internet phones

[Fairlight]

On Mon, Mar 20, 2006 at 12:00:26PM -0800, Bert Streppel may or may not have
proven themselves an utter git by pronouncing:
> 
> I'm using Skype  www.skype.com They offer a service that will allow you to 
> call a phone number anywhere in the world for 2 cents a minute (some 
> exceptions) Skype to Skype is free. I purchased a wireless base handset from 

Gah!!!  *goes blind*  The S-word!  

Okay, okay...but I had -really- bad experiences with that software.  Let's
just say that if you're running Windows 2000, don't even think about it.
For me, even when my circuit was -entirely- closed, -everyone- in the
conversation got a shrill chirp like a gigantic feedback loop
periodically--like every 10-20 seconds.  If I disconnected, it would go
away for everyone.  I could have my mic -entirely muted- on my end...even
totally unplugged from the USB...and it still happened.

And that's when you can get it to work on Win2K.  I believe John Esak told
me he tried and couldn't get it to work at all on Win2K before he switched
to XP.  Apparently I was one of the "lucky" ones.

I don't know what they did, but that software was just horrid on Win2K.
Strange, as I have no problems with iVocalize or TeamSpeak.  I wasn't using
it with a handset, but I found their interface to be sorely lacking in
several major respects as well.  This was as late as four months ago,
before I gave up playing EVE, so I can date it pretty darned closely.
Their idea of conference management was less than stellar, for one.

I need to try Ventrillo.  A lot of people seem to like it, and it has one
feature I'd really LOVE--the ability to tune the volume of other people on
-your- end, individually of each other.  No more wasting time trying to get
everyone on roughly the same level, etc.  If I hadn't had such a nightmare
with Skype, I'd probably have tried Ventrillo by now.  As it is, I've been
scared off trying new voice software on Win2K.  I'm traumatized!  :)  :)

Back to Skype though. eBay bought them.  Given their penchant for
raising rates (we remember here in this home when they were relatively
reasonable...they've since gotten -absolutely- ridiculous, partly due to
the commercial entities abusing it, partly through their own policies,
I mean...$3.50 for a **BORDER**???), how long do you figure Skype will
-remain- free?  I wouldn't give it very long.  You have only to look at
just about every useful service online that's succeeded to know that
they'll eventually go commercial and that "free" is no longer a selling
point.  Yahoo did it with everything from their mail to their mailing
lists.  Their mailing lists are essentially useless unless you buy premium
now.  Most places charge for pop3 access, for instance.  I'm waiting for
gmail to start.  The list of services (pick a service type, from email
to web hosting to online payment) that have started out free and been
scaled back so that you're locked into paying if you want to keep using
it--is near endless.  I hear "free" these days, that's taken with a big
ol' shaker full of salt.  You just know it's not likely to remain that
way.  They -will- find a way to make money, either advertising, selling
personal info, or charging.  TINSTAAFL.  Software like this has been the
same thing, repeatedly.  ICQ, Real Player, Trillian, McAfee, Netscape...I
could probably spend all day coming up with a list of software that went
down that road.  Corporate acquisition is generally a Bad Sign for "free"
software, incidentally.

mark->