Skype 4.0 for Linux • Hacker News Board

Re: Skype 4.0 for Linux

#51

Post by davidandgoliath » Thu, Jun 14, 2012, 5:43 PM UTC

SnowLprd wrote: post #40

bernalkc wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

no ads in this client, on any screen, presumptuous one. next time look before you embarrass yourself.

To be fair, I wasn't presuming anything. While I applaud the release of the Linux version, I was merely trying to show that Microsoft's stewardship of Skype seems to be headed in a rather unsavory direction.

How are advertisements unsavory? Is this same opinion of yours applicable against google, for the ads on it's search engine?

Just curious. I've never had anything against ads personally unless they're intrusive -- or that my data is being bought & sold to show them. Not that I trust $vendor to keep that data private, but showing me the latest advertisement for some movie coming out next week isn't going to ruin my experience. Youtube's advertisement implementation for example, I find intrusive & frustrating as it literally displays over top of the content and returns on every video you watch.

Until skype starts strapping a pepsi logo to my partner-in-chat's face, I'm content.

If it helps keep skype around longer, kudos. I enjoy using the app.

Re: Skype 4.0 for Linux

#52

Post by nuclear_eclipse » Thu, Jun 14, 2012, 5:44 PM UTC

etherealG wrote: post #49

itsboring wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm inclined to agree with your points, I always preferred the linux client over the windows one, but skype just gets on my nerves recently. My team has switched to mumble for meetings and stuff and we find it immeasurably better. Plus, channels are a much better method for general collaboration than the outdated concept of conference calls.

what do you use for a mumble server? I would happily choose this if there were an easy to use free version like skype.

Isn't the "murmur" server that comes from Mumble free to use?

Re: Skype 4.0 for Linux

#53

Post by itsboring » Thu, Jun 14, 2012, 5:49 PM UTC

etherealG wrote: post #49

itsboring wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm inclined to agree with your points, I always preferred the linux client over the windows one, but skype just gets on my nerves recently. My team has switched to mumble for meetings and stuff and we find it immeasurably better. Plus, channels are a much better method for general collaboration than the outdated concept of conference calls.

what do you use for a mumble server? I would happily choose this if there were an easy to use free version like skype.

We use the murmur server on a linode, so it's totally free (if you have a linux server already). Just "apt-get install mumble-server" on ubuntu server.

Still have to use skype for external calls and stuff, but for internal comms we love it so far.

Re: Skype 4.0 for Linux

#54

Post by takluyver » Thu, Jun 14, 2012, 5:51 PM UTC

olenhad wrote: post #44

mkenyon wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm curious to see your numbers on that.

opensource-> fewer bugs -> more users -> more satisfied users -> firefox style extensions or even an "app store" -> code improvements -> support for more platforms -> praise of the world's hacker community

The missing bit of that is the actual profit. The praise of the world's hacker community does not pay off the mortgage. On the other hand, if it's open source, anyone can compile a client which doesn't show their ads, and give it away.

Don't get me wrong, I'd love Skype to be open sourced. But I can see why they haven't done so.

Re: Skype 4.0 for Linux

#55

Post by eric_bullington » Thu, Jun 14, 2012, 5:54 PM UTC

olenhad wrote: post #44

mkenyon wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm curious to see your numbers on that.

opensource-> fewer bugs -> more users -> more satisfied users -> firefox style extensions or even an "app store" -> code improvements -> support for more platforms -> praise of the world's hacker community

Actually, it looks like a lot of what you're referring to has been possible since fall of last year. See: http://developer.skype.com/ Skype now has an enhanced API and plugin architecture that allows exactly the type of firefox extensions that you're referring to. Unfortunately, the underlying communications protocol remains closed, and so requires a binary that appears to only work on 32-bit systems (not to mention ARM). I'm actually OK with them keeping the communications protocol closed-sourced, but they need to provide binaries for a greater variety of architectures if they really want this program to work.

Re: Skype 4.0 for Linux

#56

Post by skystorm » Thu, Jun 14, 2012, 5:54 PM UTC

phenom wrote: post #6

You should probably stay on 2.2 beta.... 1. Skype 4 require download 95 additional packages for ubuntu version (all marked i386 even if you using amd64) 2. I am not sure but giant ads probably included too [1] [1] http://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2012/06/skype-...

As to your point 2, I've heard multiple times now that this Linux version does not include the in-conversation ads.

Re: Skype 4.0 for Linux

#57

Post by beagle3 » Thu, Jun 14, 2012, 5:55 PM UTC

baby wrote: post #48

Paul_S wrote: post #15

The best thing about how big skype is is that they have to maintain backwards compatibility (hardware skype phones that can't upgrade) so you can use whatever old version you want and it has to be supported by them. Which means you can stick to the old version which works fine without having to suffer through the new and "improved" glitzy version that is popup crazy and wants to hog all your system resources for what…

I can't use Skype because I have an iPhone 3GS which doesn't have the latest iOS (available only on iPhones 4). So I don't really get your point.

Skype worked fine for me in Jan 2012, last time I used my iphone 3G (ios 4.2.1).

Voice/chat only, of course, because of missing front camera.

Re: Skype 4.0 for Linux

#58

Post by rhizome » Thu, Jun 14, 2012, 5:57 PM UTC

davidandgoliath wrote: post #51

SnowLprd wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To be fair, I wasn't presuming anything. While I applaud the release of the Linux version, I was merely trying to show that Microsoft's stewardship of Skype seems to be headed in a rather unsavory direction.

How are advertisements unsavory? Is this same opinion of yours applicable against google, for the ads on it's search engine? Just curious. I've never had anything against ads personally unless they're intrusive -- or that my data is being bought & sold to show them. Not that I trust $vendor to keep that data private, but showing me the latest advertisement for some movie coming out next week isn't going to ruin my ex…

Google doesn't portray its ads as content.

Re: Skype 4.0 for Linux

#59

Post by Jabbles » Thu, Jun 14, 2012, 5:57 PM UTC

SnowLprd wrote: post #29

Ooh! Ooh! Does it have the new Conversation Ads feature? http://blogs.skype.com/en/2012/06/skype_advertising_update.h... I, for one, cannot WAIT to see these new ads, which Microsoft describes as "content that could spark additional topics of conversation that are relevant to Skype users." Isn't that great? Ads are now "content." And the motivation isn't to make a bundle of money on ads, it's to "spark conversations.…

How else could they possibly justify spending $8billion on it?

Re: Skype 4.0 for Linux

#60

Post by SnowLprd » Thu, Jun 14, 2012, 6:00 PM UTC

davidandgoliath wrote: post #51

SnowLprd wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To be fair, I wasn't presuming anything. While I applaud the release of the Linux version, I was merely trying to show that Microsoft's stewardship of Skype seems to be headed in a rather unsavory direction.

How are advertisements unsavory? Is this same opinion of yours applicable against google, for the ads on it's search engine? Just curious. I've never had anything against ads personally unless they're intrusive -- or that my data is being bought & sold to show them. Not that I trust $vendor to keep that data private, but showing me the latest advertisement for some movie coming out next week isn't going to ruin my ex…

It's not the advertisements I find unsavory — it's the spin. Rather than just say, "We will be introducing a new type of ad that we hope users won't find too intrusive," they instead refer to the ads as "content" and spin them as conversation starters.

I agree that ads have their place, particularly in a free product or service. But since you brought up Google, I'm not sure we should be holding them up as an example of how to do un-intrusive advertising:

http://www.davidmihm.com/blog/google/world/