If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Rate Thread | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
OT - Skype alternative?
I just went through a maddening session
of Microsoft sleaze for a friend. Skype said her account "had problems". It turned out they were trying to force her to set up an outlook.com account without admitting that was their plan. They pretended there was a mixup and then pretended there was a security issue. But once she set up outlook.com, presto, the mixup and the need for a new password magically disappeared. Skype came up, but not before showing a window that said: "There have been no recent purchases from this account. Let's go shopping!" Maybe people are used to this kind of thing. I was amazed at the bald-faced sleaze of it all. Anyway.... I don't use Skype or anything like it. I wonder if there's some other alternative that works well and isn't so slimy. What do people like? What about if some friends are on Mac or Linux? Do other programs work on those? What is this class of program even called? |
Ads |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
OT - Skype alternative?
On Thu, 27 Jul 2017 20:45:26 -0400, Mayayana wrote:
I just went through a maddening session of Microsoft sleaze for a friend. Skype said her account "had problems". It turned out they were trying to force her to set up an outlook.com account without admitting that was their plan. They pretended there was a mixup and then pretended there was a security issue. But once she set up outlook.com, presto, the mixup and the need for a new password magically disappeared. Skype came up, but not before showing a window that said: The price you pay to be an MS user. "There have been no recent purchases from this account. Let's go shopping!" Maybe people are used to this kind of thing. I was amazed at the bald-faced sleaze of it all. Anyway.... I don't use Skype or anything like it. I wonder if there's some other alternative that works well and isn't so slimy. What do people like? What about if some friends are on Mac or Linux? Do other programs work on those? What is this class of program even called? I would suggest ICQ, but, like Skype it is only free when used with other ICQ users. On Linux I would use Pidgin. Don' know about Mac. -- Wildman GNU/Linux user #557453 The cow died so I don't need your bull! |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
OT - Skype alternative?
Mayayana wrote:
I just went through a maddening session of Microsoft sleaze for a friend. Skype said her account "had problems". It turned out they were trying to force her to set up an outlook.com account without admitting that was their plan. They pretended there was a mixup and then pretended there was a security issue. But once she set up outlook.com, presto, the mixup and the need for a new password magically disappeared. Skype came up, but not before showing a window that said: "There have been no recent purchases from this account. Let's go shopping!" Maybe people are used to this kind of thing. I was amazed at the bald-faced sleaze of it all. Anyway.... I don't use Skype or anything like it. I wonder if there's some other alternative that works well and isn't so slimy. What do people like? What about if some friends are on Mac or Linux? Do other programs work on those? What is this class of program even called? On Linux, there were a couple Skype replacements, but... they're no longer under development. I don't understand why there isn't a vibrant market. It costs nothing to make mesh virtual networks, and have "PogoPhone" users talk to one another, with no connection to the telephone network. It's the connectivity to the telephone network, and the usage of CCS7 that costs money. If calls could be kept totally on the Internet, there'd be no support cost (other than the Internet connection of course). That's why the original Skype had SuperNodes, normal user machines that carried traffic. This role was reserved for users stupid enough to connect their Windows PC *directly* to the broadband modem, with no NAT router. That's how Skype decided candidacy for the role. Now that Microsoft owns Skype, SuperNodes are no longer used, and the protocol is "centralized for easier snooping". The spirit of Skype was not preserved when it was bought. Skype was a marvel of encryption before it was bought out, as well as distributed function. Then Skype didn't need a "big computer room" to run it. No researcher dare reverse-engineer Skype now, for fear of DMCA. I've not seen any work on Skype, since the original reverse engineering and analysis by academics. And even back then, the web site alluded to them seeking legal advice as to how much danger they were in, by even describing how it works. There was DMCA overhang even back then, but now I don't think anyone has the balls to touch it (and publish the results). Paul |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
OT - Skype alternative?
"Mayayana" news
Maybe people are used to this kind of thing. I was amazed at the bald-faced sleaze of it all. Anyway.... I don't use Skype or anything like it. I wonder if there's some other alternative that works well and isn't so slimy. What do people like? What about if some friends are on Mac or Linux? Do other programs work on those? What is this class of program even called? The buzzword may have changed, but, it used to be known as VoIP, video conferencing, video teleconferencing, video chat, etc. I'm not a skype user myself. except when configuring it to run for clients. It's not something i'd ever personally subject myself to otherwise. http://www.informationweek.com/softw...d/d-id/1323986 http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/fed-up-...-alternatives/ Good luck! -- https://tekrider.net/pages/david-brooks-stalker.php I used to have an open mind but my brains kept falling out. |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
OT - Skype alternative?
Mayayana wrote:
I wonder if there's some other alternative that works well and isn't so slimy. What do people like? What about if some friends are on Mac or Linux? Do other programs work on those? What is this class of program even called? There are alternatives, but the problem is that they don't interconnect. The general class is VoIP. The subclasses are the various protocols, which must be the same for each end, eg SIP & EMPP. Consequently, if you are 'something else' and your protocol is different, then you don't skype (proprietary protocol), which is what most everybody is. -- Mike Easter |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
OT - Skype alternative?
On 28/07/2017 02:10, Wildman wrote:
The price you pay to be an MS user. Microsoft never calls anybody so whatever you hear is a scam by professional scammers. It is up to you to fall victims of scammers lurking on these newsgroups. Let me repeat once again, Microsoft never phones anybody. Only the idiots receive calls and they believe everything they hear on the phone. No wonder I call them idiots and nutters. My signature tells you everything you need to know about satisfied customers. -- With over 500 million devices now running Windows 10, customer satisfaction is higher than any previous version of windows. |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
OT - Skype alternative?
Il giorno Fri 28 Jul 2017 02:45:26a, *Mayayana* ha inviato su
alt.windows7.general il messaggio news cosa ha scritto: Skype came up, but not before showing a window that said: "There have been no recent purchases from this account. Let's go shopping!" if you want software for free, you shouldn't go to microsoft -- /-\ /\/\ /\/\ /-\ /\/\ /\/\ /-\ T /-\ -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- - -=- http://www.bb2002.it ............ [ al lavoro ] ........... |
#8
|
|||
|
|||
OT - Skype alternative?
Il giorno Fri 28 Jul 2017 02:45:26a, *Mayayana* ha inviato su
alt.windows7.general il messaggio news cosa ha scritto: I wonder if there's some other alternative that works well and isn't so slimy. http://filehippo.com/software/messaging/voice/ -- /-\ /\/\ /\/\ /-\ /\/\ /\/\ /-\ T /-\ -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- -=- - -=- http://www.bb2002.it ............ [ al lavoro ] ........... |
#9
|
|||
|
|||
OT - Skype alternative?
On 28/07/2017 1:45 am, Mayayana wrote:
I just went through a maddening session of Microsoft sleaze for a friend. Skype said her account "had problems". It turned out they were trying to force her to set up an outlook.com account without admitting that was their plan. They pretended there was a mixup and then pretended there was a security issue. But once she set up outlook.com, presto, the mixup and the need for a new password magically disappeared. Skype came up, but not before showing a window that said: "There have been no recent purchases from this account. Let's go shopping!" Maybe people are used to this kind of thing. I was amazed at the bald-faced sleaze of it all. Anyway.... I don't use Skype or anything like it. I wonder if there's some other alternative that works well and isn't so slimy. What do people like? What about if some friends are on Mac or Linux? Do other programs work on those? What is this class of program even called? I've just tried Google Duo, which is ultra-simple and seems to work quite well for video calling. Whatsapp is good for voice calling too, and messaging, of course. -- Bob Tetbury, Gloucestershire, England A slug is just a homeless snail. |
#10
|
|||
|
|||
OT - Skype alternative?
"Bob Henson" wrote
| I've just tried Google Duo, which is ultra-simple and seems to work | quite well for video calling. Whatsapp is good for voice calling too, | and messaging, of course. You seem to be talking about phone apps. This is for Windows, and hopefully Mac/Linux. |
#11
|
|||
|
|||
OT - Skype alternative?
"Diesel" wrote
| | http://www.informationweek.com/softw...d/d-id/1323986 | http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/fed-up-...-alternatives/ | Good find. Thanks. I couldn't get the actual list at the first link. Maybe it requires script. But the 2nd link provides a detailed, clear list of possible alternatives to look into. |
#12
|
|||
|
|||
OT - Skype alternative?
"Wolf K" wrote
| AFAIK, the people you want to call must have the same software on their | machines, right? | Yes. That's why I was also interested in support for other OSs. | PS: I still don't know how MS got in touch with your friend about Skype | "problems." We have had no problems, and no phone calls about any. You might want to reread the original post. It went like this: Start Skype. Skype window comes up for login. Login doesn't work. Message says there's "...a problem with your account. Please visit the website with a browser." Visit website. Log in. Message says something like, "Forgive us for our extra caution. You need to change your password and add an alternate account." After some fiddling it turned out the only thing that would work was to create an outlook.com account. The password wasn't changed. The user name wasn't changed. It was all just sleaze to make her create an outlook.com account and hopefully get her to hang around at their website.... live.com or whatever it is. Once the outlook.com account was created, the next window wanted her to go shopping. It had logged her into the MS shopping mall. Close all that. Open Skype. Skype now works. I'm half expecting to start seeing Microsoft employees hanging around on street corners in trench coats, trying to sell me a Rolex. |
#13
|
|||
|
|||
OT - Skype alternative?
On 7/28/2017 8:18 AM, Mayayana wrote:
"Wolf K" wrote | AFAIK, the people you want to call must have the same software on their | machines, right? | Yes. That's why I was also interested in support for other OSs. | PS: I still don't know how MS got in touch with your friend about Skype | "problems." We have had no problems, and no phone calls about any. You might want to reread the original post. It went like this: Start Skype. Skype window comes up for login. Login doesn't work. Message says there's "...a problem with your account. Please visit the website with a browser." Visit website. Log in. Message says something like, "Forgive us for our extra caution. You need to change your password and add an alternate account." After some fiddling it turned out the only thing that would work was to create an outlook.com account. The password wasn't changed. The user name wasn't changed. It was all just sleaze to make her create an outlook.com account and hopefully get her to hang around at their website.... live.com or whatever it is. Once the outlook.com account was created, the next window wanted her to go shopping. It had logged her into the MS shopping mall. Close all that. Open Skype. Skype now works. I'm half expecting to start seeing Microsoft employees hanging around on street corners in trench coats, trying to sell me a Rolex. Windows 7 Skype 7.36.0.101 I just now logged-in to my Skype account. It prompted me to update, but I declined. I did not get any request to create an outlook.com account. I plan not to update Skype any time in the future. -- David Ross http://www.rossde.com/ President Trump now denies there are any tapes that recorded his conversations with ex-FBI Director Comey. Between when Trump hinted there might be such tapes and his denial, there was sufficient time to destroy any tapes. |
#14
|
|||
|
|||
OT - Skype alternative?
On 28-Jul-17 1:45 AM, Mayayana wrote:
I just went through a maddening session of Microsoft sleaze for a friend. Skype said her account "had problems". It turned out they were trying to force her to set up an outlook.com account without admitting that was their plan. They pretended there was a mixup and then pretended there was a security issue. But once she set up outlook.com, presto, the mixup and the need for a new password magically disappeared. Skype came up, but not before showing a window that said: "There have been no recent purchases from this account. Let's go shopping!" Maybe people are used to this kind of thing. I was amazed at the bald-faced sleaze of it all. Anyway.... I don't use Skype or anything like it. I wonder if there's some other alternative that works well and isn't so slimy. What do people like? What about if some friends are on Mac or Linux? Do other programs work on those? What is this class of program even called? FYI https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FaceTime I just 'works'! :-) -- David B. |
#15
|
|||
|
|||
OT - Skype alternative?
On 28/07/17 07:45, Mayayana wrote:
{snip/edited} I wonder if there's some other alternative that works... https://www.maketecheasier.com/best-...i gn=26072017 |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | Rate This Thread |
|
|