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."

Comments

Embrace, Extend, Extinguish

[Gothmolly]

Cue sad trombone sound for people who are outraged that MS would take Skype and change it.

Re:Embrace, Extend, Extinguish

[smittyoneeach]

http://www.sadtrombone.com/

And nothing of value was lost...

[ZorinLynx]

Who still uses Skype? There are better alternatives now, and a lot more open, too.

Seems Microsoft is shooting themselves in the foot... again. They're really good at this. Ya think they have special guns specifically designed to shoot downwards into feet? Weighted so that you can comfortably hold them as you fire? With special scopes to ensure you fire accurately and ammo custom-tailored for maximum damage to a foot-shapred target at close range?

I wouldn't be surprised. :)

Re:And nothing of value was lost...

[ArbitraryName]

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.

Re:And nothing of value was lost...

[Impy the Impiuos Imp]

> Everyone uses Skype.

Microsoft's working on that!

Re:And nothing of value was lost...

[Dynedain]

A brand name isn't worth anything anymore when you've killed the brand.

Except to a lot of people, they don't realize it's a brand. To the non-tech savvy, there's no difference between a branded service (like Skype or Twitter) vs. an open service (like email). Notice the GP mentioned old people going into Best Buy and asking for the tools to "Skype" not the tools to "video chat on the web".

All they know is that there's some kind of thing you can do on computers, and they want to make sure they can do that thing with the people on the other end that are important to them. They don't know (or care about) the difference between a proprietary toolchain vs. an open one.

Stallman is right

[Required Snark]

Any proprietary software is potentially a trap. You get to use it as long as the owners let you, and they can change their mind at any time.

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.

Re:What will we do ?

[Anonymous Coward]

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.