Comments on: Debt-saddled Microsoft Wastes Money on Skype While the Staff is Leaving

By: Dr. Roy Schestowitz

Dr. Roy Schestowitz — Thu, 12 May 2011 23:24:45 +0000

Looking forward to it.

By: dyfet

dyfet — Thu, 12 May 2011 23:13:41 +0000

I am hoping we may be able to do something as early as the middle of next month that will answer your question particularly well…

By: Dr. Roy Schestowitz

Dr. Roy Schestowitz — Thu, 12 May 2011 21:40:55 +0000

Perhaps there was a bidding war and Microsoft wanted to keep it out of Google’e hands or even Facebook’s.

http://edition.cnn.com/2011/TECH/web/05/11/google.skype.wired/index.html

By: twitter

twitter — Thu, 12 May 2011 21:29:47 +0000

The financial status and number of users Skype had is irrelevant to anti-trust. Skype was the only VOIP that I was able to set up easily for gnu/linux two years ago. Anything that runs on Windows is only as reliable as Windows itself, which all major cell phone carriers have rejected. The patent issue is extremely important for video and VOIP and shows the harm done by software patents. Because of patent problems, it took all the way to November of 2008 to get a stable release of a free video codec up to the task. Non free software allies immediately claimed they would form a coalition to sue users for patent violations. This is outrageous. Microsoft's purchase of Skype takes away the best working and most popular VOIP outside of Windows, as all others are suppressed by lawsuits. Looking back, I see that Skype themselves were under lawsuit attack. How can that not be an anti-trust violation? They failed to ruin Skype so they bought them out.

By: Dr. Roy Schestowitz

Dr. Roy Schestowitz — Thu, 12 May 2011 10:36:27 +0000

It seems like Microsoft's patent troll Acacia was slogging Skype based on these links.

By: Dr. Roy Schestowitz

Dr. Roy Schestowitz — Thu, 12 May 2011 10:33:45 +0000

Is there any new introduction/invitation page for a SIP client that can be promoted/reposted?

By: dyfet

dyfet — Thu, 12 May 2011 09:42:36 +0000

This is a primary reason that GFC is being organized, and even much of our past work leading up to it has largely been developed, explicitly outside the United States. It is already no longer possible to do original work here.

By: Agent_Smith

Agent_Smith — Thu, 12 May 2011 00:33:35 +0000

I believe the contrary will happen: Skype now is a company working abroad, far from US and their crazy patent system.
When they land on US, brought by M$, there will be dozens of patent trolls already waiting to sue them(and M$ along)

By: twitter

twitter — Wed, 11 May 2011 17:39:41 +0000

The deal should be blocked by anti trust regulators. Last night in IRC, I showed how Skype themselves had been extorted for software patent infringement by Microsoft partners. There was no substance to the patents and charges and the Microsoft partners mostly lost but that does not mean the strategy was not successful. Had Skype been free to advertise their service or invest in broadband deployment instead of paying lawyers, they would be larger and more successful now. Microsoft should not be rewarded for their actions.

Baring real justice, we have to hope that Microsoft does to Skype what they did to Hotmail, etc. If they don’t ruin it, they can screw free software alternatives with legal and technical attacks. Free software projects face the same extortion threat Skype did but worse because Microsoft now owns skype and can pretend to be an innovator even if they only deliver a fraction of what Skype already offers. If Microsoft does not destroy Skype, the public might not care so much. “Why do you care? VideoPhone (TM) is part of Windows, just buy a new PC and you will have it.”

By: Dr. Roy Schestowitz

Dr. Roy Schestowitz — Wed, 11 May 2011 07:22:17 +0000

I think you are right. This is why a part of me is happy about Microsoft burning money and burning a piece of software people lacked a good excuse to leave (they know what “Microsoft” means, not what “proprietary” means).

By: Dr. Roy Schestowitz

Dr. Roy Schestowitz — Wed, 11 May 2011 07:19:20 +0000

Most people I speak at are looking for alternatives right now. It’s a crucial time to absorb them. Last night I spoke on SIP for 3.5 hours.

By: Adrian Malacoda

Adrian Malacoda — Wed, 11 May 2011 04:42:12 +0000

I personally can’t wait for Skype to die, especially on GNU/Linux. I hope it’ll pave the way for a free alternative.

By: Agent_Smith

Agent_Smith — Wed, 11 May 2011 03:42:19 +0000

Oh, no, a little too late for Skype and M$. Was it four years ago, when Skype was in its peak, that would be interesting.
Now, Skype is no novelty anymore, every company has its own voip, a la Skype and its importance begins to fade. Once you wrote, Dr. Schestowitz, Micro$oft is where products come to die. Well, Skype is a wounded elephant, going to the graveyard.

By: dyfet

dyfet — Wed, 11 May 2011 03:41:58 +0000

I really very much appreciated Glyn Moody’s comment best “the Skype deal is obviously a desperate reaction to GNU Free Call” ;). We actually do have our own plans that we are executing on this month.