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Skype For Linux: Dead? Or Just Resting?
New submitter somebearouthere writes: Skype for Linux was updated in 2014 to v4.3 and has since sat there without an update while its counterpart on other platforms has been receiving updates. Sometime in 2015, Microsoft quietly abandoned that version of the product, showing back to Linux users who had paid for subscriptions with the expectation that one day they too would be able to finally use group video chat, have a real 64-bit version available and get an improved UI. Skype developers have just thrown in the towel and it has left the user base frustrated. Last month many users reported that Microsoft had broken the app's ability to join calls. Two Linux enthusiasts penned the issue in a blog signed by "lots of angry Linux users." I have contacted Microsoft numerous times over the past few weeks but it remains tight-lipped on the matter. I have a feeling Microsoft isn't going to update Skype for Linux.
so I'm guessing this has something to do with Microsoft not wanting traditional desktop Linux to have decent Skype support
Waitaminute...are you suggesting that a business would pay $8.5 billion for something they give away, as part of a larger strategy of building a moat around the things they sell? Gosh, that's dastardly. No wonder everyone here thinks they're evil... ;-)
Well, sounds crazy to me, but if it actually works, maybe those Redhat folks should try giving away something and selling something different. Here's an idea - maybe they could give away free source code as part of a larger business strategy of selling service contracts or something.