)
- It was proprietary (it still is, but they openwash it for PR purposes)
- It sucked on GNU/Linux
- (Questionable: It offered no real privacy through decentralisation)
Now I have a fourth reason to abandon it altogether and move back to SIP, which sadly enough not many people are using as network effect matters. Microsoft has a very poor track record when it comes to privacy, retaining GNU/Linux support when acquiring software, and generally speaking, Microsoft is a convicted monopolist which continues to engage in crimes such as racketeering, bribery, and extreme market distortion.
Thank you, Skype. It was good while it lasted. And thank you, Microsoft, for giving me a reason to abandon this piece of malicious software and also encourage others to do the same, obviously to come over to SIP. Today I had a half-hour conversation over SIP (the codec is as good if not better than Skype’s). I also have a physical SIP phone connected to my hub. The future is SIP. Skype is going down the same path as Hotmail.
May 10th, 2011 at 6:51 pm
Indeed, Dr. Schestowitz, M$ has the Midas touch in reverse: Everything it touches becomes crap. Hotmail is a very good example.
Best Regads
May 11th, 2011 at 4:36 am
You can tell that Agent Smith isn’t a farm boy. The proper description of the ‘Reverse Midas Touch’ is ‘Everything he touched turned to shit.’
FYI, the Wall Street Journal pointed out that this was partially a tax avoidance scheme. Apparently a large portion of the $50 Billion in cash that Microsoft has in reserve is held outside of the United States, and if they repatriate it, they would have to pay 30% corporate tax. If they were going to lose it bring it back to the US, they might was well spend it overseas, and so they did.
And the American taxpayer can carry the load, after all, they aren’t important. Oh, and the Irish pensioner can carry the load too, after all, they aren’t important either.
Wayne
May 23rd, 2011 at 7:56 pm
Good point, Wayne.