Are You On Skype?

[MiG16]

Skype allows people you dont know to contact you. I have just got this chick who got in contact.

Not sure if i like that.

I wont do it again jock...but it said u are a star so I thought.......

[Jockstar]

umm, you just search contacts on Skype e.g. a search for English speaking females in Bangkok aged 20-23 years turns up 50 profiles.

[Briggsy]

If I change the mode to "Skype me" I am bombarded with calls and messages. In plain "Online" status, I get the odd message. It always seems to be from a Thai. I reply "What do you want?" and then they get angry. Obviously I don't get this chatting business.

I use Skype to call The UK but I almost always have the same problem. After a short while, the other person cannot hear me. I asked the Help Desk but I just got an automatic reply telling me to download the latest update. I don't want to do this while I still have credit. So I just go back to using my mobile at 8 Baht a minute.

[penguin]

I asked the Help Desk but I just got an automatic reply telling me to download the latest update. I don't want to do this while I still have credit.

You don't lose your credit by updating so give it a try as maybe it will fix the problem.

Jockstar, you should see how many 80 and 90 year old females use Skype

[markuk]

Has anyone got more than 1 PC 2 PC Skype a/c for private & business calls?

yes i have this configuration 2 skype accounts running at the same time.

If i remember rightly you create another user account on your pc then you create a shortcut to skype on your main desktop but name it differently to your main skype

Open your first account normally and log in, then right click your (new) shortcut and select "run as" then select the extra user account you have and it should run.

Something like this anyway a google search should bring something for you.

[coldcrush]

Is viopdiscount the same as this, as I am about to set it up?

Thanks

[kalaminsa]

Is viopdiscount the same as this, as I am about to set it up?

Thanks

No voipdiscount and skype are even spelled differently !

[coldcrush]

Is viopdiscount the same as this, as I am about to set it up?

Thanks

No voipdiscount and skype are even spelled differently !

Read what I was asking before commenting, it helps.... I was asking does it have the same problem with people being able to contact you who are unknown? Nice but dim....

[meadish_sweetball]

I havent entered any personal details and chose a boring nick, and never use the 'SkypeMe' setting. Seems to work.

[johnRS]

Skype hasn't workoed on either True or KSC for past 48 hours. At least 5 other experiencing the same.

Anybody else having difficulties?

[RKASA]

Saw on google news that skyp is down for two days with problem

edit link http://www.zdnet.com.au/news/communication...39281261,00.htm

Edited August 17, 2007 by RKASA

[Tywais]

Seems to be back up now for me. Though the number on-line is only around 2 million where I usually see around 7 million.

[pattyboy]

I would not recommend running Skype all the time, anyway. I only run Skype when I'm making (or expecting) a call because (and this is probably not very well known) it uses your computer and some of your bandwidth to help service the whole Skype community. have you every read their user agreement, especially this little clause?

4.1 Permission to utilize Your computer. In order to receive the benefits provided by the Skype Software, you hereby grant permission for the Skype Software to utilize the processor and bandwidth of Your computer for the limited purpose of facilitating the communication between You and other Skype Software users.

What this means (from my research and understanding) is that when Skype is sitting "idle" it 's using some of your bandwidth (and apparently your CPU) to help it do its business - help others make calls. Come on, I've got TOT ADSL for God's sake, so I sure as hel_l can't afford to share any of my measly bandwidth with Skype.

There seems to be quite a bit of info showing up about this, and I intend to do some more research, so I'll update if I find anything more to say about it. In the mean time, if anybody has a different impression of how Skype uses my computer and, or bandwidth, please let us know.

[Guest Reimar]

I would not recommend running Skype all the time, anyway. I only run Skype when I'm making (or expecting) a call because (and this is probably not very well known) it uses your computer and some of your bandwidth to help service the whole Skype community. have you every read their user agreement, especially this little clause?

4.1 Permission to utilize Your computer. In order to receive the benefits provided by the Skype Software, you hereby grant permission for the Skype Software to utilize the processor and bandwidth of Your computer for the limited purpose of facilitating the communication between You and other Skype Software users.

What this means (from my research and understanding) is that when Skype is sitting "idle" it 's using some of your bandwidth (and apparently your CPU) to help it do its business - help others make calls. Come on, I've got TOT ADSL for God's sake, so I sure as hel_l can't afford to share any of my measly bandwidth with Skype.

There seems to be quite a bit of info showing up about this, and I intend to do some more research, so I'll update if I find anything more to say about it. In the mean time, if anybody has a different impression of how Skype uses my computer and, or bandwidth, please let us know.

Hey come on and serious: P2P (skype is P2P as well) means that you take something and you've to give something! For my opinion that's nothing else but fair!

You take the service from Skype for to call or chat to others on the net for free and for a small charge to call to landlines and you expect that you don't need to give something back? That has nothing to do with your Internet connection because this is a complete different business!

I doing alot of calls via Skype and save alot money! Why I shouldn't give other humans the same chance? It's just a little what you do if you let Skype running and cost you final: How much? 2 or 5% of your Internet time/connection speed?

If you not happy with Skype or with the rules from Skype, why you not just cancle your account and use the official Telephone? You've signed a contract in the same moment you accepted the rules while signing up with skype and that was you very own personal decission! So stand for it and don't complain later on! Or you like it if someone sign a contract with you and than just break that contract because he don't like something from your rules?

Even don't forget that the service Skype is doing for free cost money as well! And who is paying for it? You ever know how expensive just Internet time is on that scale Skype is using? May you do a research for that all before you start complaining and than think about your self and how to you would cover the "cost" if you doing the same!

Nothing is free in this and your life, even not the death you have to pay with your life for!

Think not about yourself only, think about others which on the same position as yourself and than take a look in the mirror and tell: I DON'T WANT TO HELP YOU!

[ozzydom]

So are any of you on skype? I'd imagine that quite a few are. But thats not the problem. Skype allows people you dont know to contact you. I have just got this chick who got in contact. It did ask do you want this person to see when you are on line. I'd had a few beers and thought it was messenger and not skype and i also thought i recognised the address. Anyway no worries yet. Just wondered have any of you been invited to be in contact etc? So basically anyone can say hello and be in contact. Not sure if i like that. But then again i didnt need to accept. Though i blame working too hard and a few beers. Any stories?

Told you what might happen if you insist in wearing that mini-kilt in Oz mate.

Cheers

Ozzy

[gzu88bv]

Skype hasn't workoed on either True or KSC for past 48 hours. At least 5 other experiencing the same.

Anybody else having difficulties?

I am with TOT and Skype still does have some difficulties. However it is improving from hour to hour and by the evening we might be back

to normal.

Apparently they used for their P2P a loophole that Microsoft just closed with the recent update.

[jackspratt]

TOT as well (in Udon). Keeps dropping out and then reconnecting.

[Jockstar]

So are any of you on skype? I'd imagine that quite a few are. But thats not the problem. Skype allows people you dont know to contact you. I have just got this chick who got in contact. It did ask do you want this person to see when you are on line. I'd had a few beers and thought it was messenger and not skype and i also thought i recognised the address. Anyway no worries yet. Just wondered have any of you been invited to be in contact etc? So basically anyone can say hello and be in contact. Not sure if i like that. But then again i didnt need to accept. Though i blame working too hard and a few beers. Any stories?

Told you what might happen if you insist in wearing that mini-kilt in Oz mate.

Cheers

Ozzy

Such an old thread of mine resurected! Anyway Ozzydom. Where you been? Moved from CM? BTW its not a mini kilt. Its just that i dangle below my normal one.

[RKASA]

I followed the posting to learn alittle about skype, because I don't use it. Is it like Yahoo, MSN masseger in that you get free Pc PC call, Video Conf. call Pc PC free, IM, File sharing folders. and for a charge PC to moble or fixed telephone location. I use that because all the relatives are on it aready, but other then the feeding of ads in a small window when its on it does not use any bandwidth for other users. Is there some other advanage to skype over yahoo and MSN?

edit forgot to add: I never get any kind of contect from persons not on a contact list, no spam.

Edited August 17, 2007 by RKASA

[chinthee]

Skype has gotta be the most useful business tool ever invented. I just keep my setting to "invisible" at all times and those who contact me regularly know this so they just send me a quick chat to see if I'm available. I've used the conference call feauture many times and it works great...and free if to other Skype users. I also use the Skype out to call any other phones worldwide. One great feature is that you can call any toll free number in any country for free as long as you want. Sometimes it's spotty if the other person has a crapppy internet connection.

[think_too_mut]

Skype has gotta be the most useful business tool ever invented.

So useful that is banned from most of large companies, installing it on a company supplied PC is a sackable offense.

It "tunnels" anything fed through it, impossible to intercept and detect viruses. In my company a snoop goes around several times a day and checks if it (or anything non standard) is installed on each of tens of thousands of PCs. If it is, a manager of the person who did it gets alerted ...second alert...and gone.

In Japan, for about 30US$ per month one can (and most ppl do) have unlimited ADSL 100MBps, including land line phone calls from that number (Yahoo BB assigns an IP phone number that goes through regular NTT lines).

I call Thailand both land and wife's mobile several times a day and have never ever had to pay a cent for my phone over last 4 years.

Little wonder I don't have Skype installed - removed it after helping a friend test his.

[Thaising]

Skype's down. The popular VoIP service went down sometime late Wednesday night or early Thursday morning.

The outage is affecting users worldwide and Skype says it'll need 12-24 hours to get the problem fixed. That means this may be the farthest-reaching and longest-lasting outage in Skype's history. Skype says it now has almost 220 million accounts, and that 5 million to 6 million are usually logged in at any one time. Skype has become hugely popular among people who need to make frequent international calls.

Skype isn't saying much in the way of explanation, only that it's experiencing "software problems". Andy over at VoipWatch speculates the outage may be caused by a user authentification issue, because users who were logged into Skype when the problem occurred were able to stay logged in. Users trying to log in now are either rejected or booted from the system after only a few minutes.

Tom Keating speculates that the large number of Windows Vista and XP service patches that went out yesterday may have disrupted Skype's peer-to-peer (P2P) network. Skype uses the PCs of its users as peering points to route the incoming and outgoing calls of other users in the area. Om Malik wonders how reliable such P2P networks really are.

On the whole, the system has worked pretty reliably. Skype had a short outage in 2004, another short one in 2005 and none reported in 2006. The current outage is the first one reported in 2007.

[Thaising]

Skype Restores Service

A Skype outage appears to be over nearly 14 hours after a log-in problem shut out many users.

A log-in problem that shut many users out of Skype Ltd.'s popular VoIP service for nearly 14 hours appears to be over, but the company said more work remains to be done.

At 3:53 a.m. GMT, Skype seemed to be operating normally, with users in Asia able to log in, view their contact lists, place calls, and send messages. However, there was no official confirmation on Skype's Heartbeat blog that the glitch responsible for the log-in problem had been resolved.

"We're fixing issues in our networking software and monitoring the clients getting online with increased success," the company said in a blog post at 4:00 a.m. GMT.

News of the Skype outage first came at around 2:00 p.m. GMT on Thursday, when the company announced that a "software issue" was preventing users from logging into the VoIP (voice over Internet Protocol) service and said the problem was expected to be fixed within 12 to 24 hours. Eight hours later, the company's engineers were still working on the problem.

"The Skype system has not crashed or been victim of a cyber attack," the company said in a post published at 10 p.m. GMT on Thursday.

Skype said the problem was the result of a "deficiency in an algorithm within Skype networking software." The problem was related to the interaction between a Skype client and the rest of Skype's peer-to-peer network, it said.

At 2:15 a.m. GMT on Friday -- 12 hours after the log-in problem emerged -- Skype had still not fixed the problem, but said progress was being made.

"We feel that we are on the right track to bring back services to normal," the company said in a post.

Shortly after that notice was published, some Asian users reported being able to once again log in to Skype.

[chinthee]

Yes, I hadn't noticed but all my contacts are showing x's. Although it's still showing my status as invisible. I haven't tried using it since Weds.

[pattyboy]

I would not recommend running Skype all the time, anyway. I only run Skype when I'm making (or expecting) a call because (and this is probably not very well known) it uses your computer and some of your bandwidth to help service the whole Skype community. have you every read their user agreement, especially this little clause?

4.1 Permission to utilize Your computer. In order to receive the benefits provided by the Skype Software, you hereby grant permission for the Skype Software to utilize the processor and bandwidth of Your computer for the limited purpose of facilitating the communication between You and other Skype Software users.

What this means (from my research and understanding) is that when Skype is sitting "idle" it 's using some of your bandwidth (and apparently your CPU) to help it do its business - help others make calls. Come on, I've got TOT ADSL for God's sake, so I sure as hel_l can't afford to share any of my measly bandwidth with Skype.

There seems to be quite a bit of info showing up about this, and I intend to do some more research, so I'll update if I find anything more to say about it. In the mean time, if anybody has a different impression of how Skype uses my computer and, or bandwidth, please let us know.

Hey come on and serious: P2P (skype is P2P as well) means that you take something and you've to give something! For my opinion that's nothing else but fair!

You take the service from Skype for to call or chat to others on the net for free and for a small charge to call to landlines and you expect that you don't need to give something back? That has nothing to do with your Internet connection because this is a complete different business!

I doing alot of calls via Skype and save alot money! Why I shouldn't give other humans the same chance? It's just a little what you do if you let Skype running and cost you final: How much? 2 or 5% of your Internet time/connection speed?

If you not happy with Skype or with the rules from Skype, why you not just cancle your account and use the official Telephone? You've signed a contract in the same moment you accepted the rules while signing up with skype and that was you very own personal decission! So stand for it and don't complain later on! Or you like it if someone sign a contract with you and than just break that contract because he don't like something from your rules?

Even don't forget that the service Skype is doing for free cost money as well! And who is paying for it? You ever know how expensive just Internet time is on that scale Skype is using? May you do a research for that all before you start complaining and than think about your self and how to you would cover the "cost" if you doing the same!

Nothing is free in this and your life, even not the death you have to pay with your life for!

Think not about yourself only, think about others which on the same position as yourself and than take a look in the mirror and tell: I DON'T WANT TO HELP YOU!

I can't believe the bitter tone of this reply. Why do you interpret my post as a complaint? I'm only pointing out something about Skype that many people might not know. I pay for a 1024/512 TOT ADSL line and usually get a fraction of what I'm paying for, a situation it seems that many other forum members are in. I, like many other members, have not been able to get TOT to do anything about it, and TOT is the only game in my neighborhood. As for Skype, I'm not bitching about the way they do do business, I pay for Skype (Call Out) so that I can phone N.A. for a measly 80 stang/min (That, by the way is one of the ways they make money.) I'm certainly not saying not to use Skype. In fact, I have recommended it in a couple of posts. Sure, if you have good bandwidth leave it on, but unfortunately I don't, and other people who don't may want to know this.

Although tempted, I won't make further comment about your reply, except to say that I really think it was unduly harsh.

Edited August 17, 2007 by pattyboy

[draggons]

Still down with me.

[Guest Reimar]

pattyboy Posted Today, 2007-08-17 17:38:20

I can't believe the bitter tone of this reply. Why do you interpret my post as a complaint? I'm only pointing out something about Skype that many people might not know. I pay for a 1024/512 TOT ADSL line and usually get a fraction of what I'm paying for, a situation it seems that many other forum members are in. I, like many other members, have not been able to get TOT to do anything about it, and TOT is the only game in my neighborhood. As for Skype, I'm not bitching about the way they do do business, I pay for Skype (Call Out) so that I can phone N.A. for a measly 80 stang/min (That, by the way is one of the ways they make money.) I'm certainly not saying not to use Skype. In fact, I have recommended it in a couple of posts. Sure, if you have good bandwidth leave it on, but unfortunately I don't, and other people who don't may want to know this.

Although tempted, I won't make further comment about your reply, except to say that I really think it was unduly harsh.

It's not a "bitter" tone but excuse me if I haven't found the "right" words!

My Intention to wrote my answer was about a very "common" fact: Take but not give back!

Fact is that many user's, not on TV only but around the world, want to get everything but not pay back! It listen maybe hard in first moment but think a bit deeper: What is meaning with pay back? It must not be money it can be service, or like about this post: computer and internet time! Other (many) Users of Skype around the world open their computer for the service for Skype and that is just as a kind of Data Gateway. Others using this service but don't need to pay for it except in value Computer and Internet time!

If I using a service from someone, I must be ready to pay for this service in which value ever. At the same moment I signing a contract, I should have read the fine print to first because with my sign I accept even this fine print and take it over and agree to it. If I don't agree to it, I have to cancle the contract. Is that easy!

No one like to pay and I even don't like to pay for everything but if I sign a contract with someone I'll stand to this contract. And I also accept critics from other members of the same contract based service if I didn't full fill this contract!

But to blame another company on one hand and stop my "services" on the other hand, that's much different. What Skype has to do with the service from TOTY? Nothing! So, why you want to supend "your service" to Skype while your real "destination" should (must) be TOT? That's unfair to use very soft words!

OK, Skype make money with Skype Out and other services. But they don't need to make money? They have to do like TV makes money with Advertisments and others. To get system like Skype up and running cost a fortune! What they "losing" in times like the last 24+ hours is even alot!

So and you paying 80 stang for a min. intl. call which means you really use the service from Skype! How much a call would cost for you if you use the cheapest possible calls from Thailand? Minimum 6 Baht a min and up to 50+ Baht! You safe alot money with Skype calls but you don't want Skype to use your system for to cover a very small part of them cost which cost you just a part of % you pay to Skype?

I've sniffer programs running on my system and the amount of bandwith related to skype connection for the time being I dont call out to any computer or landline is nearly 0%.

Do you run a Torrent Client on your computer? If you do you'll find out that this clients using min. 20% of your Internet service at the time the client is running even if you don't donw- or upload, jut on idle otherwise the rate is much higher!

So before you suggest to stop services for Skype I would suggest you check to first the real figures and real "cost" you have!

Don't go wrong, this is nothing personal but about services and business!

[pattyboy]

pattyboy Posted Today, 2007-08-17 17:38:20

I can't believe the bitter tone of this reply. Why do you interpret my post as a complaint? I'm only pointing out something about Skype that many people might not know. I pay for a 1024/512 TOT ADSL line and usually get a fraction of what I'm paying for, a situation it seems that many other forum members are in. I, like many other members, have not been able to get TOT to do anything about it, and TOT is the only game in my neighborhood. As for Skype, I'm not bitching about the way they do do business, I pay for Skype (Call Out) so that I can phone N.A. for a measly 80 stang/min (That, by the way is one of the ways they make money.) I'm certainly not saying not to use Skype. In fact, I have recommended it in a couple of posts. Sure, if you have good bandwidth leave it on, but unfortunately I don't, and other people who don't may want to know this.

Although tempted, I won't make further comment about your reply, except to say that I really think it was unduly harsh.

It's not a "bitter" tone but excuse me if I haven't found the "right" words!

My Intention to wrote my answer was about a very "common" fact: Take but not give back!

Fact is that many user's, not on TV only but around the world, want to get everything but not pay back! It listen maybe hard in first moment but think a bit deeper: What is meaning with pay back? It must not be money it can be service, or like about this post: computer and internet time! Other (many) Users of Skype around the world open their computer for the service for Skype and that is just as a kind of Data Gateway. Others using this service but don't need to pay for it except in value Computer and Internet time!

If I using a service from someone, I must be ready to pay for this service in which value ever. At the same moment I signing a contract, I should have read the fine print to first because with my sign I accept even this fine print and take it over and agree to it. If I don't agree to it, I have to cancle the contract. Is that easy!

No one like to pay and I even don't like to pay for everything but if I sign a contract with someone I'll stand to this contract. And I also accept critics from other members of the same contract based service if I didn't full fill this contract!

But to blame another company on one hand and stop my "services" on the other hand, that's much different. What Skype has to do with the service from TOTY? Nothing! So, why you want to supend "your service" to Skype while your real "destination" should (must) be TOT? That's unfair to use very soft words!

OK, Skype make money with Skype Out and other services. But they don't need to make money? They have to do like TV makes money with Advertisments and others. To get system like Skype up and running cost a fortune! What they "losing" in times like the last 24+ hours is even alot!

So and you paying 80 stang for a min. intl. call which means you really use the service from Skype! How much a call would cost for you if you use the cheapest possible calls from Thailand? Minimum 6 Baht a min and up to 50+ Baht! You safe alot money with Skype calls but you don't want Skype to use your system for to cover a very small part of them cost which cost you just a part of % you pay to Skype?

I've sniffer programs running on my system and the amount of bandwith related to skype connection for the time being I dont call out to any computer or landline is nearly 0%.

Do you run a Torrent Client on your computer? If you do you'll find out that this clients using min. 20% of your Internet service at the time the client is running even if you don't donw- or upload, jut on idle otherwise the rate is much higher!

So before you suggest to stop services for Skype I would suggest you check to first the real figures and real "cost" you have!

Don't go wrong, this is nothing personal but about services and business!

I understand your points here and don't dispute them. As I said, I don't have a problem with the way P2P works. If I were to voice a complaint, it would be against TOT for not giving me enough of the bandwidth I pay for so that I can contribute. Although Skype takes up only a small percentage of one's computer and internet resources, I get so little bandwidth from TOT, I just don't feel I can help my Skype P2P community in that way at this time. Sorry if you think it's wrong. I understand the general workings and benefits of the P2P community and always seed any torrents to at least a 1 to 1.1 ratio, even if takes many days.

You mention the contract and seem to be saying that I have to have Skype running all the time I'm connected to the internet. I admit that I probably didn't read the user agreement in great detail, and if that is part of my obligation for using Skype software, I may reconsider continuing my account, (I hope not. As i said, I like Skype)

But getting back to the original topic of this thread, I also don't like to run Skype when I'm not using it because I don't really like receiving calls and chat windows occasionally popping up when I'm working on something, especially when it needs a lot of concentration. I really don't think we have any disagreement, in general, I just found that your first reply misinterpreted my message, and I was jumped on when it wasn't warranted. I hope with this, we can conclude this discussion on an amicable note. Take care.

Edited August 17, 2007 by pattyboy

[Tony Clifton]

I can't wait 'til they fix Skype so I can call Nigeria and collect the millions promised in 5 emails I've received today.

[Guest Reimar]

I can't wait 'til they fix Skype so I can call Nigeria and collect the millions promised in 5 emails I've received today.

Hey Tony now you can call Nigeria because Skype is back online!