back to article Microsoft gets ready to kill Skype Classic once again: 'This time we mean it'

Skype 7 (aka Classic) has finally run out of lives. Microsoft yesterday announced plans to kill it off once and for all in an update to a two-month-old blog-post. In what a cynic might suggest was done in a way designed to avoid too much attention, the update to the original post warned that support for Skype 7 on desktop …

  1. Anonymous South African Coward Bronze badge

    Skype in violation of GDPR? Eh?

    I stopped using it when they pushed that newfangled UI crap out.

    It'll go the same route as WinPhone, Mxit, and so on.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Maybe they meant T2 data slurping is hidden better - I really don't know how Skype could have GDPR issues as long as they don't collect PI, like slurping user address books, or storing their messages/calls for "further analysis to improve the user experience" - tasks which really don't look to depend on the technology used.

      If they really abode to GDPR, they should have ditched Windows 10 already - as it has several privacy issues that one day will land them in trouble....

      1. Mark 85

        If they really abode to GDPR, they should have ditched Windows 10 already - as it has several privacy issues that one day will land them in trouble....

        Skype is probably low-hanging fruit and an easy target. For GDPR enforcement, Win 10 is a whole different game and may take quite awhile for regulators to sort out.

    2. vasp
      WTF?

      Save Skype 7 (Skype Classic)!

      Dom Dz wrote previously:

      >Has anyone seen the petition pages to keep Classic Skype, alive? Nisse has over 1,000 signatures and

      >rising. We can only hope that Microsoft *will* listen, when it comes to this. It would be a great way to build

      >back some much needed trust with their user base. Our voices *have* been loud, but it looks like we

      >need to be louder than ever before!

      It's NOT too late! Link to the petition here: saveskype7.com

  2. fluffybunnyuk

    Can the last skype user turn the light out when they leave please.

    1. Someone Else Silver badge

      I'll be happy to.

    2. veti Silver badge

      I use Skype every week to talk to an elderly and technophobic relative, on the far side of the planet.

      What version is he using? Heck if I know, and I'm damn sure he wouldn't even understand the question. But if it suddenly stops working, I wouldn't give much for his chances of learning to use anything else. It's taken him several years to learn how to receive calls on Skype, and even now he's far from confident with it.

      Dear Microsoft: is it really asking too much for you to just STOP FUCKING AROUND WITH THINGS THAT ALREADY WORK?

      1. Shadow Systems

        At Veti, re: MS.

        "Dear Microsoft: is it really asking too much for you to just STOP FUCKING AROUND WITH THINGS THAT ALREADY WORK?"

        I wish I could upvote you to infinity & beyond. Go enjoy a couple dozen pints in gratitude!

      2. Potemkine! Silver badge

        Dear Microsoft: is it really asking too much for you to just STOP FUCKING AROUND WITH THINGS THAT ALREADY WORK?

        Nah, it's a tradition for Microsoft: "if it works, break it" - Aero, Office, configuration panel.... the list is a long one.

  3. anthonyhegedus Silver badge

    It's easy to blame GDPR. What next? Blame Brexit?

    The truth is, Microsoft like to change user interfaces in order to piss off users. It's the only logical explanation.

    1. Spazturtle Silver badge

      Currently only one windows device on your network should download updates from Microsoft, the others will then download the updates from the updated device's update cache.

      I could see Brexit being a good opportunity to extend this and make devices share their updates with other windows machines over the public internet, this would mean Microsoft would only need to distribute the updates to 15% (example number) of devices and then they would share the update with others over the internet via P2P. That would massively cut the amount of bandwidth Microsoft 'spends' on distribution updates.

      If you looks at a map of submarine fiber optic data cables you will see that most of the cables connecting the US and Europe are US-UK cables, add in that we are leaving the common market for services and Microsoft could try and use this as an excuse to do this. They still have data centers in the EU so it wouldn't be a genuine reason but they could try and use it as one.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Pretty sure that with Windows 10 you can download from other users instead of Microsoft's servers. I always turn that feature off when I set up a computer for a client, it scares the bejasus out of me.

        1. Sandtitz Silver badge

          @Flatpackhamster

          "Pretty sure that with Windows 10 you can download from other users instead of Microsoft's servers. I always turn that feature off when I set up a computer for a client, it scares the bejasus out of me."

          Do you feel the same about BitTorrent?

          1. Paul Crawford Silver badge

            Re: @Flatpackhamster

            Do you feel the same about BitTorrent?

            No, because:

            1) It is for crappy media or Linux ISOs and I always do a separate sha256 checksum test on those.

            2) I can tun my BT client on and off with ease and in an obvious place, and not magically find that I have seeded many GB of OS image over some fee-paying or bandwidth restricted network route.

            1. Sandtitz Silver badge
              Mushroom

              Re: @Flatpackhamster @Paul

              "1) It is for crappy media or Linux ISOs and I always do a separate sha256 checksum test on those."

              How many times have your BT downloads had wrong checksum? (not that I have anything against checksum checking)

              BT is fine for many types of software delivery. Each BT piece is hashed, so chance of delivering malformed files is rather minuscule. I've personally used P2P since Napster. The total ingress data is in terabyte range yet I can't remember malformed files getting through the clients.

              Also, MS patches are signed, what makes you think Windows - or any OS - doesn't validate the updates first?

              2) I can tun my BT client on and off with ease and in an obvious place, and not magically find that I have seeded many GB of OS image over some fee-paying or bandwidth restricted network route.

              The setting to turn this off lies obviously within the Windows Update settings. Besides turning on/off, you can configure it to work only within your local network. If you have multiple computers the bandwidth savings can be tremendous.

              But all this you knew already.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        "Currently only one windows device on your network"

        That what WSUS is designed for in any network large enough. Windows 10 can do it for smaller networks as well (and even for people not on your network, I'm afraid ugh!)

        Still, I believe MS is not so fool and not using distributed severs across the globe to deliver updates, and does it only from servers in Redmond...

      3. Mark 85

        Currently only one windows device on your network should download updates from Microsoft, the others will then download the updates from the updated device's update cache.

        Security issues (which are potentially big ones) aside on this, they're just moving the bandwidth charges to the customers. I don't want someone pulling an update from my computer and using my bandwidth. I'm a bit cranky about this whole scheme.

    2. Dan 55 Silver badge

      I'm going to blame the GDPR when I tell them to delete my Skype account.

    3. vtcodger Silver badge

      "It's easy to blame GDPR. What next? Blame Brexit?"

      What the hell, blame any one of Hillary Clinton, Fake News, Iran, Russia, millenials ... your choice.

      1. Bibbit

        Thatcher? I use that for everything else.

    4. Someone Else Silver badge

      @anthonyhegedus

      The truth is, Microsoft like to change user interfaces in order because the ADHD-addled Millennials in their Marketing department get bored with this current one, which has the expected effect (for everyone except said ADHD-addled Millennials) to piss off users. It's the only logical explanation.

      There, FTFY

      1. bombastic bob Silver badge
        Mushroom

        Re: @anthonyhegedus

        "ADHD-addled Millennials in their Marketing department get bored with this current one"

        etc. (if true) It's "a reason" NOT to give Ritalin to KIDS. [ok it's a pet pieve of mine, thought I'd mention it anyway]

    5. Dazed and Confused
      Flame

      Re: Microsoft like to change user interfaces in order to piss off users.

      This seems to be their main hobby.

      If it works, break it.

      If it's useful, hide it.

      If they like it, change it.

      1. ITS Retired

        Re: Microsoft like to change user interfaces in order to piss off users.

        "This seems to be their main hobby.

        If it works, break it.

        If it's useful, hide it.

        If they like it, change it."

        That's the only way they know to make something "New & Improved".

        Eventually MS will piss off the wrong people, or enough people, and go the way of a bunch of other used to be, world wide corporations.

      2. Dom Dz

        Re: Microsoft like to change user interfaces in order to piss off users.

        Sure seems like it!! My God!!!

    6. bombastic bob Silver badge
      Devil

      "to work on your most requested features"

      "Microsoft like to change user interfaces in order to piss off users"

      Seems like it, huh? I don't think it's outright deliberate. Just negligently clueless and selfishly arrogant.

      Well, Micro-shaft CLAIMS that they're continuing 'to work on your most requested features". Yet the article points out that the most requested features are, basically, to RESTORE the capabilities of "skype classic".

      But you _KNOW_ Micro-shaft will *NEVAR* do that. Why should they? They're MICRO-SHAFT! If they don't like it, then it was never even mentioned (*cough* *cough*), at least not 'enough' to be 'most requested' [I think their dictionary definition of 'most requested' might need some serious re-editing] and so they fly off into "la la la I'm not listening" mode with their hands firmly planted against their ears as if NOT perceiving it means it doesn't happen...

      Micro-shaft started doing this when 'Ape' (windows 8) released. Why is anyone surprised? Ok nobody is, and this is why many of us *SNARK* about it. I miss their customer-centric attitude (ok not entirely but still...) when 7 was released. Now it's "world domination"-centric. Right?

    7. aks

      Microsoft's not the only one. Google latest wheeze on Gmail is to put infantile "Smart Reply" buttons whenever you respond to an email. The mobile and tablet versions allow you to disable it but the desktop version does not.

      Of course they use American English including slang.

    8. JohnGrantNineTiles

      They need to learn the lesson Michael O'Leary learnt a few years ago.

  4. Hans 1

    I would really like outdated versions of skype NOT to cry "invalid password" when all that is needed is an upgrade. Yes, I have skype lying around for when I have to contact the old fart, once ever 6 months .... and each time it claims my password is incorrect, this only tricked me the first time it happened several years ago ... it is Skype-speak for "a newer version is out and you MUST install that one."

    Why they cannot figure out a way to do what other software has been doing for the last two decades, including Skype (before it was purchased by MS), I dunno ... I guess they thought that that feature is not really required because ... this is the ultimate version of Skype and it is perfect & bugfree, there will be no other, ever!

    1. Trixr

      Is THAT what that is! I use Skype maybe once a year, and the POS whinged at me about a password the last time I attempted to use it. And I know it's the right one. Mystery solved!

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Business Plan again

    I looks like Microsoft's business plan is working

    https://forums.theregister.co.uk/forum/containing/3212650

    I wasn't even aware that the deadline had been extended. I ran down my Skype credit and stop using it before the original deadline.

    When I want free mobile to mobile calls I use WhatsApp. Oh well, out of the frying pan into the fire.

    1. Spazturtle Silver badge
      Flame

      Re: Business Plan again

      How can they even fuck this up so much?

      Because my mother is one of those horrible job stealing imgrints she has lots of family in different countries who she needs to be able to call, phone packages that cover lots of countries like the Netherlands and New Zealand (the two countries she regularly calls) are expensive, so I set her up with a skype account, a skype phone number and a skype package that covered those countries.

      What do the fuckers at microsoft (trust me it isn't micro or soft when they fuck you with it) do? They kill off physical skype phones, so now you can only call with the app. And the app, my fucking god that app, it must have been designed by some sort of god damn demon that feeds off the tears of tech support. You have to go though 5 nested menus in order to get to the dialer to actually make a phone call.

      Once the packages expire I will move her to a SIP phone.

      1. bombastic bob Silver badge
        Unhappy

        Re: Business Plan again

        "You have to go though 5 nested menus in order to get to the dialer to actually make a phone call"

        each with the potential of jamming an ADVERTISEMENT into your face...

        ^^^ the reason for doing this kind of [insert Deadpool-worthy stream of profanities here]

      2. Dom Dz

        Re: Business Plan again

        This is Peter Skillman's Twitter page, who is the Director of Design for Skype:

        https://twitter.com/peterskillman

  6. Wade Burchette

    Microsoft does not listen

    I remember testing Windows 10. The most requested feature was the return of Aero; didn't happen. I requested the return of a full backup program (and had hundreds of "me too's" for that); didn't happen. I do not remember everything from then, but I do remember this: some of the most requested items in the Win10 beta were ignored. I concluded when it was all said and done that Microsoft was like a spoiled brat. They weren't looking for feedback, they were looking for affirmation. Requests that satisfied their idiotic vision were listened too, but the majority requests that did not jive with that were ignored.

    The same is clearly true with Skype. Microsoft is still a petulant child. They claim to want your feedback, but they do not. What they want is for you to stroke their ego. Would you expect any less really? It is the same old story: big company buys smaller company, big company gets rid of people who made smaller company, people stop using smaller company's product, big company wonders why. I stopped using Skype a very long time ago because it just wasn't that good anymore. All Microsoft has to do to make it good is listen and I mean really listen -- something they have shown an inability to do since SatNad took over.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Microsoft does not listen

      "They weren't looking for feedback, they were looking for affirmation."

      Describes them perfectly (and others who look for feedback then ignore it - hint) ; you nailed it in one line. Have an UP.

    2. Pascal Monett Silver badge

      I'm pretty sure I remember Microsoft not listening under Ballmer either.

      If you don't agree, explain Vista to me then.

      1. Updraft102

        'm pretty sure I remember Microsoft not listening under Ballmer either.

        If you don't agree, explain Vista to me then.

        Vista wasn't bad because it lacked the features people wanted. It was bad because it was already years behind schedule, so the marketing guys got the better of the company and they essentially released whatever it was they had at the arbitrary date-- and it wasn't ready.

        Vista evolved into its very close sibling, the ever popular Windows 7, because MS listened to what people hated about Vista and fixed it. Vista itself got a lot better in time, but few noticed as everyone had already written it off by then, so their only memories of using it were from a time when it was still terrible.

        Microsoft could have told people that Vista was the last version of Windows ever (so get on board, you have no choice) and sabotaged XP so that it would not work correctly with any architecture from Core 2 forward, but they didn't. They could have done a lot of things to force people to use Vista even though they hated it, but instead they corrected the problems and gave people a product that remains the most popular Windows version almost a decade later, and almost at the end of its extended support period.

        If that's not listening to what people want, what is?

        1. Dave K

          Pretty much spot on, but I will add one more reason that Vista flopped - it was too CPU and memory intensive for hardware of the time. When Vista came out, PCs were single-core systems with 1-2GB of RAM, plus onboard graphics were quite shonky back then. XP ran fine on these systems, Vista did not. Hence it immediately developed a reputation for being slow (in addition to the messy UI and flaky driver support).

          Saying that, Windows 7 will also run like crap on a single-core PC with 1GB of RAM. Only difference is that by the time Windows 7 was released, 4GB of RAM and a dual core CPU were now pretty-much standard issue, on-board graphics could now handle Aero with ease, hence Windows 7 ran very nicely and everyone was happy.

    3. Someone Else Silver badge

      @Wade Burchette -- Re: Microsoft does not listen

      Interesting comment (which I upvoted). If you

      s/Microsoft/Donald Trump

      you have fully and accurately described the state of American politics. Reusibility: It's not just good for software anymore!

    4. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Microsoft does not listen

      All Microsoft has to do to make it good is listen and I mean really listen -- something they have shown an inability to do since SatNad Bill Gates took over.

      There, FTFY.

    5. bombastic bob Silver badge
      Meh

      Re: Microsoft does not listen

      "The most requested feature was the return of Aero"

      MS interpreted it that way; actually, it was the return of 3D SKEUOMORPHIC as I recall, being one of the LOUD voices in that regard, back during the 'insider' program. There were MANY of us saying that.

      Micro-shaft then *INTERPRETED* that as "Aero". Then they abandoned the idea. Typical.

      1) pretend to "listen" to customers

      2) re-package what they say into MS-friendly market-speak that nobody can truly *disagree* with

      3) shelve it

      This is how Micro-shaft "listens" to their customers.

    6. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

      Re: Microsoft does not listen

      "They weren't looking for feedback, they were looking for affirmation. Requests that satisfied their idiotic vision were listened too, but the majority requests that did not jive with that were ignored."

      Everything from the company Suggestion Box to government organised "wide ranging consultations" work like that.

    7. This post has been deleted by its author

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: 'Microsoft does not listen'

        Its always interesting who Microsoft do and don't listen to. They listen to Wall Street! MS promised to monetize Win10 and so they will. Just as soon as the Google / Facebook scandals calm down a little.... Then its coming! However overall, not listening to users is the new norm....

        Why? The holy religion of PR has overtaken santity / reality...

        This applies to the whole of Silly 'con' valley from Cali to South Korea. If they listened, they'd stop bolting surveillance onto every IoT phone-home cloudy product including cars and hotel rooms! Vizio SmartTV in particular, here's looking at you bitch...

        They can still make Smart products just make them more privacy-focused and offline and anti-cloud. But oh no, that's not the masterplan here. Its 24/7 delicious surveillance that's what's going to happen. Dystopia-Central / 1984 meets Blakes7. Typical example below...

        ________

        https://www.bloomberg.com/view/articles/2018-09-21/amazon-s-alexa-soon-all-home-appliances-will-be-listening-in

        "Amazon probably wanted its latest new product presentation to be exciting. Instead, it SCARED me."

    8. Updraft102

      Re: Microsoft does not listen

      some of the most requested items in the Win10 beta were ignored

      The internal discussion probably concluded that the most requested items didn't, in any reasonable way, help to monetize Windows 10, so the people who requested them obviously weren't thinking straight.

  7. darren.b
    Trollface

    I knew it!

    I stopped using Skype when Microsoft took it over, knowing full well they'd ruin it. Credit to them for taking as long as it has!

    1. AJames

      Re: I knew it!

      I stopped using Skype soon after Microsoft took it over. Nothing against Microsoft, but it just didn't work any more. Especially exasperating was that calling from Android or desktop to iPad wouldn't ring. Adding to the frustration, every time I went to use Skype it would no longer work, and I would have to spend 10 minutes downloading and installing a new version, then trying to figure out which password it wanted. I just fired it up again yesterday because I got an email saying that an old credit was expiring. My existing desktop version (less than year old) crashed with an error on launch, and again I had to go through the fresh download, install and login process.

      1. JohnFen

        Re: I knew it!

        Microsoft buying them didn't make me stop using Skype. Them changing it so it wasn't peer-to-peer anymore made me stop using Skype.

        1. Paul Crawford Silver badge

          Re: wasn't peer-to-peer anymore

          All the better to slurp you with!

    2. Dazed and Confused

      Re: I knew it!

      > I stopped using Skype when Microsoft took it over

      But when MS took over Skype all of a sudden a lot of very attractive girls wanted to be my friend.

  8. Pascal Monett Silver badge

    “We’re continuing to work on your most requested features”

    Um, really ? In that case, pray tell, how many users asked for Skype to be terminated ?

    You're pulling a Trump there, Microsoft.

    Oh, I forgot. You meant to say that you're continuing to work on the most requested features that you like.

    Carry on, then.

  9. Zippy´s Sausage Factory
    FAIL

    There's not really a great alternative to Skype where I can buy an "in" number. Viber is slowly getting there, but they haven't sussed out the business model - I don't want, or need, to spend 20 a month on a set number of minutes. I do need a number people can call me on, and a small credit for outside calling should I need it.

    As soon as Viber can do that (and to be fair, they are improving rapidly) then I'll move to Viber. As a bonus, it's not owned by Facebook... (Before you ask, it had end-to-end encryption before WhatsApp did).

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Viber

      "As a bonus, it's not owned by Facebook"

      You consider Viber being located in Mossad-Central a bonus?

      1. JohnFen

        Re: Viber

        That's an improvement over it being owned by Facebook.

      2. PhilipN Silver badge

        Mossad branch office?

        "Viber is ..... operated by Japanese multinational company Rakuten. .......The software was originally developed by Israel-based Viber Media, which was bought by Rakuten in 2014. Since 2017 its corporate name has been Rakuten Viber. It is currently based in Luxembourg."

      3. Mage Silver badge

        Re: Viber

        Owned by same company that owns Kobo. Admittedly sounds like a UK brand of of Matzo.

        I thought it was Japanese, not Israeli.

        Still, I'd trust Mossad more than Microsoft, Google or Facebook, I'm fairly sure they don't want to monetise my personal data.

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    re. continuing to work on your most requested features

    they are true scumbags, to claim that, when they do the exact opposite. But hey, they know they can. After all, the huffing and puffing by the FB brigade about how they're going to desert en masse is just that, huffing, puffing and farting in cyberspace.

  11. FlossyThePig

    Panasonic TV

    I used to Use the built in Skype app on a Panasonic TV with attached Panasonic USB camera to chat with our yougest in New Zealand, who had a similar Panasonic setup. Once, for some reason (which I can't remember) he used Facetime to talk to SWMBO on her iPad.

    I was looking for a new PC at the time, so I blew my budget and bought an iMac and I haven't used Skype since.

  12. Anonymous Coward
    Coat

    If the effort they're putting in dismantling products...

    ... were instead used to improve them (when needed), they would have far more users and their support.

    But probably the last Delphi developer working on Skype left, so they really have no way to maintain it...

    Also I'm not going to use a bad designed utility application built on a stupidly huge framework.

  13. mark l 2 Silver badge

    There was a time when Skyping was so popular it became the generic term for video chatting. But the more MS fiddle with the UI the more people now realise that there are better alternatives out there and they have lost a vast amount of users to other messaging apps.

    I still use it to chat to my elderly parents, but they get annoyed with it because MS keep 'improving' the UI and they have to work out how to use it all over again after it updated to the latest version.

    1. John Brown (no body) Silver badge

      "I still use it to chat to my elderly parents, but they get annoyed with it because MS keep 'improving' the UI and they have to work out how to use it all over again after it updated to the latest version."

      That's because they lack the essential component. Intuition. Every time MS bring a new version of something out, it's almost always described by them as "More Intuitive", which they love to imply is even easier to use than the last one. I would suggest you subscribe your elderly parents to the MS Intuition Replenishment Program. For the low, low introductory price of £20 per month (first three months only, thereafter £50 per month, minimum contract term 36 months) MS will carefully monitor all their interactions with MS products and make sure their intuition levels are properly maintained. New Intuition Cartridges will be delivered to their door before they even realise their old intuition is about to expire.

      1. Rustbucket

        Still cheaper than HP's ink cartridges.

  14. Børge Nøst

    If I didn't hate M$ from the bottom of my heart already, then this would be enough to tilt me.

    First they kill the only really working Linux version in the 4.x series, then they want to replace the 7.x abomination with the dog-ugly 8.x. I would be ashamed to admit I am working on this product if I was one of the devs.

    (Exception to the rule: Their Intellimouse is nice, even more so the new Classic one with higher DPI. But then again, that is a hw product...)

  15. Michael H.F. Wilkinson Silver badge

    MS-ICE

    is the only product from Microsoft I really do like. It allows me to make really HUGE mosaics of the moon painlessly, and it is completely free.

    1. JohnFen

      Re: MS-ICE

      "it is completely free."

      Are you sure? I'm not saying that it isn't (I'm unfamiliar with that product), but is it possible that you're paying for it by letting it slurp your data, like Windows 10, Facebook, and Google products? If so, then it's not remotely free.

  16. BGatez

    alternatives

    Was persuaded to try WeChat recently on my ancient Android phone and was stunned with how easy it was to have an international video chat with a friend. FWIW

  17. Tim #3

    Similarly...

    What's the latest on Skype For Business (ex- lync), someone said it is being killed off completely soon, is that true?

    1. Someone Else Silver badge

      Re: Similarly...

      Have heard the same. Can't remember the name, but it's another cloudy thing that is oh-soooo-much-better that SfB/Linc, yadda-yadda-yadda.

      Consider: Skype worked. Then Micros~1 got their hands on it, fucked it up royal. Linc was Micros~1's Skype-wannabee, sucked rocks. Micros~1 merged "features" from their (fucked up royal) Skype into (sucks rocks) Linc, which begat Skype for Business, which is fucked up royal and sucks rocks. Now, everything broken and disgusting about Skype and Skype for Business will be "(d)evolved" into their new shiny. How well do you think that will work?

      At least, the new slurp module should work fabulously!

      1. Dazed and Confused

        Re: Similarly...

        Oh yes, Skype for Business because sometimes normal Skype just isn't bad enough.

        1. Dan 55 Silver badge

          Re: Similarly...

          But Teams is worse... Search is unusable on Teams. Nobody at MS actually it uses their own product otherwise it wouldn't be half as bad as it is.

    2. SeanEllis
      Flame

      Re: Similarly...

      It's being replaced by Microsoft Teams according to various sources, including:

      https://www.theverge.com/2017/9/25/16360072/microsoft-teams-replacing-skype-for-business

      The SfB-to-Teams transition has had similar criticism to the Skype7-to-8 transition, with complaints about unreliable notifications, lack of configuration options, and some really bizarre UI choices (search field in the window title bar, anyone??) - https://microsoftteams.uservoice.com/forums/555103-public

  18. David 155

    Forced updates

    Any chance they will turn off the forced updates? Its quite annoying to get asked by users to update their Skype every week. The thing wont run if you're not on the latest version.

    1. Someone Else Silver badge

      Re: Forced updates

      Any chance they will turn off the forced updates?

      Short answer: No

      Longer answer: Are you kidding? How else do you expect Micros~1 to find new and improved ways to serve ever increasing numbers of more annoying ads and add additional telemetry streams improve your experience?

  19. SeanEllis
    Flame

    Not listening, for years.

    Way back in the great and glorious days of Skype 6, Microsoft release version 6.22 trialled the UI that they wanted to push into Skype 7, and asked for feedback.

    It was universally panned as cartoonish, huge, and annoying. We complained, loudly. Their response was to close the feedback forum, dump all the feedback in the sea, and press ahead full steam. (I pulled all my feedback into one blog post at https://moteprime.org/article.php?id=59 which has therefore survived.) Many users stayed with 6.21 until it was finally retired and they were forced to downgrade. At least 7 had most of the options and functions available in Skype 6.

    Skype 8 is this nonsense again, on steroids. When it first came out, I took a look, and immediately switched back and forgot about it. So did many others. Only when we were threatened with a compulsory "upgrade" was there real push-back.

    The current version is still huge, has no meaningful configuration options, does not support multi-window (although it's coming real soon now, honest, according to Chief Designer @peterskillman on Twitter) and still has massive gaps in essential features.

    But it has all new emojis! They're 4x the size of the old ones! And you can't turn off the animations! Hooray! For anyone who wants to use Skype for something serious, it's a UI disaster.

    Network effects tie us into it, but that can't last forever. Network effects can lock you in, but only up to a point. After that, they lock you out really fast. Look at how quickly MySpace fell out of favor once a critical mass of people started migrating elsewhere.

    1. bombastic bob Silver badge
      Facepalm

      Re: Not listening, for years.

      "all new emojis"

      emojis - something I would like to be UN-invented. Or just turn every one of them into that 'pile of poo' one. Because *THAT* is what they are.

      And yeah, it's just like Micro-shaft to make that a "new, shiny" feature, isn't it?

      Icon because emojis cause me to facepalm. [it's not an emoji, it's an icon. heh]

      actually the classic way of expressing that kind of thing is to just write it out - *FACEPALM*

      /me draws an obscene thing with ASCII art - how about THAT for an emoji? No, wait...

  20. Kijoma

    hmmm well best thing for those who like simple and uncluttered UI for skype text is Pidgin :)

    install the skype plug in and sorted.

  21. James Briam
    IT Angle

    Why?? Any Solid Reason

    oh is it true ?? but why skype classic will shut down.........

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Why?? Any Solid Reason

      Is that a Haiku?

    2. Dom Dz

      Re: Why?? Any Solid Reason

      Probably because they want to push us to other platforms, or possibly to Apple.

  22. mc4bbs

    I want my Skype credit back

    If they force me to move to a new version, I want my Skype credit back and will move to something -- the question is WHAT will be the new Skype?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: I want my Skype credit back

      I asked them to refund my unspent Skype credit, of course they won't.

  23. Bibbit

    But Github will be ok, right?

    1. JohnFen

      This.

      I find it interesting that the examples that Microsoft points to in order to indicate that they improve what they buy (Skype, LinkedIn, etc.) are all examples of how they ruin what they buy.

  24. MachDiamond Silver badge

    The sad thing

    There used to be a handful of audio/video communication applications with some being built into virtual BBSs that were great for not being Skype and not relying on a central server. Now I can't find anything and I don't trust M$ at all.

    Anybody know of an alternative? Preferably cross-platform (mac/pc).

    1. Dan 55 Silver badge

      Re: The sad thing

      Wire, unfortunately there's are no features for real-world phones (text messaging, calls, in/out numbers).

  25. Karlis 1

    Liars and forced updates

    Used to be a skype fan. Was holding out on the last 7 version. And yes - I had very much unchecked any auto-updates and avoided any prompts.

    Ho-hum, one night it just updated to the electron(?) based uber-crap flash-fest. No options, no explanations, half the features gone, recent chats view a complete disarray...

    I hope it dies soon. I won't have to keep it alive for the sake of the few conversations with the holdouts.

  26. alexmcm

    Hadn't used it in years

    And just recently started it up to to try an find an old acquaintances contact details. What the hell have Microsoft done to it. I couldn't find a damn thing for the first 10 minutes, I was hitting senseless buttons and getting led down blind alleys. Eventually found the contacts I was looking for, copied them, and uninstalled it.

    Wow, they really trashed what used to be a neat little voip program.

  27. Number6

    I wish they'd fix the new version before dumping the old one. I get plagued with "network problems" despite nothing else having issues. My father's machine won't send video, despite him being able to see it locally.

    1. Dom Dz

      Don't forget to sign the petition to keep Classic Skype, alive:

      https://www.change.org/p/microsoft-microsoft-keep-the-desktop-version-of-skype-alive-for-professional-users

  28. Dom Dz

    The Skype users are being treated so poorly. We have spoken up, have wanted our voices heard and, instead, this is what we get! Nevertheless, may we keep speaking up on this matter! I know people who will *really* suffer because of this, especially due to most of our history being gone!!

    Has anyone seen the petition pages to keep Classic Skype, alive? Nisse has over 1,000 signatures and rising. We can only hope that Microsoft *will* listen, when it comes to this. It would be a great way to build back some much needed trust with their user base. Our voices *have* been loud, but it looks like we need to be louder than ever before!

  29. Dom Dz

    DO NOT FORCE US ONTO THE NEW VERSION!

    https://skype.uservoice.com/forums/914527-skype-ideas/suggestions/35808850-do-not-force-us-onto-the-new-version

  30. adelarkranz

    Microsoft killing Skype classic is bad. So now options which people can use are Webex, Zoom, R-HUB HD video conferencing servers, Gotomeeting etc. They work well.

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