I don't see why people would quit using Skype now. The fact that it has been bought by Microsoft doesn't change that Skype is evil. It already was. It already was a closed source software using a proprietary protocol and doing stuff you don't know with your bandwidth.
Don't get me wrong, it's great if people switch from Skype to something free (as in freedom), but not if it's because it has been bought by Microsoft, this makes no sense.
Really? "Evil" just because it's closed-source? Regardless, I'd imagine most Linux Skype users have at least a few Windows users on their contact lists -- and good luck getting them to switch operating systems.
The other point was using bandwidth. If you run Skype on a well-connected computer, you can't decide whether you want to become a big Skype relay node for your part of the world; Skype decides that for you.
The protocol and client are both obfuscated at cost to performance and security. Exploits have been found repeatedly for everything from remote code execution to using skype clients like a botnet.
Non-NAT'd nodes are forced to carry traffic for NATed nodes.
Skype have the ability to intercept your calls, but you guessed that anyway.
Also, if everyone in the world used one phone company, or bank, and that company refused to allow other new companies to inter-operate, they would face antitrust. Skype, and arguably facebook, control their markets. They should be forced to allow inter-op.
> Skype, and arguably facebook, control their markets.
Facebook users have invested a lot of time forming their social connections, posting photos, tagging photos, etc. On the other hand, most Skype users just have a buddy list and people that they talk to. There is no 'anchor' keeping them from jumping ship to another client/protocol (or even running that client/protocol in parallel with Skype). Skype is not the anti-trust that you are looking for.
The word "evil" is too strong, I agree. But even if people continue to use Windows, at least they could use a software with an open protocol for their communications, not something with which you don't know what some company do with your data.
Disclaimer: I'm guilty myself since I use facebook for instance.
English is not my natural language, I didn't knew that "guilt" is such a strong word. What I meant is that I say and think that it's much better to use open protocol and free software, in particular for (possibly private) communications, but that I know that it's not easy to do so when virtually everyone is using the same "wrong" (or maybe it's another too-strong word) thing. This is why I said that I'm using facebook, to nuance my comment.
Except that they refuted that very statement in their press release
Skype will support Microsoft devices like Xbox and Kinect, Windows Phone and a wide array of Windows devices, and Microsoft will connect Skype users with Lync, Outlook, Xbox Live and other communities. Microsoft will continue to invest in and support Skype clients on non-Microsoft platforms.
It says "non-Microsoft platforms". It doesn't say "all currently supported non-Microsoft platforms". So, this may just mean "we're not going to ditch the Mac".
I don't see a rebuttal of the claim that they will no longer update the linux client (which beta is about 4 years old IIRC), or probably just drop it.
If one was really naive I guess one might imagine that "invest in and support Skype clients on non-Microsoft platforms" might cover linux rather than a limited set of possible platforms. I have no worries about the java based client on my phone for example.
When Skype is installed, it changes each phone number in your browser to a Skype button. For years webdesigners have been going crazy trying to convince either their clients to uninstall Skype or Skype to provide a durable fix for not wanting your phone-numbers highlighted.
You can safely call the Skype extension evil malware, if your giant call-to-action phonenumber is forced to be written like this: 012-34[span style="display:none"]_[/span]5678 or it becomes hijacked by a video chat program.
This thread starts at 2007 and goes downhill from there: http://forum.skype.com/index.php?showtopic=78380 (Look at the meta tag solution, that works for a while, but doesn't work in XHTML strict. Microsoft and Skype definitely deserve each other)
Just humorous accident. I got request to update Skype this morning and after update all I get is this: http://i.imgur.com/qYcwd.png (after that skype crashes).
Don't get me wrong, it's great if people switch from Skype to something free (as in freedom), but not if it's because it has been bought by Microsoft, this makes no sense.