Re: [PLUG] Older versions of Skype being retired--bad news for linux users

[Walt Mankowski <waltman@pobox.com>]

On Fri, Jun 09, 2017 at 03:30:53PM -0400, Thomas Delrue wrote:
> On 06/09/2017 02:54 PM, Walt Mankowski wrote:
> > On Fri, Jun 09, 2017 at 02:23:05PM -0400, Thomas Delrue wrote:
> >> On 06/09/2017 02:14 PM, prushik wrote:
> >>> Sounds good to me. Good riddance, [...snip...]. Now nobody can 
> >>> argue with me when I refuse to use Skype.
> >> 
> >> Right on! If I want my conversations to be recorded and processed,
> >>  I'll do that myself, thankyouverymuch.
> 
> I wanted to include these links as well but hit Send to quickly:
> 	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Prism_slide_5.jpg
> 	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:PRISM_Collection_Details.jpg
> 	https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Prism-slide-8.jpg
> And that's just from "The Only USG Agency That Actually Listens to US
> Citizens".
> 
> > The problem, of course, is that you need both ends of the 
> > conversation to be using the same software.
> 
> I'm not trying to defend Jitsi here... I don't care enough about it to
> do so - in fact, if something better is out there, I'll use it.
> But...
> I'm not sure you're trying to use that sentence as an argument in favor
> of "but... but ... skype!" or not, but if you are, I find it a weak
> argument.
> Because this is more true of Skype than it is of (i.e.) Jitsi; and
> installing something is not quite out of reach of your regular user. How
> hard is doubleclick-next-accept-next-next-finish?
> Either you're in a situation where you have to keep telling your
> friendly users not to do it because they know how to do it and are
> installing stuff they shouldn't, in which case they can install Jitsi
> just as well; or you have it properly locked down, meaning you know what
> you're doing & you can push jitsi to the machines that need it through
> your regular process as well.
> I've guided my mom over the phone with installing and configuring Jitsi
> on her (Windows, I know, I know...) laptop and she know *nothing* about
> computers except for how to start solitaire or "The Internet" (a browser).

I'm not trying to defend Skype, either. I'm certainly in favor of more
open standards. It's mostly just that Skype works, and most people who
I've needed to video conference with already have it installed. In
fact just today I had some ask to setup a Skype call with me. I'd
rather not have to ask my collaborators to install and use one piece
of software to talk to us, and another for everyone else. Obviously
YMMV.

Walt

P.S. I'm already subscribed to the list, so there's no need to CC
me. Thanks.

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