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US Congress To Use Skype For Video Teleconference

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the skype-your-congressman dept.

dkd903 writes "The US House of Representatives Committee on Administration has announced that Skype will be made available to the Members of Congress and their staff to improve efficiency and cut down on time spent traveling."

13 of 96 comments (clear)

  1. Seems odd by countertrolling · · Score: 3, Insightful

    But I guess now that Microsoft owns it, doesn't sound too surprising

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    1. Re:Seems odd by Dunbal · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Especially since they applied for a patent for listening in on online conversations...

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      Seven puppies were harmed during the making of this post.
    2. Re:Seems odd by tverbeek · · Score: 2

      I'm sure Microsoft paid good money to become the official videoconferencing system of the US Congress.

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      http://alternatives.rzero.com/
  2. Bunch of smarties, those guys. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Just. Fucking. Brilliant.

  3. Just curious... by Daetrin · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I wonder how many people are going to find a reason to complain about this? And i wonder how many of those people would have complained if the announcement had been made before Skype was purchased by Microsoft?

    I ask this because i admit that my initial response was "oh look, the government is buying into the Microsoft monoculture once again" before i stopped myself and realized that wasn't very fair.

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    1. Re:Just curious... by Idbar · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Well, my first thought would be that the use of Skype to reduce costs will translate into calls made from laptops on airplanes. Congressman will not stop traveling or cut their spending, they will just use it to the arsenal of tools that can be used to consume the tax payer money.

    2. Re:Just curious... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Case in point, the US is not a great country. It's a country where it's obsession with taxes is leading to deteriorating infrastructure and no collective will to pay for fixing any of it. Civilizations that don't maintain their infrastructure generally collapse. The US had it's brief moments in the sun, but realistically it was an ascendant superpower from say 1900 to 2005. It's already in decline.

  4. I'm going to complain. by jra · · Score: 2

    Because allowing the Skype PtP client on to office computers makes them insecure, and probably uncontrollably violates the Congress firewalls in the process.

    Morons.

    1. Re:I'm going to complain. by gad_zuki! · · Score: 2

      I doubt they're using the stock version. The federal government does have the budget and gravitas to demand special things and Skype must be falling over backwards to accommodate them just for the PR alone. Until we have more details, its a little presumptuous to think that they have the stock version.

  5. Re:"Made available?" by NatasRevol · · Score: 2

    Anthony Weiner is up for it!

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    There are two types of people in the world: Those who crave closure
  6. Kool Aid by fwarren · · Score: 2

    Congress is drinking the Microsoft Kool-Aid.

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    vi + /etc over regedit any day of the week.
  7. Re:MS Eavesdropping? by Bob+the+Super+Hamste · · Score: 2

    I disagree, it is a good combo, now we might know what goes on the those back room meetings.

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    Time to offend someone
  8. Re:"Made available?" by icebike · · Score: 2

    The congressional internet is not the federal internet.

    The real deal here is that now Skype is owned by a company that can install all the backdoors that the Feds have wanted over the years.

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