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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.
My social life is a higher priority than ethics, morals, principles, or even my own civil rights...
FTFY
Because your tolerance of this trampling of all of our rights affects more than just you, and makes you complicit in the wrongdoing. And why? Just so you can get laid? Lame.
Am I surprised that a niche OS isn't well supported? No.
"I like to lick butts!" by MobileTatsu-NJG (#32700246) (Score:5, Informative)
Why does MS have an obligation to support Linux anyway? I feel that 90% of Linux fans don't realize that Linux as a whole platform is a complete clusterfuck nightmare for developers to try to stay compatible with. If you want the benefits of decentralized OS with many flavors, you have to accept the disadvantages of that level of customization. You don't get the top apps for your OS first because your the low market share OS that's splintered into several major compating and non-compatible variants. Then, like Android, you also have a constant battle between people pushing kernel updates and breaking apps or people dragging ass and not staying up dated enough, sometimes forcing you to change distos to get the apps you want. That's not the apps makers faults. That's the fault of Linux as a platform lacking some level of central leadership that it needs to demand/negotiate app compatibility without asking devs to write 10 different Linux variants of their apps. PLUS the OSX, iOS, Android, Windows 10 desktop AND windows 10 universal app. The fact of the mater is we don't have nearly enough talented devs to get all this done AND write hundreds of thousands of useless mobile apps that constantly get depreciated or just never really did anything in the first place beside steal money or personal info from people. Why? Because people need fucking money and Linux doesn't pay out. What do you guys really expect? Top notch programs for free with no strings attached? How do you image that really works out in a world were we have bills and ambitions? I don't blame MS or any dev for not wanting to keep up with mess that is Linux. It's a good OS for what it is, but form a support perspective it's a nightmare OS and that's with the community of user being some of the most educated. The Linux community should be writing it's own open source skype and have it's own for profit unified Linux Store and FORCE distros to come together so the OS has real leverage in the markets. It's not as if Linux is the BIG third OS market.. it's just not at all and there is no money in it. That's why devs flock to the mobile platforms even with all the competition. For that I think iOS and MS are the best stores to develop for. Android is too immature and changing too much, constantly breaking apps and just not really improving the overall experience much at all, perhaps making it worse. Google is obsessed with their advertising platform, so Android is probably a dead end because like Amazon gadgets it's all just designed to bring you back to the Google and keep you on Chrome and keep you pushing out data so they can keep mining the data and selling it for profit. iOS and Windows Mobile seem like more of an attempt at a real OS with productivity in mind and providing a reasonable user experience. Google does not seem to care about that. It just seems to focuses on whatever is popular to keep it's own name trending high and keep people trying out services. For google making a service and getting people to use it and it failing is still profitable. The service doesn't have to be that great, as long as creates attention and gets downloads, it's bound to mine data in the process and make them money. Apple and MS have vastly less advertising revenue, though they prob would both like more.. especially MS.