Skype client: The Hip Forums chat

[this is not meant to replace or interfere in any way with the existing hipforums.com. probably several moderators on hipforums who have skype will become moderators on the skype chat also...]

Created a Skype chat. PM if you want to join.


There are several general misunderstandings to address about Skype and Skype conferences:

• First, and generally over-looked, is the Skype protocol is generally secure. I've seen the report from private IT companies who have offered police officers, to tap into Skype calls, and it's not pretty: a physical hardware or a software bug has to be installed on one of the end-computers involved in the chat, and the audio, or text, retrieved after it comes out, and before it goes in, to the Skype software. This costs a bundle: on the order of 3K for the bug placement, and a hundred bucks an hour for the tap or there-abouts. Too expensive to do mass-monitoring via keyword searches like what are used in the secure rooms at the Tier 1/3 backbone junction sites. Typically a mild level of security is all that is needed, it is believed, to keep out prying eyes of general data-logging and search computer systems.

In addition, due to the distributed peer-to-peer nature of Skype client communication, there is no central server needed so not central point to log the chat, unlike Yahoo or MSN clients. The history is echoed off of the various computer-member clients.
​

• And, it's not as ideal as an open-source solution. So life is not perfect always...

• If it is a very old computer, like a pentium II 600mhz, you might try an old version of Skype from oldversion.com. I *think* even 1.4 will work..

• When you get on and there is a lot of conversation that doesn't have anything to do with you at the time, and you do not want to get notifications of new messages, type '/alertsoff' by itself without the quotes, in the chat box. Conversation, Notification Settings also does the same.
• If a regular user adds you, your membership is 'applicant', and a moderator must approve. This is to keep out spammers and keep the group a bit more secure. A moderator can add someone directly.
• The topic and pic is locked. Moderators can change them.
• There is a link you can pass around so other people with Skype can join. The way to get the link is to type '/get URI' in the chat box.
• The group runs 24/7. A member can leave and join the group at any time, I believe.. Instead of leaving though, one can turn notifications off, and the conversation continues in the background.
  • When the local computer is shut down, when it is back on, the history of the conversation loads, up to the last two weeks.
• If a mistake is made in the chat, a member can delete their OWN chat messages, by a right-click on the message and 'Delete'. Up to the last 24 hours. Otherwise a moderator can delete messages.
• If a mistake is made in the chat, a member can EDIT their own chat messages. If it is the immediately prior message, up-arrow and edit the message. Older messages up to the last 24 hours: right-click on the message and choose 'Edit message'.
• This is not a video conference. I think video conferencing is supported with the most modern Skype software, lots of bandwidth, and very fast computers only.
• Over 25 members in a Skype conference and the group cannot be voice 'called', only text.