Anyone here uses Skype? - Democratic Underground

WillieW

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Wed Jun-10-09 09:00 PM
Original message

Anyone here uses Skype?

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Xipe Totec

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Wed Jun-10-09 09:01 PM
Response to Original message

1. Yes

Great for international conference calls.

I have one with China in 3, 2, 1....

Talk to you after.

eom

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Xipe Totec

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Wed Jun-10-09 10:30 PM
Response to Reply #1

30. Done

Nice, crisp and clear channel.

5-way conference, no problem.

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rufus dog

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Wed Jun-10-09 09:02 PM
Response to Original message

2. My kids use it to talk to a friend in Paris

works great, have no fears.

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slewfoot

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Wed Jun-10-09 09:02 PM
Response to Original message

3. Yes

I have used Skype, as well as Yahoo's service. I prefer Skype.

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alittlelark

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Wed Jun-10-09 09:03 PM
Response to Original message

4. My son used it for 9 months w/ a friend in Berlin

I saw no problems.

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WillieW

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Wed Jun-10-09 09:04 PM
Response to Reply #4

8. I am afraid to download anything these days.

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alittlelark

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Wed Jun-10-09 09:09 PM
Response to Reply #8

13. Skype is to scary downloads as

Cottage cheese is to 'exciting dessert'.

It's been around for years - I have never heard of an issue.

My son and his best friend spend much of 6th grade hanging w/ each other on Skype.... no issues.

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DBoon

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Wed Jun-10-09 10:54 PM
Response to Reply #13

32. it drives corporate network administrators nuts

generates lots of traffic they can't predict or control, has very creative ways of poking through firewalls, and at least used to "volunteer" you computer as a Skype relay, thereby directing lots of traffic in then out your network

The fellows behind it are the same guys who developed Kazaa

I haven't heard any downside as a home user, though

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havocmom

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Wed Jun-10-09 09:03 PM
Response to Original message

5. Yep

Long talks with daughter and sister in other states. Usually works fine. Once in a great while, I have to end call and try again to get clear connection. Not a regular problem though.

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Sal Minella

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Wed Jun-10-09 10:27 PM
Response to Reply #5

29. Daughter calls me with Skype all the time -- sometimes connection sounds

like she's underwater, sometimes we get cut off, but for what Skype costs her, we don't complain (Scots ancestry).

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bridgit

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Wed Jun-10-09 09:04 PM
Response to Original message

6. yup, for conferencing

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dbonds

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Wed Jun-10-09 09:04 PM
Response to Original message

7. Yes

All the time for business.

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qanda

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Wed Jun-10-09 09:04 PM
Response to Original message

9. I love Skype

Use it all the time. Is there something you want to know about it?

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WillieW

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Wed Jun-10-09 09:05 PM
Response to Reply #9

10. Yes, is it secure?

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Egnever

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Wed Jun-10-09 09:08 PM
Response to Reply #10

11. I wouldnt start sending my banking info and socials over it

But thats likely more my paranoia than anything unsecure about skype.

It's quite mainstreme and used all over the world.

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NJGeek

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Wed Jun-10-09 09:11 PM
Response to Reply #11

18. Infinitely more difficult to tamper with

VOIP is much more difficult and expense to tamper with than analog phones. Only a very coordinated and focused effort (like toward Middle Eastern terrorists - ever see Body of Lies?) would bother, I don't think you have too much to worry about.

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Sukie

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Wed Jun-10-09 09:10 PM
Response to Reply #10

15. We use it to talk to my parents in another state.

So far no problems, although the other night we got a skype invite from someone who then suddenly appeared in our contact list. He was selling a program that would aid in doing the conference calls with more than two people. We just deleted him and so far he hasn't contacted us again.

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silverweb

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Wed Jun-10-09 09:13 PM
Response to Reply #10

20. For truly confidential stuff,

... try _Hushmail Express_.

You don't need an account, just a security question that you and the other person both know the answer to.

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snake in the grass

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Wed Jun-10-09 09:32 PM
Response to Reply #10

23. I've been using Skype for 2 years now...

...to keep in touch with friends in Germany and I have no complaints. You can talk as long as you want for nothing and the connection is great most of the time. When there's a problem, it usually suffices to "hang up" and call again. If you are concerned about sending sensitive material, might I suggest Zfone. Their protocol is supposedly very secure. Hope this helps.

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FightingIrish

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Wed Jun-10-09 09:08 PM
Response to Original message

12. I talk (with video) with friends in Italy almost weekly.

The audio is usually better than telephone. The interesting thing is that these are friends I have known since our towns became sister cities fifty years ago next year. We helped inaugurate the first telecommunication satellite, Telstar, when the mayors of out two cities spoke to each other. It was a big deal then and now we talk, face to face, for free.

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MrMickeysMom

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Wed Jun-10-09 09:12 PM
Response to Reply #12

19. Isn't that a great feature?

I can do the same with newphew and his family in UK.

More often, I have 2-way video/audio from my Macintosh to my friends' PC in Florida.

I have to use my firewire and digital camcorder, since I'm too cheap to add a peripheral to my PowerBook G4.

The audio is great, you can send documents, photos, video's, but I just like to BUMP GUMS! :-)

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grasswire

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Wed Jun-10-09 09:09 PM
Response to Original message

14. it's a miracle for separated families

We have little girls in New England, their father is on the West Coast. It's like they are all in the same room together.

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silverweb

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Wed Jun-10-09 09:10 PM
Response to Original message

16. For over 2 years now.

Love it!

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annabanana

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Wed Jun-10-09 09:10 PM
Response to Original message

17. I use it with my Mom in Arizona & my Sis in Colorado...

I love it. It's like visiting instead of just calling.

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ipaint

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Wed Jun-10-09 09:14 PM
Response to Original message

21. 4 years

4 years, no problems.

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burning rain

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Wed Jun-10-09 09:24 PM
Response to Original message

22. That is like so one point oh.

What you really need to do is get on Twitter like all the beautiful people. I Twitter and my hair looks great.

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dotymed

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Wed Jun-10-09 09:34 PM
Response to Reply #22

24. lol

I use "magicJack" and when I use their 411 it always
says "would you like to connect with skype?" I
always say no. Is it free?

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L. Coyote

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Wed Jun-10-09 09:37 PM
Response to Original message

25. Love Skype free teleconferencing with friends and family.

Don't set it up so they can employ your computer as part of their network.

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Metta

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Wed Jun-10-09 09:50 PM
Response to Original message

26. It's a pain. They change how to connect and they drop calls. Have a back up plan.

for when you make a call.

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tritsofme

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Wed Jun-10-09 09:54 PM
Response to Original message

27. I used it on my iPhone when I was Europe last month.

$3 for unlimited calls to the US.

You need wifi to make calls, but I avoided international roaming fees for the few calls I needed to make.

Worked great, I was very pleased.

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galileoreloaded

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Wed Jun-10-09 10:06 PM
Response to Original message

28. VERY secure........read this....

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/02/12/nsa_offers_billions_for_skype_pwnage/

Company is in Luxembourg on purpose I think. That and Uruguay/Paraguay have some of the strictest privacy controls in the world. You don't think the three are the money laundering capitals of the world for nothing do you???

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SharonAnn

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Wed Jun-10-09 10:31 PM
Response to Original message

31. Yes. Use it all the time to talk to family in South America.

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DBoon

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Wed Jun-10-09 10:59 PM
Response to Original message

33. the software is closed source

so an independent review of its security is very difficult.

You have to take their word that it is secure.

They DID put in a back door to allow the PRC to eavesdrop on Skype traffic:

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE49238X20081003

HONG KONG/BEIJING (Reuters) - Savvy Internet users in China began avoiding the version of Skype offered by its Chinese partner two years ago, but news it filtered and recorded text messages has sparked new worries about the global firm's commitment to privacy.

The U.S.-owned Web communications firm faces a backlash at home and in China for apparently allowing core principles to be compromised in order to meet the demands of Chinese censors, analysts warned.

"We may never know whether some of those people whose conversations were logged have gone to jail or have had their lives ruined in various ways as a result of this," said Rebecca MacKinnon, an Internet expert at Hong Kong University.

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Stinky The Clown

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Wed Jun-10-09 11:12 PM
Response to Original message

34. Yes, frequently

If you're doing Mac to Mac to Mac, use iChat. For free, you can do up to five simultaneous connections for a group call. Free Skype is one to one only.

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shellgame26

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Thu Jun-11-09 12:08 AM
Response to Original message

35. Yup

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