<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif">Hence my apology for the rant below. I should have been a bit more complete, my video comms are with folks up to 81 yo speaking English, German, Lowlands German, Spanish and Guarani. A real PITA reaching out to these folks in Brasil, Paraguay, Germany and Mexico and asking them to change over to another video messaging platform, especially when I(Linux platform) I am the most affected.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif">The Wire looks real promising, had no idea it existed, presumably all the red before my eyes, mebbe?</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif">Now to figure how to get them folks to change over. Thanks for the heads up Keefer C. Rourke, and your feedback on it. I will go play.<br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><br></div></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br clear="all"><div><div class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature">Thanks,<br><br>Ron Singh<br>"in transit, via mobile comm device"</div></div>
<br><div class="gmail_quote">On Sat, Nov 25, 2017 at 11:11 PM, Keefer Rourke <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:mail@krourke.org" target="_blank">mail@krourke.org</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div>Hey all,<br>
<br>
While it's all well and good to rant about proprietary software, it's better to find replacements and encourage others to make the switch as well. Skype on a whole is pretty crappy software, and its famous for crappy call quality.<br>
<br>
One such replacement was mentioned (Discord) which is also proprietary and mostly focused at gamer audio chat... but a better anologue to Skype may be Wire [1].<br>
<br>
Wire has open-source clients on all major platforms, is Linux friendly (distro-agnostic with AppImage), easy to use, and has excellent call quality. They also just recently open-sourced their server [2] and will be providing self-hosting instructions soon! Their hosted version is quite fine though and I've never really had a problem with call quality, video is usually crisp (network allowing), audio never falters, etc.<br>
<br>
I've completely replaced Skype with it, and convincing others to switch isn't hard either (usually people tend to be pretty accommodating if they know there are issues with some software platform or another, and signing up for another account these days is just something people tend to do without thinking anyway).<br>
<br>
Links:<br>
[1] <a href="https://wire.com/en" target="_blank">https://wire.com/en</a><br>
[2] <a href="https://github.com/wireapp/wire-server" target="_blank">https://github.com/wireapp/<wbr>wire-server</a><br>
<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On November 25, 2017 8:00:10 PM EST, Ron Singh <<a href="mailto:ronsingh149@gmail.com" target="_blank">ronsingh149@gmail.com</a>> wrote:<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex">
<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif">Look at this GEM of a response from an MS tech staff --</div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif">"<span style="color:rgb(0,0,255)"><a class="m_-3670164603355935736m_-8862228163575694483gmail-c-hyperlink m_-3670164603355935736m_-8862228163575694483gmail-message-user-info-link m_-3670164603355935736m_-8862228163575694483gmail-user-name-show-white-space" href="https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/profile/91e5e6e6-2254-4182-9537-93fbc222b012" id="m_-3670164603355935736m_-8862228163575694483gmail-message-username-link" title="Rhiza_E" target="_blank">Rhiza_E</a>
<span class="m_-3670164603355935736m_-8862228163575694483gmail-asking-text">
replied on
</span>
</span><div class="m_-3670164603355935736m_-8862228163575694483gmail-thread-message-content-user-info"><div class="m_-3670164603355935736m_-8862228163575694483gmail-message-user-info"><div class="m_-3670164603355935736m_-8862228163575694483gmail-message-user-info-text-and-badge"><div class="m_-3670164603355935736m_-8862228163575694483gmail-message-user-info-affiliations">
<span style="color:rgb(0,0,255)"><span class="m_-3670164603355935736m_-8862228163575694483gmail-c-badge m_-3670164603355935736m_-8862228163575694483gmail-f-lowlight m_-3670164603355935736m_-8862228163575694483gmail-f-small m_-3670164603355935736m_-8862228163575694483gmail-user-affiliation-Microsoft" title="Microsoft">Microsoft</span></span>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div><span style="color:rgb(0,0,255)">
</span><div class="m_-3670164603355935736m_-8862228163575694483gmail-thread-message-content-body-text m_-3670164603355935736m_-8862228163575694483gmail-thread-full-message">
<p><span style="color:rgb(0,0,255)">Hi 52ROSt,</span></p>
<p><span style="color:rgb(0,0,255)">Apparently, automatic log in when your PC starts is not supported in
the new Skype for Windows, Mac and Linux - you always have to log in
with your Skype account credentials. Meanwhile, you can share us your
feedback
<a href="https://go.skype.com/feedback?lang=en&tag=The%20new%20Skype%20for%20Windows,%20Mac%20and%20Linux&p=-2&e=FA34778" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">
here.</a> </span></p>
<p><span style="color:rgb(0,0,255)">Please let us know if you have other questions.</span></p>
</div><span style="color:rgb(0,0,255)">
<span class="m_-3670164603355935736m_-8862228163575694483gmail-thread-message-content-body-signature">Rhiza_E<br>Skype Community Moderator</span></span></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><span class="m_-3670164603355935736m_-8862228163575694483gmail-thread-message-content-body-signature"><br></span></div><div class="gmail_extra"><div style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif" class="gmail_default">How it is possible for any company to release a version that is essentially broken is so many ways is really quite beyond me. <br></div><div style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif" class="gmail_default">Yep, even on the 5.5 Beta, one has to punch in one's sudo password (key ring) before Skype will login.<br></div><br></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br clear="all"><div><div class="m_-3670164603355935736m_-8862228163575694483gmail_signature">Thanks,<br><br>Ron Singh<br>"in transit, via mobile comm device"</div></div>
<br><div class="gmail_quote">On Sat, Nov 25, 2017 at 6:43 PM, Ron Singh <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:ronsingh149@gmail.com" target="_blank">ronsingh149@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0px 0px 0px 0.8ex;border-left:1px solid rgb(204,204,204);padding-left:1ex"><div dir="ltr"><div style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif">I use Skype a lot. <br></div><div style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><br></div><div style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif">I depend on Skype for video comm with my kin, with clients and IT suppliers.<br></div><div style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><br></div><div style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif">On Windows, Skype 5.x was excellent in terms of reliability, clean layout and easy of use.</div><div style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif">I ditched Windows some 10 months ago and went all Linux, using Skype 4.3 sourced from LM's software repo<br></div><div style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif">On Linux, Skype 4.3 was excellent in terms of reliability, clean layout and easy of use..</div><div style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif">On Linux, Skype 5.x BETA was barely acceptable in terms of reliability, clean layout and easy of use..</div><div style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><br></div><div style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif">I did the upgrade to Skype 8.11(X220 laptop with LM 18.1 Xfce) yesterday and man, that was just a huge mistake -- issues pop up with many much-needed configuration features removed.</div><div style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><br></div><div style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif">Most tellingly, upon boot-up and launching Skype 8.11, only the outline of Skype can be seen on the desktop, nothing can be clicked on since the outline just showed the contents of one's desktop. Only on minimizing to tray and then un-minimizing or full-screening will bring up the proper "Open Skype" page in all it's glory. <br></div><div style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><br></div><div style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif">I decided to purge the laptop of Skype 8.11 and tried again on other laptops running LM 18.1, LM18.2 and Fedora 27, same thing. Same issue. <br></div><div style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif">I have used old firmware, new firmware, 4.4LTS, 4.11, 4.13 kernels, but yeah, same thing, same issue. <br></div><div style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif">Every OS tried was a bare metal install, no VMs involved.<br></div><div style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><br></div><div style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif">Through tear-filled eyes full of rage, I grabbed the 5.5.0.1 SkypeforLinux Beta from here:</div><div style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><a href="https://repo.skype.com/deb/pool/main/s/skypeforlinux/" target="_blank">https://repo.skype.com/deb/poo<wbr>l/main/s/skypeforlinux/</a><br></div><div style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif">and re-installed 5.5 Skype and now I am able to usefully Skype my behind off again, feebly trying to ignore it's tablet-y interface.<br></div><div style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><br></div><div style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif">In a perfect world, I would ditch Skype and use something like Discord and get on with it, but I need to communicate with with over 2 dozen folks via video-chat and the only common denominator for them all is Skype. Sure looks like nothing like this exists or will ever exist. <br></div><div style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><br></div><div style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif">In an even more perfect world, MS would release the SkypeforLinux source to be worked on by the Linux community, but that's for an alternate reality.<br></div><div style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><br></div><div style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif">Sorry about the rant, just wanted to sound off a bit.<br></div><div style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><br></div><div style="font-family:tahoma,sans-serif"><br clear="all"></div><div><div class="m_-3670164603355935736m_-8862228163575694483gmail-m_4969471280784958844gmail_signature">Thanks,<br><br>Ron Singh<br>"<div>calming down with a glass of win"</div></div></div>
</div>
</blockquote></div><br></div></div><span class="HOEnZb"><font color="#888888">
</font></span></blockquote></div><span class="HOEnZb"><font color="#888888"><br>
-- <br>
Regards,<br>
Keefer C. Rourke<br>
<br>
Sent from my Android device with K-9 Mail. Please excuse my brevity.</font></span></div><br>______________________________<wbr>_________________<br>
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