Skype To Take Action Against Reverse-Engineering

[droidhacker]

SIP is free, works, is standard, open, and yes, does video too.

So what is it we people should wake up to? A world where we can't make video calls to our friends and family without horribly troubling ourselves in the process? Uhm...let them think about it...ah, yes, I did tried the alternatives: they didn't work. So no, thanks, there's only one of them lives and I do want to live it.

But I appreciate the sense of humour. Attention everybody, from now on, in linux circles, Skype is to be tagged as a piece of Microsoft trash...

Having said this, I would love the reverse engineering efforts to fully achieve their goals.

PS. And what is it about Skype's linux client? Am I the lucky one for whom it works or what?

[yotambien]

SIP is free, works, is standard, open, and yes, does video too.

OK, perhaps things changed in the last three to four years. Tell me about this SIP based multiplatform package you have in mind that a) does voice, video and IM; b) it doesn't require me or my buddies (but specially my buddies) to know what NAT is; c) it works. I also hope signing up for a free SIP account is as easy as creating a Skype account, i.e. the software must not require me to look anything up.

So the winner is?

[droidhacker]

OK, perhaps things changed in the last three to four years. Tell me about this SIP based multiplatform package you have in mind that a) does voice, video and IM; b) it doesn't require me or my buddies (but specially my buddies) to know what NAT is; c) it works. I also hope signing up for a free SIP account is as easy as creating a Skype account, i.e. the software must not require me to look anything up.

So the winner is?

You don't need a multi-platform solution. You need a SIP client for whatever platform YOU use. Let everybody else worry about their own platforms. There are TONS of SIP clients. Ekiga is one (which, yes, supports VIDEO)... and yes, ekiga DOES offer free accounts... and IS multi-platform.

NO, SIP does NOT require you to even HAVE an account with any retarded provider. It happens to also be perfectly happy running PEER-TO-PEER, so you know the IP address of whoever you're calling? Or their DDNS address? Then dial their IP.

And no, you don't need to know anything about NAT. At least not when you're using a registrar OR a router with phone ports (which obviously understands SIP and deals with your routing).


Edit: Free SIP account: https://www.ekiga.net/?page=register

[yotambien]

You don't need a multi-platform solution. You need a SIP client for whatever platform YOU use. Let everybody else worry about their own platforms. There are TONS of SIP clients. Ekiga is one (which, yes, supports VIDEO)... and yes, ekiga DOES offer free accounts... and IS multi-platform.

NO, SIP does NOT require you to even HAVE an account with any retarded provider. It happens to also be perfectly happy running PEER-TO-PEER, so you know the IP address of whoever you're calling? Or their DDNS address? Then dial their IP.

And no, you don't need to know anything about NAT. At least not when you're using a registrar OR a router with phone ports (which obviously understands SIP and deals with your routing).


Edit: Free SIP account: https://www.ekiga.net/?page=register

Of course I need a multi-platform solution, sometimes I'm on linux and sometimes on windows XP, Vista or whatever I happen to have in my hands. Also, it's pretty disingenuous to suggest that I can tell my family and friends to look up anything about SIP, let alone mentioning "registrar" or "phone ports". Ekiga was absolutely unsatisfactory on linux when I tried it. On Windows it was useless. And yes, it required me to do stuff to make it through the routers.

So again, what is this far superior to Skype software you are talking about?

[droidhacker]

Of course I need a multi-platform solution, sometimes I'm on linux and sometimes on windows XP, Vista or whatever I happen to have in my hands. Also, it's pretty disingenuous to suggest that I can tell my family and friends to look up anything about SIP, let alone mentioning "registrar" or "phone ports". Ekiga was absolutely unsatisfactory on linux when I tried it. On Windows it was useless. And yes, it required me to do stuff to make it through the routers.

So again, what is this far superior to Skype software you are talking about?

Well, for those who have a hard time clicking the setup button and following instructions, I can see how if may not work satisfactorily... unfortunately for you, if you can't install ekiga, you also can't install skype. Sucks to be you.

[yotambien]

Well, for those who have a hard time clicking the setup button and following instructions, I can see how if may not work satisfactorily... unfortunately for you, if you can't install ekiga, you also can't install skype. Sucks to be you.

Uuuuuh. I guess you won.

[porl]

<put on your foil hat now>
i honestly wonder if this is an action by microsoft to 'suggest' to the skype management to try to discourage people from reverse engineering the protocol before the buyout completes.

once microsoft has it they won't be able to stop people reverse engineering it due to the restrictions placed on them (hence the opening of the smb protocols etc when forced to in court).

if not, it might be skype's intention that the protocol remains 'secret' and 'exclusive' so microsoft doesn't lose interest (not sure if the proceedings of the buyout have passed the point of no return or not)

just a couple of thoughts. you can now remove your hats