With Skype’s shutdown, Microsoft will stop offering paid Skype features, including Skype Credit and voice-calling, which allow users to make and receive domestic and international calls.
My Skype account is the only account of mine that was ever hacked and I couldn’t get back. That’s what I remember every time I hear about Skype.
It’s certainly nostalgic to think about now, though.
I never did it; but, I like the idea of having a phone number just on a computer.
I suppose the bigger trend is big tech buying up companies and then shutting them down.
I’m sorry for people who might have been Skype customers all along and now something they rely on is going away for no reason.
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At least in this case, Skype lasted 14 years before Microsoft shut it down after acquiring it; it has been around for 22 years in total. I never quite understood why they acquired Skype and did very little with it.
They came out with Microsoft Teams in 2017 after a failed attempt at acquiring Slack.
Why didn’t they just beat Skype into the shape of Microsoft Teams? It’s not like they didn’t have the time or resources. And it seemed to work better than Teams ever did.
It just seems like a waste.
“Waste” is Microsoft’s specialty. MS was great at buying companies and then letting them die on the vine. (Yahoo did the same but that’s a whole different thread.)
One clue might be how many Skype patents are used in Teams.
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Add another plot to the Microsoft Graveyard, because Publisher is going away next year: Microsoft Publisher will no longer be supported after October 2026 - Microsoft Support
I remember using it for label printing one time many years ago.
i see Microsoft’s nuking of these services as a net positive that could prompt people to investigate free software alternatives that respect their privacy
i’m particularly happy to see Skype disappear
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Amen to that. Also how did they muck up having a video-calling app when everyone was stuck inside???
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hey Josh! glad to see you - hope all is well on your end
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This is MS and MS can only (sorta) keep track of like 4 - 5 projects at a time so if it’s not Word, Excel, Windows, and maybe Bing then your project is down in some subbasement dying with the X-Files.
Hi Josh!
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The feeling is mutual and I can report back that all is well. I intended to swing back here earlier but there was a lot to do 
Truly an enigma of a company, it kind of feels like we’d have so much more innovation if that race had been won by basically anyone else.
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Welcome back @Josh 
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Hello @Josh
With respect to the topic, I noticed a similar thread at openSUSE. So, there is some legitimate discussion about what software active users should switch to.
And don’t forget the Mojeek Blog post which included video conferencing alternatives if that interests you.
Video/Audio Conferencing
Through our Nextcloud Hub we also use the Nextcloud Talk feature for secure video and audio calls, as well as screensharing. It’s encrypted, easy to use and is fully integrated with Nextcloud Files.
I never used Microsoft Publisher. But I did wish I had a chance to try Google Wave before it shut down. And, I thought Ara might be like a miniature PC in terms of custom builds and repairs.
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Makes me feel old even though I’m the median age in the UK :-). Using ICQ, then MSN/Yahoo, then Skype, now Slack. A conveyer belt of out of favour messaging, though to be fair I have used Skype a handful of times the past 5 years. The fact their Linux client was a bit flaky meant I tended to avoid it.
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IRC lives on
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