Microsoft Using Linux To Optimize Skype Traffic

An anonymous reader writes "A security researcher believes that Microsoft has overhauled Skype, with thousands of Linux boxes serving as the 'supernodes' that route calls between users of the voice-over-IP service. Kostya Kortchinsky of Immunity Security 'discovered the Linux supernodes using a Skype probing technique he and colleague Fabrice Desclaux first demonstrated in 2006,' according to Ars Technica. The drastic infrastructure change doesn't affect the peer-to-peer nature of the calls between Skype users."

Comments

Slashdot Mandatory Notice:

[Anonymous Coward]

ANNOUNCEMENT

A team from Burson Marsteller on behalf of Microsoft has joined the discussion, and will be moderating and directing it to ensure Microsoft's interests are well served.

They will be using a number of sockpuppets, including Bonch, Sharklaser, Overly Critical Guy, TechLA, TechNY, TechCar and many others.

Their presence in this discussion indicates:

1. Microsoft is concerned that free and undirected speech about this topic would be undesirable for them
2. All postings must be considered suspect.
3. All moderation must be considered suspect.
4. Anyone participating in this discussion tacitly agrees that reputation management and astroturf is acceptable.

Please avoid posting anything of value in this discussion. Treat all who do post with contempt and mockery.

Re:Eh? This is how Skype works?

[cpu6502]

>>>us-versus-them platform fanboyism

For good reason. In the 80s Microsoft was producing boring crap, while the real innovators were Apple (GUI/mouse interface), Atari (128 colors in 1979), and Commodore/Amiga (premptive tasking and the first multimedia computer in 1985).

In the 90s Microsoft produced more crap (Windows 3), or blatantly copied the Mac OS (Win95 with traschcan, shutdown procedure desktop, etc), or driving companies into oblivion through Embrace, Extend, Exterminate.

Then the 2000s arrived with the shitty Win M.e., followed by the decent Windows NT 5.1 (XP), and the pile of crap named Vista. My brother bought a brand-new PC with Vista, but because it came installed with Microsoft's recommend 1/2 gig of RAM, it randomly froze-up for 2-3 minutes.

Microsoft is the worst platform I have ever used in the last 30 years of experience. It isn't "fanboyism". It's a shitty company producing shit. Like Yugo. Or Hyundai.