RIP SKYPE: Skype calls to feature ads big enough to interrupt any conversation - Polidicks

I have a subscription so I guess i'm not affected because i'm a rich cunt.

[QUOTE] "So, you should think of Conversation Ads as a way for Skype to generate fun interactivity between your circle of friends and family and the brands you care about. Ultimately, we believe this will help make Skype a more engaging and useful place to have your conversations each and every day."[/QUOTE] So what we can make of this sentence is that the microsoft skype dev team: -Is having tons of money thrown at them by advertisers OR/AND -Is incapable of mantaining conversations with other humans for a set time without a third party introducing a new topic

everyone that I need to talk to uses Steam anyway

Title is so misleading, who stares at the skype window while having an audio conversation. Destroyed any chances of reasonable discussion.

That little square beside the person who I'm talking to doesn't bother me at all. I can't really imagine someone glaring at that screen for hours while they're talking to somebody.

As long as it doesn't interrupt video calls and has no sound I am completely fine with this.

Skype is already bullshit. When I click the goddamn "close" button, it means close, not fucking minimize. I always have to kill it with task manager because it just wants to sit there running all day and doesn't let me kill it otherwise.

[QUOTE=IMA SHAARK;36321241]Skype is already bullshit. When I click the goddamn "close" button, it means close, not fucking minimize. I always have to kill it with task manager because it just wants to sit there running all day and doesn't let me kill it otherwise.[/QUOTE] Right click the skype tray icon, select quit skype. I honestly think the biggest competitor to Skype is Google plus hangouts. They are fast, free, and have loads of features that skype makes you pay for.

[QUOTE=IMA SHAARK;36321241]Skype is already bullshit. When I click the goddamn "close" button, it means close, not fucking minimize. I always have to kill it with task manager because it just wants to sit there running all day and doesn't let me kill it otherwise.[/QUOTE] [img]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/22706967/Forotherpeoplenshit/skype.png[/img] Unless you mean completely killing it then yeah, what Oogala said

[QUOTE=SuperDuperScoot;36321353][img]https://dl.dropbox.com/u/22706967/Forotherpeoplenshit/skype.png[/img] Unless you mean completely killing it then yeah, what Oogala said[/QUOTE] Regardless of whether or not it stays in the taskbar or not doesn't mean there should be 2 minimize buttons. It's redundant and completely inconsistent with any other program ever. The only one I can think that comes close is WLM but it checks to see whether or not it's already minimized that way if you click close in the context menu in the taskbar or in the preview it closes. All of Skype's close buttons are just redundant minimize buttons. It's bad UX.

[QUOTE=IMA SHAARK;36321241]Skype is already bullshit. When I click the goddamn "close" button, it means close, not fucking minimize. I always have to kill it with task manager because it just wants to sit there running all day and doesn't let me kill it otherwise.[/QUOTE] Am I the only one who actually like it this way If I want to quit an application I either use file quit or right click on the tray

[QUOTE=superstepa;36321469]Am I the only one who actually like it this way If I want to quit an application I either use file quit or right click on the tray[/QUOTE] I like it this way, too. Different strokes for different folks.

We'll probably be able to get around this using some host file funstuff or someone will make an adblock like thing for it, just like they did with the free android app ads(Which drain battery like a motherfucker)

[quote]we've been waiting to see how Skype products might be improved or integrated into Microsoft software to create more value for users and the company[/quote] Putting ads in the middle of the fucking call [i]and trying to hijack the conversation with those ads[/i] is NOT adding value. If anything it removes it, I was previously indifferent regarding skype but now there's no chance in hell I'll ever use it. I'm betting they'll be rigging it so you need to update to the ad version to use the service too...they already force updates on MSN messenger if you want that to work. Assholes. [editline]14th June 2012[/editline] [QUOTE=superstepa;36321469]Am I the only one who actually like it this way If I want to quit an application I either use file quit or right click on the tray[/QUOTE] Oh god File --> Quit. Last time I used that Windows 98 was still brand new.

All they have done is put a ad in when 50% of the window space is blue filler with the an avatar in the center. The ads don't even show constantly, bring up the window, play audio or anything which an ad specifically should not do. All it does is use up the screen space as if you were talking to two other people in a skype call. Sure it's ugly and annoying and I'd love to remove it and the ads which show on the default skype screen but I can easily minimize the window.

Wait this is new? Ive been seeing ads now for months.

My life is so boring I need advertisements to feed me stuff to talk about during a chat.

When Google bought YouTube, suddenly all those pesky ads appeared. I guess this was inevitable.

[QUOTE=Maloof?;36320841]What people who use adblock (etc) don't seem to realise is that for every advertisement you DON'T view, the site owner loses out on some money. This may not matter to companies like Microsoft, who are rolling in it, but for small companies and youtube channels for whom the site/channel is their primary income, overuse of Adblock software can severely damage their livelihood. I'm also unsure of the corporate structure of Microsoft. How is the skype-branch managed. Do they have access to the funds from the main Microsoft division or is the skype-branch financially independent? If they are independent, it could well be that these ads are a necessary source of income to keep this service cheap/free. It's not cheap to run a service that manages web calls, and as people begin to use web communications more than regular telephones (and therefore the free computer-to-computer function in Skype rather than the paid computer-to-phone function), Skype loses out on the income from this service. It's hardly the end of the world, much less the death of skype. So a picture comes up on my screen when I'm calling somebody - is this any different to advertisements in phone booths or on the back of cellphone recharge cards?[/QUOTE] Except it kind of doesn't make sense that their income is determined by whether I passively or actively ignore the advertising. I'm dirt poor. There is nearly nothing that would catch my interest because I literally cannot afford it. In the capitalist market, my demographic would be labeled as "Non-participating" because the only thing I can buy anymore is food, tuition, school supplies, and textbooks.

[QUOTE=HTS CONNER;36322497]Wait this is new? Ive been seeing ads now for months.[/QUOTE] But not during the call. (In the call, interrupting the call) Well, I didn't like skype before. One more reason to stay away from it.

This doesn't effect me at all. I never have the call window open while I'm in it anyway. If all else fails, Mumble is a solid plan B.

[QUOTE=Don Knotts;36322610]This doesn't effect me at all. I never have the call window open while I'm in it anyway. If all else fails, Mumble is a solid plan B.[/QUOTE] ew mumble. its not really a replacement at all for skype, gtalk is the closest I can think of.

I really don't think this is such a big deal. It's just an ad, and it's not like I even look at the Skype window unless I'm doing a video chat, and then the ads don't show anyway. What an overreaction by the people saying this is the end to Skype.

[QUOTE=latin_geek;36321109]So what we can make of this sentence is that the microsoft skype dev team: -Is having tons of money thrown at them by advertisers OR/AND -Is incapable of mantaining conversations with other humans for a set time without a third party introducing a new topic[/QUOTE] considering the decisions the microsoft engineering team's made recently, it's definitely the later

[QUOTE=IMA SHAARK;36321241]Skype is already bullshit. When I click the goddamn "close" button, it means close, not fucking minimize. I always have to kill it with task manager because it just wants to sit there running all day and doesn't let me kill it otherwise.[/QUOTE] Hate programs that do that. However it should be located in hidden icons, drag it down to your icon place and you can right click it and press exit in the drop down menu.

Talking to mom. Blah blah blah... *brazzers ad* Erm... I think theres something in the oven!

Will it also auto alt-tab you into the ad? Like if I'm playing LoL or something it'll take me out of the game?

[quote] the brands you care about [/quote] Fuck off, I don't care about brands.

you guys are stupid if you think this is really that bad it's not like they youtube it up and plan this unstoppable ad every call... it's for audio calls, to help pay for free accounts. if you think they're dumb enough to alt tab you into skype every 30 minutes into this video which you can't skip... then wow.

Am I the only one who doesn't give a shit about it? I use Skype daily but it's not like I'm staring at people's avatars all the time. 99,9% of all time, Skype is just minimized for me.