Skype

From wsuwiki

1 Social Networking: Skype
2 My Experiences
3 Skype Me
4 Video Chatting
5 References

Social Networking: Skype

Skype[1] is a great Social Networking tool. You can use it to IM (instant message), have a video call, and use it as a VoIP. Now, VoIP calls to other Skype users are free, but you can call hard lines for a charge.

My Experiences

I have been using Skype for years now, and I love the interface and functionality of it. Skype was introduced to me by friends on a couple of computer forums: x64bit[2] and PlanetAMD64[3]. We have had a “Generations” group chat going on for quite some time. To start a group chat: first, you start a chat with someone. Then you can start adding other Skype users to the chat, and it now becomes a group chat; it is almost like a chat room, except you have to be invited into it to even know about its existence (theoretically). On the chat window, I can see all the users that are affiliated with the chat. Those who are online at the moment and typing, you will see a little pencil animation either writing (typing) or erasing (backspace or delete). Once the chat has more than two users in it, the user that started the chat can give it a heading or name.

The Generations chat is used for pretty much anything that the members want to use it for; anything from computing to cooking. Also, this is a great tool to get real-time help with any issue that I cannot solve on my own. One might get a little bit of heat for asking redundant questions or questions that seem to be simple, but it is still worth the effort. Also, with the Generations group, we try and have voice conferences a couple times a month. I think that we are limited to the number of people on the group VoIP, but I cannot recall the number. Here we share stories or just *ahem* BS.

Skype Me

Skype also has a status of SkypeMe (along with the other usual status icons IM’s entail). With this status enabled, I am now flagged to come up on searches for users looking for online chatting, VoIP or video calls. I have been running an experiment for over 3 weeks now seeing who would contact me with this status enabled. Aside from the SPAM (“want to have a hot chat with…” or “hello, here at B2B we sell…”) I have noticed a huge increase of friend requests from China; educated Chinese women (20-37) to be more specific. I am now chatting with a totally different cultures. What a great tool! I am learning about their culture, the increase of capitalistic influences there and many other things.

Also, while on the Chinese subject, I have had a VoIP call or two with some of my Chinese contacts with them trying to improve their English. If I wasn’t so busy with my classes, work and family life; I could see how this could be as addictive as a MMORPG experience.

Video Chatting

Video Chats are quite fun as well. This is useful when you are trying to trouble shoot a particular item and words just won't describe it as well as a streaming image of it. I have used video chats on many occasions, my most unusual or unique one was from Kiev, Ukraine. Here, i believe a teacher was setting up her web cam, microphone and speakers for her class for a demonstration. Luckily she was an English teacher, and she spoke very good English, so I could understand her and give her advice.

My final thought on Social Networking application Skype: beneficial. It is a tool that can be very beneficial on a personal level for friends and family, and on the business level with things like collaboration and troubleshooting.

But hey, what do I know right? Go and find out for yourself, then you can put in your .