Dear everyone ever: Stop using Skype

Personally, I never had any with Skype, I heard about this Apple program that seems it's a bit like Skype, called Facetime.

 

Personally, I never had any with Skype, I heard about this Apple program that seems it's a bit like Skype, called Facetime.

Facetime isn't really like Skype at all. Facetime is a program that exists to make video calls and nothing else.

 

Personally, I never had any with Skype, I heard about this Apple program that seems it's a bit like Skype, called Facetime.

Yay...unless you don't like a device you can't program unless you pay Apple money.Or jailbreak it.(Note:Those two sentences don't apply if you use a Macbook.)
Why do I write this,you ask?
Because Facetime is rather Apple.
In fact,it's so Apple,that you can't use it unless you use a Apple device.
So basically,switching to Facetime would exclude a lot of people from said group.
Course,Skype has it's disadvantages too,such as the NSA,Google Hangouts may or may not be under the same problem.
I did a quick search for a free-as-in-freedom(and gratis too for obvious reasons) replacement.
Result:
Ekiga: http://www.ekiga.org/
Apparently they have a free VOIP service. I haven't investigated this much,not much time right now.
It has Windows support,and I wouldn't be surprised if it had Mac support. And it has GNU/Linux support.

 

IRC is probably the best thing for IMs, unsure about calls though.

 

Well, the eighties are coming back. Eighties fashion, eighties games, Walkmans (I'm assuming because you can still find them being sold at stores). So the solution is obvious and completely impractical (for obvious reasons):

Spoiler

Electronic Bulletin Board Systems (BBS)

Seriously though, Skype is going to shit, and we probably should find a better alternative. Man, even my suggestion is (maybe kinda sorta but not really) better than continuing to use Skype.

 

it's disadvantages too,such as the NSA,Google Hangouts may or may not be under the same problem.

If you think the NSA is a legit problem for the skype group why would you assume literally anything else would be void of that issue? It'd have to be straight up peer to peer to not have that be an issue.

But if you think the NSA is personally keeping track of what's going on the group then I find that even sillier.

 

If you think the NSA is a legit problem for the skype group why would you assume literally anything else would be void of that issue? It'd have to be straight up peer to peer to not have that be an issue.

But if you think the NSA is personally keeping track of what's going on the group then I find that even sillier.

mmme... the NSA sees tons of silly shit everyday, they probably don't bother to bat an eye.

 

Being a one finger typist (not literally though, I use my left thumb for the space key and my right index finger for the shift key in addition to my left index finger for everything else) I cannot type as fast as a touch typist can. Although this has always suited me fine because I constantly revise what I am writing as I write. Quite frankly I find this behaviour to be more well suited to posting on a forum than on IM services. So yeah, I shan't be seen on Skype any time soon.

 

I really think Skype is fine...

 

So I looked at some of the alternatives today and unfortunately none of them quite met all the requirements I'd have liked at once. ICQ is janky af, the Razr thing is Windows/Android only (which suits its target audience, clearly, but not everyone), tox is unfinished and Line requires you to have a mobile device to register (weird. I mean I don't think too many people don't, but I wouldn't want to exclude)

It seems there still exists no ideal solution for integrated IM/VOIP with multi-user discussions. IRC is still the top contender for text chat, but you don't get the chat backlog unless you're connected. Mumble is great for voice chatting but requires someone to run the server somewhere and also the people using it to have a minimum amount of computer skill.

Jabber (XMPP) might be a viable option. There are a wide range of clients that support it, it's got channel-like chat systems and allows for permissions and channel operators, as well as showing you a backlog of discussion that occurred before you connected.
but I'm not sure if it's the best solution.

 

Fuck it let's develop one gogogo

 

I still like Skype. Every now and then I do restart it because of it stupidly leaking memory, but other than that it seems to work well enough.

If a better alternative ever comes along though, who's to say the same thing won't happen to it that happened to Skype (being bought by microsoft)?

 

I couldn't agree with you more Noxid, I hate Skype with a passion! Back in the early-mid 00s it used to be a messaging program for poor countries (Eastern Europe, Brazil). And whenever I asked people, americans mostly, if they had skype they usually told me they don't use skype because it sucks and then they'd send me their MSN. Then THE SAME PEOPLE started using skype a few years later for whatever reason. Fucking americans man.

 

Then THE SAME PEOPLE started using skype a few years later for whatever reason. Fucking americans man.

It might have something to do with how microsoft bought skype, shutdown MSN messenger and migrated existing MSN accounts to skype.

 

I kind of want to try making a messaging system now, it can't be NEARLY as hard as finding a good one...

 

You know you can block skype ads if you open hosts and redirect skype's site to 127.0.0.1 right

# Stop skype ads
127.0.0.1       apps.skype.com

 

the ads are the least of my issues with skype

 

oopsie P,; guess its time for me to go back.

 

If you think the NSA is a legit problem for the skype group why would you assume literally anything else would be void of that issue? It'd have to be straight up peer to peer to not have that be an issue.
But if you think the NSA is personally keeping track of what's going on the group then I find that even sillier.

I was just noting for the sake of it.

So I looked at some of the alternatives today and unfortunately none of them quite met all the requirements I'd have liked at once. ICQ is janky af, the Razr thing is Windows/Android only (which suits its target audience, clearly, but not everyone), tox is unfinished and Line requires you to have a mobile device to register (weird. I mean I don't think too many people don't, but I wouldn't want to exclude)
It seems there still exists no ideal solution for integrated IM/VOIP with multi-user discussions. IRC is still the top contender for text chat, but you don't get the chat backlog unless you're connected. Mumble is great for voice chatting but requires someone to run the server somewhere and also the people using it to have a minimum amount of computer skill.
Jabber (XMPP) might be a viable option. There are a wide range of clients that support it, it's got channel-like chat systems and allows for permissions and channel operators, as well as showing you a backlog of discussion that occurred before you connected.
but I'm not sure if it's the best solution.

Well,although IRC has no chat-backlog function,I have a simple solution.
It involves server modification,as all insane plans do...No,wait! Better idea! A IRC bot,that PMs you the backlog!
As for Jabber,the TCP version of the protocol looks like insanity.
Not sure about the HTTP version.

Fuck it let's develop one gogogo

Well,webcam stuff isn't very cross-platform.
So,at best,it would only have voice and text-chat.
I've written a basic,rough protocol document,and attached it here.
No voice support,but there's ideas written at the bottom on how you could extend it.
(EDIT:Mentioned work on reference implementation,added sequence number reuse system.)
View attachment 740

 

Well,although IRC has no chat-backlog function,I have a simple solution.
It involves server modification,as all insane plans do...No,wait! Better idea! A IRC bot,that PMs you the backlog!

please do not do this that would be complete chaos