Slashdot Mirror
Microsoft To Can Skype API; Third-Party Products Will Not Work
Mark Gibbs writes "If you've recently fired up Skype you may have noticed a dialog box with a warning appear briefly (at least on OS X) then vanish. If you're fast enough to catch it you'll find that it's warning you that some application you're using that works with Skype will stop working in December, 2013. This applies to all sorts of software supporting headsets, cameras, ... you name it."
Everyone uses Skype. Every other product in the field is a niche compared to Skype. Everyone knows the brand "Skype" and what it does. It's ubiquitous enough to be mentioned in print newspaper comics, which are basically only read by old people at this point. This is a common trap people in technology fall into. They feel like everyone must know about all these other options because they do. Skype is almost a household word at this point. Grandparents totter into Best Buy and ask the kid working there what they need to Skype with their granddaughter. That's my personal litmus test, when old people start asking for a technology.
I know it's fashionable to knock Stallman here on Slashdot (including personal attacks about how he dresses), but he has been consistently right over a long period of time about the pitfalls of closed source.
In this case MS is clearly locking out 3rd party apps, and no one really knows why.
It's not just MS. Google does the same thing. Someone pointed out that the typically lifetime of most free Google apps is 4 years. Even when there the apps are not discontinued, the terms of service are often changed. Look at original Gmail vs. Gmail+. Many people, including myself, would not have become dependent on Gmail if they had known what would happen to it.
So when Stallman is being critical, pay attention. He's likely to be right.
Why is Snark Required?
We had such software back in late 90s as well during icq days, so makes no sense that they can sue you over something that has been around long before skype.