[kwlug-disc] Dump skype on Monday night

[Steven Blatchford]

On 14:50 Mon 06 Jun, unsolicited wrote:
>Khalid Baheyeldin wrote, On 06/06/2011 2:06 PM:
>>On Mon, Jun 6, 2011 at 2:03 PM, Paul Nijjar <paul_nijjar at yahoo.ca>
>>wrote:
>>
>>>On Sun, Jun 05, 2011 at 10:25:24AM -0700, John Kerr wrote:
>>>>Perhaps some of us may want to try setting up Skype
>>>>alternatives with our
>>>
>>>Laptops.
>>>
>>
>>The main issue with whichever Skype alternative is that you have to
>>convince all your friends and family to switch to another product. Critical
>>mass, social hurdle, ...etc.
>
>Perhaps dumb questions, but:
>
>1. There are Skype alternatives?
>- for the moment, let's ignore the client and talk about the backbone.
>- i.e. To Khalid's point, presumably the alternative has to have a
>solid, wide-ranging presence - if we're to convince those we talk to
>to consider trying the alternative. What might they be - google?
>(Given Android?)
>
>2. Why switch from Skype?
>- I get that MS has purchased Skype - have there been any intimations
>or news of 'nefariousness'?
>

Not totally related, but one could just use voip.  Call IP to IP or if
needed IP out the telco network.  I use linphone.

Going further off-topic, one could use My5 Canada to get a dial tone
from a voip provider and then dial out from there.  There are calling
card apps for blackberry, maemo etc to automate this.

-steve