[kwlug-disc] Skype (replacement)

Tue Nov 28 11:43:19 EST 2017

So far, I have WIRE on iOS app, Linux app, Android 6.x app, via the Firefox
52.x ESR browser and the Win 7 app.

- Very similar renditions of the UI on all platforms, too much white space
and poor contrast due to poor color choices
- Huge CPU utilization on all platforms, phone batteries visibly deplete
before one's eyes, laptop fans are loud due to 30%-40% CPU hit
- Voice quality is extremely good with next to no drop outs or jitters,
same with video
- Wire has huge potential to move the bar to greater adoption, still had a
fair bit of room for improvement, but is very promising.

A lot of folks use these video chatting tools one on one and in groups and
they are so very important to connect friends and family around the globe.

Next stop, Telegram!

Thanks,

Ron Singh
"in transit, via mobile comm device"

On Mon, Nov 27, 2017 at 11:36 PM, Andrew Sullivan Cant <
acant at alumni.uwaterloo.ca> wrote:

> Interesting. I'll have to try out the Wire UI and see how it compares.
>
> I could see that the IM stuff bring at the forefront might obscure the
> video chat usage.
> As you say, might also be a marketing thing too.
>
> Andrew
>
>
> On 26/11/17 16:35, Keefer Rourke wrote:
> > I'm not totally sure how they compare. IMHO Matrix is a superior
> communication protocol, but perhaps less friendly to non-technical users
> who just want one-to-one video chat or group calling. Probably just issues
> of marketing to various user groups, but I've had more luck getting people
> to use Wire than to use Matrix/Riot.
> >
> >
> > On November 26, 2017 4:01:40 PM EST, Andrew Sullivan Cant <
> acant at alumni.uwaterloo.ca> wrote:
> >> How does wired compare with matrix.org?
> >> I have used matrix successfully for 1-1 video, which are WebRTC I
> >> believe.
> >> Apparently the riot.im service supports group video/audio chat, but I
> >> have not tried it.
> >>
> >> Somethings that stand about for Matrix:
> >> * you can already self-host
> >> * supports and already has multiple clients
> >> * explicitly supports bridging to other networks
> >>
> >> This page lists the cilents and bridges which currently exist, with
> >> various levels of done-ness.
> >> https://matrix.org/docs/projects/try-matrix-now.html
> >>
> >> Looks like bridges to SMS already, but both are Alpha:
> >> * https://matrix.org/docs/projects/as/matrix-appservice-twilio.html
> >> * https://matrix.org/docs/projects/other/SmsMatrix.html
> >>
> >> But I still do not see anything for going out to the PSTN.
> >> I am guessing that bridges from WebRTC to SIP/VoIP probably already
> >> exist?
> >>
> >> Andrew
> >>
> >>
> >> On 26/11/17 15:24, Bob Jonkman wrote:
> >>> We were just talking about Wire at the KWVoIP meeting last Thursday
> >>> (hi Ron!). When I announced on Twitter that we'd be discussing
> >>> Wire[1], @Wire immediately offered to provide support. Unfortunately,
> >>> the conversation at KWVoIP was so interesting that we didn't actually
> >>> get around to using Wire at the meeting.
> >>>
> >>> Wire is at least as good as Skype, since it was created by the
> >>> original two Skype developers.  There are some quirky UI choices tho,
> >>> including some mystery-meat navigation (onscreen widgets are
> >> invisible
> >>> until you hover the mouse over them -- but how to find them in the
> >>> first place?) There's no integration with the PSTN (yet).
> >>>
> >>> I'm using Wire, my userID is @BobJonkman -- feel free to add me to a
> >>> conversation group. I'm currently in groups with people from KWVoIP
> >>> and the !Fediverse
> >>>
> >>> Source code for many client platforms and the server is available at
> >>> https://github.com/wireapp although a blog post[2] indicates that
> >>> self-hosting isn't available yet (I haven't tried). Federation is
> >>> promised for early in 2018, where one server instance can connect to
> >>> another and everyone can run their own. Perhaps what they meant is
> >>> that self-hosted instances can't yet communicate with others.
> >>>
> >>> --Bob.
> >>>
> >>> [1] https://twitter.com/wire/status/933819857916874752
> >>>
> >>> [2]
> >>>
> >> https://medium.com/@wireapp/open-sourcing-wire-server-code-ef7866a731d5
> >>>
> >>>
> >>> On 2017-11-25 11:11 PM, Keefer Rourke wrote:
> >>>> Hey all,
> >>>
> >>>> While it's all well and good to rant about proprietary software,
> >>>> it's better to find replacements and encourage others to make the
> >>>> switch as well. Skype on a whole is pretty crappy software, and
> >>>> its famous for crappy call quality.
> >>>
> >>>> One such replacement was mentioned (Discord) which is also
> >>>> proprietary and mostly focused at gamer audio chat... but a better
> >>>> anologue to Skype may be Wire [1].
> >>>
> >>>> Wire has open-source clients on all major platforms, is Linux
> >>>> friendly (distro-agnostic with AppImage), easy to use, and has
> >>>> excellent call quality. They also just recently open-sourced their
> >>>> server [2] and will be providing self-hosting instructions soon!
> >>>> Their hosted version is quite fine though and I've never really
> >>>> had a problem with call quality, video is usually crisp (network
> >>>> allowing), audio never falters, etc.
> >>>
> >>>> I've completely replaced Skype with it, and convincing others to
> >>>> switch isn't hard either (usually people tend to be pretty
> >>>> accommodating if they know there are issues with some software
> >>>> platform or another, and signing up for another account these days
> >>>> is just something people tend to do without thinking anyway).
> >>>
> >>>> Links: [1] https://wire.com/en [2]
> >>>> https://github.com/wireapp/wire-server
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>> On November 25, 2017 8:00:10 PM EST, Ron Singh
> >>>> <ronsingh149 at gmail.com> wrote:
> >>>>> Look at this GEM of a response from an MS tech staff -- "Rhiza_E
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >> <https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/profile/91e5e6e6-
> 2254-4182-9537-93fbc222b012>
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>> replied
> >>>>> on Microsoft
> >>>>>
> >>>>> Hi 52ROSt,
> >>>>>
> >>>>> Apparently, automatic log in when your PC starts is not
> >>>>> supported in the new Skype for Windows, Mac and Linux - you
> >>>>> always have to log in with your Skype account credentials.
> >>>>> Meanwhile, you can share us your feedback here.
> >>>>>
> >> <https://go.skype.com/feedback?lang=en&tag=The%
> 20new%20Skype%20for%20Windows,%20Mac%20and%20Linux&p=-2&e=FA34778>
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>> Please let us know if you have other questions.
> >>>>> Rhiza_E Skype Community Moderator
> >>>>>
> >>>>> How it is possible for any company to release a version that is
> >>>>>  essentially broken is so many ways is really quite beyond me.
> >>>>> Yep, even on the 5.5 Beta, one has to punch in one's sudo
> >>>>> password (key ring) before Skype will login.
> >>>>>
> >>>>>
> >>>>> Thanks,
> >>>>>
> >>>>> Ron Singh "in transit, via mobile comm device"
> >>>>>
> >>>>> On Sat, Nov 25, 2017 at 6:43 PM, Ron Singh
> >>>>> <ronsingh149 at gmail.com> wrote:
> >>>>>
> >>>>>> I use Skype a lot.
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> I depend on Skype for video comm with my kin,  with clients
> >>>>>> and IT suppliers.
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> On Windows, Skype 5.x was excellent in terms of reliability,
> >>>>>> clean
> >>>>> layout
> >>>>>> and easy of use. I ditched Windows some 10 months ago and went
> >>>>>> all Linux, using Skype
> >>>>> 4.3
> >>>>>> sourced from LM's software repo On Linux, Skype 4.3 was
> >>>>>> excellent in terms of reliability, clean
> >>>>> layout
> >>>>>> and easy of use.. On Linux, Skype 5.x BETA was barely
> >>>>>> acceptable in terms of
> >>>>> reliability,
> >>>>>> clean layout and easy of use..
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> I did the upgrade to Skype 8.11(X220 laptop with LM 18.1 Xfce)
> >>>>> yesterday
> >>>>>> and man, that was just a huge mistake -- issues pop up with
> >>>>>> many much-needed configuration features removed.
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> Most tellingly, upon boot-up and launching Skype 8.11, only
> >>>>>> the
> >>>>> outline of
> >>>>>> Skype can be seen on the desktop, nothing can be clicked on
> >>>>>> since the outline just showed the contents of one's desktop.
> >>>>>> Only on minimizing
> >>>>> to
> >>>>>> tray and then un-minimizing or full-screening will bring up
> >>>>>> the
> >>>>> proper
> >>>>>> "Open Skype" page in all it's glory.
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> I decided to purge the laptop of Skype 8.11 and tried again on
> >>>>>> other laptops running LM 18.1, LM18.2 and Fedora 27, same
> >>>>>> thing. Same
> >>>>> issue.
> >>>>>> I have used old firmware, new firmware, 4.4LTS, 4.11, 4.13
> >>>>>> kernels,
> >>>>> but
> >>>>>> yeah, same thing, same issue. Every OS tried was a bare metal
> >>>>>> install, no VMs involved.
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> Through tear-filled eyes full of rage, I grabbed the 5.5.0.1
> >>>>> SkypeforLinux
> >>>>>> Beta from here:
> >>>>>> https://repo.skype.com/deb/pool/main/s/skypeforlinux/ and
> >>>>>> re-installed 5.5 Skype and now I am able to usefully Skype my
> >>>>> behind
> >>>>>> off again, feebly trying to ignore it's tablet-y interface.
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> In a perfect world, I would ditch Skype and use something like
> >>>>> Discord and
> >>>>>> get on with it, but I need to communicate with with over 2
> >>>>>> dozen
> >>>>> folks via
> >>>>>> video-chat and the only common denominator for them all is
> >>>>>> Skype.
> >>>>> Sure
> >>>>>> looks like nothing like this exists or will ever exist.
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> In an even more perfect world, MS would release the
> >>>>>> SkypeforLinux
> >>>>> source
> >>>>>> to be worked on by the Linux community, but that's for an
> >>>>>> alternate
> >>>>> reality.
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> Sorry about the rant, just wanted to sound off a bit.
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> Thanks,
> >>>>>>
> >>>>>> Ron Singh " calming down with a glass of win"
> >>>>>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>> _______________________________________________ kwlug-disc mailing
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