[LINK] Skype beta3, free worldwide conference calls

Kim Holburn kim at holburn.net
Fri Nov 10 12:53:10 AEDT 2006


On 2006/Nov/10, at 10:12 AM, Alan L Tyree wrote:
> On Fri, 10 Nov 2006 09:46:47 +1100
> Howard Lowndes <lannet at lannet.com.au> wrote:
>> Ivan Trundle wrote:
>>> On 09/11/2006, at 2:50 PM, stephen at melbpc.org.au wrote:
>>>> Now, free worldwide computer to computer conference calls
>>>>
>>>> Media Release: SKYPE 3.0 BETA BRINGS THE GLOBAL COMMUNITY TOGETHER
>>>>
>>>> http://about.skype.com/2006/11/skype_30_beta_brings_the_globa.html
>>>>
>>>> LUXEMBOURG, November 8, 2006 – Skype today released the latest
>>>> version of its software, Skype 3.0 Beta for Windows. Skype users
>>>> across the world can now enjoy even simpler and easier ways to
>>>> talk to one another with new features that enable community-led
>>>> chat and discussion.
>>>
>>> This is what bugs me about Skype. Firstly, Windows users are the
>>> only ones to get improvements of any value. Mac users are always
>>> one full version behind, and Linux users often more so.
>>
>> Perhaps Windows users are far more easily parted from their money
>> then Linux types.  After all, they normally get stung for everything.
>
> Don't use Skype. Why get locked in to a proprietary format that can't
> talk to anyone else? Use a SIP based service that is based on open
> standards: Gizmo, Sjphone, Xten all work with Free World Dialup and
> other SIP providers. Better yet, use a SIP service that is open  
> source:
> Ekiga which allows multiple registrations.

SIP is a real pain to get across some firewalls.  If you have more  
than one SIP user on a private subnet you have to have a special SIP  
router (like say asterisk).  SIP and H323 put source and destination  
IPs in the data rather than in the header like all normal IP protocols.

Skype on the pother hand is proprietary but it just works.  It works  
across most firewalls.  If you have a firewall your system is never  
promoted to supernode status.

As for the company issues SIP companies like gizmo and wengo have the  
same issues as skype where it concerns paying money.

> I tried Skype and found that it was frequently using bandwidth for  
> some
> purpose that I knew nothing about. Maybe Windows users are happy for
> that to happen, but I don't see why anyone should put up with it.

--
Kim Holburn
IT Network & Security Consultant
Ph: +61 2 61258620 M: +61 417820641  F: +61 2 6230 6121
mailto:kim at holburn.net  aim://kimholburn
skype://kholburn - PGP Public Key on request
Cacert Root Cert: http://www.cacert.org/cacert.crt
Aust. Spam Act: To stop receiving mail from me: reply and let me know.
Use ISO 8601 dates [YYYY-MM-DD] http://www.saqqara.demon.co.uk/ 
datefmt.htm

Democracy imposed from without is the severest form of tyranny.
                           -- Lloyd Biggle, Jr. Analog, Apr 1961






More information about the Link mailing list