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Skype To Feature Giant Ads
benfrog writes "Skype will be introducing a new 'feature' into calls for users don't have subscriptions or credit. Giant ads. They are actually calling them 'Conversation ads' because they hope the ads (as large as the picture of the person to whom you are speaking) will 'spark additional topics of conversation that are relevant to Skype users and highlight unique and local brand experiences.' The ads, of course, are tailored to each individual user, though there is an opt-out for that."
What the fuck is up with this fucking ad and how the fuck do I get rid of it?
"they hope the ads (as large as the picture of the person to whom you are speaking) will 'spark additional topics of conversation that are relevant to Skype users and highlight unique and local brand experiences" Hey, Grandma, what do you think of hot singles near me?
Marketing department: They are not ads, they are conversation starters. Therefore you should read every one, click on them, purchase something from the site, then talk to your friend on Skype about how great they are!
sudo make me a sandwich
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkp7f8IxJNU
What's more fascinating than discussing ads? I can just imagine the Skype conversation with my wife as I'm on a week-long business trip: "Hi Honey, how are you doin ... hey, did you see that Microsoft just added new Windows Phone app?"
"Looks like you're going to be in the doghouse tonight. Would you like to order some flowers?"
- Bill Hicks, 1961-1992
Thank $deity Bill isn't around to see this shit...
An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, shrouded in bacon and cheese
Where I see an ad, and I immediately post a status update about the awesome ad I just saw.
Oh.
No.
I don't really do that. I won't do it on Skype either. Anyone noticing a trend with companies increasing prices this past year? Comcast raised their rates from $60 unlimited TV to $60 + $7 each extra TV. Sounds like a bargain unless you are the typical house with 3-4 TVs, then you spend more.
Verizon raised their rates from $60 unlimited phone calling to $90 for just 1GB. Dish Network eliminated their $20/month Family Plan, so now the cheapest rate is $35/month, and my phone company just tacked on an extra $1/month for 911 service. Companies are scrambling for extra cash.
My AC stalker: " I personally agree with your posts most of the time, but that won't keep me from modding you troll"
Don't worry, the Linux version won't have these ads. It won't be updated for that.
Also, MS didn't abandon the Linux version. Skype did it loooong before.
It didn't block your comment, though.
"Looks like an advert for some kind of leisure footwear."
"I can see that, but what IS this infernal thing, I mean, like WTF?"
"It seems the Microsoftian overlords of Skype are looking for yet another way to extract value from the working class."
"That's unfortunate."
"yes, it is. I guess we'll just have to find some alternative to Skype now. Fuck. What a pain in the ass."
"No shit."
"And the damnedest thing is they figured the ads would spark conversation on Skype."
"Right. Like I'm going to go on about some ad for Crocks. "Crocks! For when Flip Flops are a bit too formal!"
"See - you just did."
"Oh, FML."
"I think the next conversation is when can we meet again, F2F?"
"When I'm back in town, next week, darling."
"Cool. So, doesn't Apple have some kind of alternative to Skype on the iPad we can use to avoid - LOOK! There's another! I see it as an ad for boil creme. What do you see?"
"Oil. All I see is oil."
"Yeah - well that'll run out soon enough and put an end to all this garbage."
"Not a moment too soon, love. Not a moment too soon."
"I'll check into the Apple angle, and see what we can do. Gotta go - love you!"
"Love you too."
Shoes for Industry. Shoes for the Dead.
Isn't Skype supposed to be encrypted between the end users? Of course, that claim has always been in a "Trust us, we're trustable!" framing, but if this listens to your text & voice comms in order to select ads, that finally does confirm that there is absolutely no privacy on Skype.
here at slashdot we tend to be highly suspicious of anything that looks like an advertisment thanks to people who post Irellevant comments mention a certain piece of software.
You can use Skype if you wish. Somehow I see alternatives gaining traction.
SIP protocol for VOIP supports video from several vendors for free. Some SIP providers provide free VOIP gateways to/from Skype and Google Talk.
You can ring my POTS phone plugged into a SIP ATA (analog telephone adaptor) suchas a Linksys PAP2T from Skype, Google Talk, SIP, or a plain POTS phone for free. No ads, no Skype-In expense. I call all of US and Canada for free dialing with Google Talk. No cost for Skype out.
Other than the optional Linksys box purchase, the calls are free.
SIP provider with free Skype gateway - ippi.fr
Free US DID number for free in calls from POTS - IPKall
Free calling to US and Canada linked to IPKall number and SIP -- Google Voice (limited locations)
Free SIP softphone for Linux as an alternate to the Linksys box - Ekiga.net or Twinkle.
Why pay for Skype-in or out minutes? Ads are optional.
The truth shall set you free!
I don't understand why people are claiming the service is going to die because of this, or how dare they, or what have you.
They're silent ads which appear on the conversation window where the participating callers are tiled. Do people seriously do nothing but stare at the conversation window so they can look at that static avatar image of whoever they're talking to? It's not an audio advertisement. It's just a picture that takes up a slot in the conversation frame. It's going to interrupt conversations to have a silent, ignorable show up on the conversation window? Of course their reasoning for doing this is marketing spin but seriously now. You can even opt out of personalized advertisements so it's not trying to target you.
I really just don't see the problem with them doing this. Skype is a free service with premium services attached. If you're using nothing but the free service, you will get rather unobtrusive advertisements, otherwise if you've been paying for the premium services it won't even show up.
Yeah, that will be so easy for my family and friends to figure out how to implement. Maybe I should just dig a dedicate landline to all their houses while I'm at it.
Vote monkeys into Congress. They are cheaper and more trustworthy.
I understand the ads. They suck, but at least you can get rid of them.
What gets me is that according to Skype, these aren't ads, they're "conversation starters" and they hope that we will discuss them with our friends. That's just downright insulting.
Show me the ad if you must. Don't tell me that I should like it and talk about it with others. I'm not your damned advertising agent.
Please point me to a open source equivalent that can do video too.
(And that I can use with my grandma, who can't handle anything more complex than a iPad. *sadface*)
SIP only works with audio, as far as I know
XMPP's Jingle can also only do audio, as far as I know.
And in any case, I don’t know any client that does video.
MSN, Yahoo and ICQ do video, don’t they?
(But it was usually not really good quality, and complicated to get to work. Plus, I did never see it work with open-source clients. [Including even aMSN.] Sadly. It lost me a girl's love for Linux.)
I bite my tongue when using a free service with ads.
But come now, 'conversation starters'? Just because I'm broke doesn't mean I'm dumb. Just say, "We're putting ads on this shit, deal."
You want to know how to help your kids? LEAVE THEM THE F*&K ALONE. --George Carlin
Exactly, that's I love and recommend Linux. It's open source so Linux is trustworthy. It even comes with a 'true' program.
Linux, for all your software needs.
This is the 2nd time I'm saying it, for the 2nd reason: Ever since MS acquired Skype, it's been going downhill. MS has always been a marketing-driven organisation, this just goes to show that the takeover is now complete.
It does give us a glimpse into the mind of the spammer, though. Doesn't "they are conversation starters" sound a lot like the "people are waiting for our newsletter" rationalisation that the other spammers use?
Assorted stuff I do sometimes: Lemuria.org
You hit the nail on its head,sir! Congratulations!
Swapping a locked in proprietary solution for another locked in proprietary solution seems like a well thought out strategy.
V long-sighted.
Defining Statistics and Social Research
So you want to switch from one locked-in product to another, and transfer the cost from viewing adverts to up-front purchases?
Google Talk and Google+ are actually pretty good for this, and both will run on existing Skype compatible hardware (i.e. a PC or Android/iOS phone/tablet).
const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC