"ßødincµs²°°°" <this.em@il.is.invalid> wrote in message
news:MPG.1fcf23ae8a65b84b9896f1@text.news.blueyond er.co.uk...
> Recently, RH popped out over the fence
> around uk.telecom.voip and said...
> |Traditional SIP is problematic due to ports which need to be open and
> |routing of these ports
> |where as SKYPE is designed go through firewall systems.
> So, if something exploits a hole or circumvents a protection is good
> because it fits your scope? What the h... "I don't care about anything,
> I need this and that's it". A responsible and sensible approach, my
> compliments.
>
> |Not all universities are against skype being run by students
> Name one that's NOT against it.

I googled it it and found a few, true not as many as those which have banned
it, but some are happy amyway

> Missed the point, is the BUSINESS MODEL that's flawed. Let me help you
> with another example: Skype is a proprietary application, with an
> enclosed user base, with no interaction between it and other Instant
> Messengers. Even Yahoo and Microsoft are now letting people on their IMs
> to "cross the fence" and talk to each other, whereas Skype doesn't. Oh,
> remember that both Yahoo messenger and MSN Messenger DO voice chat, but
> none of them pretend to be a VoIP communication system.
> Why colossus like Microsoft and Yahoo are "converging" and Skype is
> stuck on its own? Can you see the point at the end of the tunnel?
> Also, Skype is NOT the cheapest real time voice communication system,
> both because the equipment needed is more expensive to own and to run (a
> PC, or the latest Skype enabled WiFi terminals) against a router and a
> basic wired phone, the calls tariffs aren't cheap either, and the
> services are expensive (an incoming landline number is WAY more
> expensive on Skype than with the average SIP provider).

IMHO yahoo and MSN are cross connecting because of SKYPE's business model.
They relise
that skype is so far ahead, that they will be left behind if the only
competitors are lots of smaller units.
Not best for customers maybe, but if SKYPE was integrated with others then
people using msn or yahoo would have no need to install and run SKYPE

I am sorry but Skype is way cheaper than other VOIP systems, a couple ofquid
for a headset is all that most people use, true thecomputer has to be on,
but you keep missing the point that skype users are happy with this, skype
users on the whole are not looking for a phone replacement system just a
cheap and easy to use system when they are on the computer.

Got to agree skype out costs are not the cheapest, but from a business point
of view if skype makes a decent profit, it is earnered. You also have to
remember that as skype is the biggest VOIP service around that a lot of
people they will call will be on skype already, in my case I have lots of
friends and family on skype (through no prompting from me) but know only 6
or so on VOIP and only 2 of which on the same network or can be called via
free cross network calls

> How could you be so wrong, it's impossible to say. I can do THE SAME
> with a free SIP phone software on my laptop wherever you can do your
> things with Skype.
> The SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) takes care of everything, you
> don't have to configure a firewall to go through, except where the
> administrator EXPRESSLY is blocking outgoing traffic of any nature.
> Any stateful inspection firewall will let your traffic go through
> because it's originated FROM a device on the internal side of the
> network.
> You see, I can do the same as you (actually more than you); I'm a better
> user because I was forced to know more; I'm spending less money; I'm
> using open standards; I'm more environmentally friendly because my
> equipment uses less energy; my equipment is cheaper and more reliable; I
> have a redundant service (if a provider is down, there are at least
> other three I can use); my three year old daughter is calling her
> grandpa in Italy with a push of a button on a basic phone (and doesn't
> hurt my pocket).
> See my point?

I see your point, shame you don't see mine. like lots of techy people you
seem blinkered
to the real world and real life applications. I might say I had the views
as you in the past but real life appilcation has changed me.

SIP VOIP is great, it can do things so much more than SKYPE, but SKYPE in
*SOME* is better,
Like you I try not to use SKYPE, believe it or not, I have a nice asterisk
systems, multiple lines in and ATA and VOIP Phones, could not live with out
them.

But Skype has 2 main advantages

1- It is p*ss easy to install, computer phobic people can install it, with a
SIP hardware it is difficult, how do I know? I have had to help lots of
people install their units, true once they have it they love it. Problem is
people are impatient, if they can not get something running quickly they
lose interest, skype works pretty much out of the box

2- User Base. Like I said I have family abroad, and they all pretty much
(through their only circle of friends) got into skype, with no prompting
from me, true I could give them all a small ATA so I could call them, but
they would still need skype to speak to their own network of people

Lack of standalone hardware snd open protocol means it is not as versatile
as SIP, but it does mean that teh core product can change and improve, to
try and fix security holes that might pop up

> It's not useless, it's just all the hype around it that makes me sick,
> like all the fuss with iPods and PS3 and whatever.
> Hype, hype and nothing else, based on a sidereal space void.

I say the Hype around it is justified, unlike PS3 and other product where
the product is hyped by marketing companies, most of SKYPEs Hype has been
user led and word of mouth, like google in the beginning