"Jan K." <janicekoziol@nie.ma.spamu.prosze.com> wrote:

Microsoft said Friday that it will shut down Skype in early May

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/02/28/microsoft-skype/

That article is inaccessible without an account. Nope, not creating an
account to read an article that can be found elswhere without
constraints.

https://www.google.com/search?q=microsoft+shutdown+skype

found:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/blog/2025/02/28/the-next-chapter-moving-from-skype-to-microsoft-teams/

As I recall, you had to buy SkypeOut minutes to get connected to
non-Skype users, like to landlines and mobile phones. Does MS Teams
require similar purchase to connect to non-Teams endpoints with
landlines and mobile phones?

"Moving forward, we will no longer offer paid Skype features to new
customers, including Skype Credit and subscriptions that allow you to
make and receive international and domestic calls."

Guess not. So, to use Teams you and the other parties must use Teams.
No just calling the other parties over phones.

One of the perks in buying an MS 365 subscription is that you got 60
minutes of SkypeOut minutes. One less perk to bother choosing MS 365.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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Microsoft said Friday that it will shut down Skype in early May

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/02/28/microsoft-skype/

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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"Jan K." <janicekoziol@nie.ma.spamu.prosze.com> wrote:

VanguardLH napisal:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/02/28/microsoft-skype/

That article is inaccessible without an account.

Some day I'm going to figure out why I can see these things without an account but others can't see them. Maybe it's your browser? Or IP address?

Do you let your web browser save cookies or DOM Storage between web
sessions? I configure mine (Firefox) to purge all its locally cached
data on its exit, so no cookies for relogin on revisit to a web site in
a later web session.

Do you have an account, free or paid, at that web site?

For me without an account there, a portion of the page gets obliterated
with a popup window or rollup shade that requires me to create an
account or login to an existing account to see the rest of the article
(i.e., remove the popup or shade that overlaps and obliterates a portion
of the web page).

I can visit their home page:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/
I can navigate to their business section:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/
I see the MS article about Skype in their business page, and click on it
to go to that article which is at the URL you gave. It's is then that I
get the obliterating popup or roll-in shade saying I need to create or
log into an account.

They let visitors drill only so far into their web site, and then
require a login.

Did you actually visit the URL you gave to view the article? Or did you
see the article linked on their business page, and copy its URL (i.e.,
you linked to the article, but didn't actually visit that web page)?

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W Fri, 28 Feb 2025 22:54:44 -0600, VanguardLH napisal:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/02/28/microsoft-skype/

That article is inaccessible without an account.

Some day I'm going to figure out why I can see these things without an
account but others can't see them. Maybe it's your browser? Or IP address?

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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On Sat, 3/1/2025 4:44 AM, s|b wrote:

On Sat, 1 Mar 2025 00:41:37 +0100, Jan K. wrote:

Microsoft said Friday that it will shut down Skype in early May

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/02/28/microsoft-skype/

My first instinct was to uninstall Skype until I realised I already uninstalled it. o-:

"You don't know what you've got, 'til it's gone".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94bdMSCdw20

Paul

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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VanguardLH <V@nguard.lh> wrote:
[...]

As I recall, you had to buy SkypeOut minutes to get connected to
non-Skype users, like to landlines and mobile phones. Does MS Teams
require similar purchase to connect to non-Teams endpoints with
landlines and mobile phones?

"Moving forward, we will no longer offer paid Skype features to new customers, including Skype Credit and subscriptions that allow you to
make and receive international and domestic calls."

Bummer, calling landlines and mobile phones was the only Skype feature
we still used (most others like same-platform video/voice calls have
been replaced by WhatsApp).

I want my 10 Euros of Skype Credit back! :-)

Anyone know of a replacement for that: Cheap calling of landlines and
mobile phones from an app on a smartphone? (And no, no Google Voice for
us non-US users.)

[...]

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

In article <vpveog.hj4.1@ID-201911.user.individual.net>,
this@ddress.is.invalid says...

Anyone know of a replacement for that: Cheap calling of landlines and
mobile phones from an app on a smartphone? (And no, no Google Voice for
us non-US users.)

Try these - free access number, then cheap rates to your destination:

https://planet.uk/cheap-international-calls/
https://www.mytello.com/en_GB/

--
--
Phil, London

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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Frank Slootweg <this@ddress.is.invalid> wrote:

VanguardLH <V@nguard.lh> wrote:
[...]

As I recall, you had to buy SkypeOut minutes to get connected to
non-Skype users, like to landlines and mobile phones. Does MS Teams
require similar purchase to connect to non-Teams endpoints with
landlines and mobile phones?

"Moving forward, we will no longer offer paid Skype features to new
customers, including Skype Credit and subscriptions that allow you to
make and receive international and domestic calls."

Bummer, calling landlines and mobile phones was the only Skype feature
we still used (most others like same-platform video/voice calls have
been replaced by WhatsApp).

I want my 10 Euros of Skype Credit back! :-)

Anyone know of a replacement for that: Cheap calling of landlines and mobile phones from an app on a smartphone? (And no, no Google Voice for
us non-US users.)

[...]

Ooma has Android and iOS apps. I didn't look into where you can use
Ooma. There is no Windows app for Google Voice unless you count using a
web browser to their site, but you could use a web browser to Ooma, too.
Ooma isn't free, but they have a low-cost tier that charges for the
taxes they are required to collect by the feds (~$10 USD for my area).
For home phone service, you use their VOIP converter (not free). I use
one at home from Obitalk to make and receive calls from my Google Voice
number with landline phones. No app is used with the converter. Phone
goes to converter to cable modem to Internet. There is an Ooma Office
Desktop app, but "Desktop" leads me to believe you have to pay into a
higher priced service tier. You can use an IP phone to use their
service, but with their Office [Pro] plans. There are so many ways and
service tiers with Ooma that I never delved into what all they offer.

I've got Google Voice which, so impetus yet for me to look elsewhere,
but not everyone everywhere can use it. They threatened to remove some features that I must have, like sending incoming text via e-mail, so I
can get the text anywhere I can get e-mail. They said they didn't want
to enable a spam channel to their users, but that feature has yet to
disappear. VOIP is never perfect. Often the call quality is better
than cellular, but connection reliability isn't as good (something I
hear no rings, the call didn't get past some POP - point-of-presence -
at a telco where the Internet call doesn't get to their landline or
mobile service side). I have 3 phone numbers using simultaneous ring in
my Google Voice account, but occasionally only 1 or 2 phones get called.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_VoIP_companies

That has a list of VOIP providers. I once looked into some of the
alternatives to Google Voice, but lost momentum. When Obi discontinued
their home-grade VOIP converter boxes, I got worried I would lose my
home phones to their converter in my Google Voice account. Didn't
happen, but you can no longer make configuration changes at their web
site in your account with them. Obviously now that Microsoft is
dropping Skype which means no SkypeOut minutes to connect to landlines
and mobile phones, that wiki article will need updating in the near
future to remove the entry for Skype. I'm not sure how exhaustive is
the list in the wiki article. MagicJack isn't listed, but I thought
they still existed (I dropped them about 6 years ago after getting
Google Voice, and using the Okitalk converter for my home phones).
Their web site (magicjack.com) still exists.

For which VOIP providers are in your area, try an online search on "voip providers <yourarea>". Then you'll have to delve into what all each
offers to determine from what platform or device they are usable. I've
also seen VOIP forums where you could ask for help.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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s|b <me@privacy.invalid> wrote:

On Sat, 1 Mar 2025 00:41:37 +0100, Jan K. wrote:

Microsoft said Friday that it will shut down Skype in early May

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/02/28/microsoft-skype/

My first instinct was to uninstall Skype until I realised I already uninstalled it. o-:

And yet, after uninstall, Microsoft would still push updates for
software that was not on your computer. Go figure. Perhaps they
figured you couldn't survive without Skype, and updated its support or ancilliary files just in case you later reinstalled it.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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Philip Herlihy <nothing@invalid.com> wrote:

In article <vpveog.hj4.1@ID-201911.user.individual.net>, this@ddress.is.invalid says...

Anyone know of a replacement for that: Cheap calling of landlines and
mobile phones from an app on a smartphone? (And no, no Google Voice for
us non-US users.)

Try these - free access number, then cheap rates to your destination:

https://planet.uk/cheap-international-calls/
https://www.mytello.com/en_GB/

Sorry, I was probably too terse, but I was assuming the context of
Skype voice calls to normal phone numbers (i.e. not Skype-to-Skype).

With Skype you can not only call (cheaply) *to* foreign countries, but
also *in* foreign countries and *from* foreign countries.

AFAICT, the services you mention, allow one to call from a normal
phone (i.e. not an app on a smartphone or a computer) *to* foreign
countries.

For Skype, it does not matter where you are and all destinations are essentially local, because the voice call goes over the Internet to the destination country and only then is converted to a normal phone call.

So a call from Australia (AU) to The Netherlands (NL) costs the same
as a call from NL to NL. And a call from NL to AUS costs the same as a
call from AU to AU.

So Skype is ideal when you're travelling, because you don't need
(very) expensive mobile roaming, you only need Internet access. That
Internet access can also be provided by a local SIM, so instead of
expensive roaming for calls, you use inexpensive data.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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VanguardLH <V@nguard.lh> wrote:

Frank Slootweg <this@ddress.is.invalid> wrote:

VanguardLH <V@nguard.lh> wrote:
[...]

As I recall, you had to buy SkypeOut minutes to get connected to
non-Skype users, like to landlines and mobile phones. Does MS Teams
require similar purchase to connect to non-Teams endpoints with
landlines and mobile phones?

"Moving forward, we will no longer offer paid Skype features to new
customers, including Skype Credit and subscriptions that allow you to
make and receive international and domestic calls."

Bummer, calling landlines and mobile phones was the only Skype feature
we still used (most others like same-platform video/voice calls have
been replaced by WhatsApp).

I want my 10 Euros of Skype Credit back! :-)

Anyone know of a replacement for that: Cheap calling of landlines and mobile phones from an app on a smartphone? (And no, no Google Voice for
us non-US users.)

[...]

Ooma has Android and iOS apps. I didn't look into where you can use
Ooma. There is no Windows app for Google Voice unless you count using a
web browser to their site, but you could use a web browser to Ooma, too.
Ooma isn't free, but they have a low-cost tier that charges for the
taxes they are required to collect by the feds (~$10 USD for my area).
For home phone service, you use their VOIP converter (not free).

Sorry for the confusion. See my response to Philip as to what Skype to
normal phones (Skype Credit) can do. It allows cheap calls *to*, *in*
and *from* foreign countries, all at a fixed price per country, no
matter where you - the caller - are. That is what I need, not just cheap
calls *to* another country.

[...]

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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Frank Slootweg <this@ddress.is.invalid> wrote:

VanguardLH <V@nguard.lh> wrote:

Frank Slootweg <this@ddress.is.invalid> wrote:

VanguardLH <V@nguard.lh> wrote:
[...]

As I recall, you had to buy SkypeOut minutes to get connected to
non-Skype users, like to landlines and mobile phones. Does MS Teams
require similar purchase to connect to non-Teams endpoints with
landlines and mobile phones?

"Moving forward, we will no longer offer paid Skype features to new
customers, including Skype Credit and subscriptions that allow you to
make and receive international and domestic calls."

Bummer, calling landlines and mobile phones was the only Skype feature >>> we still used (most others like same-platform video/voice calls have
been replaced by WhatsApp).

I want my 10 Euros of Skype Credit back! :-)

Anyone know of a replacement for that: Cheap calling of landlines and
mobile phones from an app on a smartphone? (And no, no Google Voice for
us non-US users.)

[...]

Ooma has Android and iOS apps. I didn't look into where you can use
Ooma. There is no Windows app for Google Voice unless you count using a
web browser to their site, but you could use a web browser to Ooma, too.
Ooma isn't free, but they have a low-cost tier that charges for the
taxes they are required to collect by the feds (~$10 USD for my area).
For home phone service, you use their VOIP converter (not free).

Sorry for the confusion. See my response to Philip as to what Skype to normal phones (Skype Credit) can do. It allows cheap calls *to*, *in*
and *from* foreign countries, all at a fixed price per country, no
matter where you - the caller - are. That is what I need, not just cheap calls *to* another country.

[...]

Skype included a VOIP service if you paid extra. As mentioned, there
are lots of other VOIP providers. I'm not an expert on all VOIP
providers, so that research you'll have to do yourself. When I thought
I was losing use of my Obitalk VOIP converter which I used with Google
Voice to make and receive calls at home, I looked into some VOIP
providers. I mentioned Ooma, because that was the most promising
candidate for replacing Google Voice at the time I researched. As for
the other candidates, my brain cells for memories on them have since
been repurposed.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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VanguardLH <V@nguard.lh> wrote:

Frank Slootweg <this@ddress.is.invalid> wrote:

VanguardLH <V@nguard.lh> wrote:

Frank Slootweg <this@ddress.is.invalid> wrote:

VanguardLH <V@nguard.lh> wrote:
[...]

As I recall, you had to buy SkypeOut minutes to get connected to
non-Skype users, like to landlines and mobile phones. Does MS Teams >>>> require similar purchase to connect to non-Teams endpoints with
landlines and mobile phones?

"Moving forward, we will no longer offer paid Skype features to new
customers, including Skype Credit and subscriptions that allow you to >>>> make and receive international and domestic calls."

Bummer, calling landlines and mobile phones was the only Skype feature >>> we still used (most others like same-platform video/voice calls have
been replaced by WhatsApp).

I want my 10 Euros of Skype Credit back! :-)

Anyone know of a replacement for that: Cheap calling of landlines and >>> mobile phones from an app on a smartphone? (And no, no Google Voice for >>> us non-US users.)

[...]

Ooma has Android and iOS apps. I didn't look into where you can use
Ooma. There is no Windows app for Google Voice unless you count using a >> web browser to their site, but you could use a web browser to Ooma, too. >> Ooma isn't free, but they have a low-cost tier that charges for the
taxes they are required to collect by the feds (~$10 USD for my area).
For home phone service, you use their VOIP converter (not free).

Sorry for the confusion. See my response to Philip as to what Skype to normal phones (Skype Credit) can do. It allows cheap calls *to*, *in*
and *from* foreign countries, all at a fixed price per country, no
matter where you - the caller - are. That is what I need, not just cheap calls *to* another country.

[...]

Skype included a VOIP service if you paid extra. As mentioned, there
are lots of other VOIP providers. I'm not an expert on all VOIP
providers, so that research you'll have to do yourself.

I did not use a VOIP service from Skype and I'm not looking for a VOIP service.

I'm (mostly) looking for an app on an Android smartphone which allows
me to make cheap calls to normal phones (landline or mobile) from
anywhere in the world (i.e. where I happen to be) to anywhere in the
world. That is what Skype with 'Skype Credit' provides. That's not a
VOIP service. It might - and probably will - use VOIP in part of the
pipe from caller to callee, but it's not a VOIP service.

For example: I'm in Australia with my Dutch phone, Dutch SIM and Dutch
mobile provider and want to call to my home country (The Netherlands) or
to some number in Australia. With Skype (with Skype Credit), that will
cost me only 2.4ct/min instead of 2.00Euro/min if I would make a normal
voice call with my Dutch SIM. I.e. the 'normal' method is 80 times more expensive than the Skype method.

[...]

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Hello Folks,

Skype is closing, my first reaction is to move to Microsoft Teams.

The address I'm using is https://teams.live.com/. It works, it lets me
in with my old Skype name and password.

But it only offers chat, I do not see any way to make voice calls and
video calls (VoiP). They do not even ask me to pay, they just do not
offer phone calls. Or did I oversee something?

If Teams really does not offer phone calls, which ones of the
alternatives listed here the past days offer the feature? (Without
smartphone, that's essential to me.)

Thanks a lot!

frank

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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On Sat, 1 Mar 2025 00:41:37 +0100, Jan K. wrote:

Microsoft said Friday that it will shut down Skype in early May

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/02/28/microsoft-skype/

My first instinct was to uninstall Skype until I realised I already
uninstalled it. o-:

--
s|b

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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On 01/03/2025 22:26, frank_n_2017 wrote:

Hello Folks,

Skype is closing, my first reaction is to move to Microsoft Teams.

The address I'm using is https://teams.live.com/. It works, it lets me
in with my old Skype name and password.

But it only offers chat, I do not see any way to make voice calls and
video calls (VoiP). They do not even ask me to pay, they just do not
offer phone calls. Or did I oversee something?

If Teams really does not offer phone calls, which ones of the
alternatives listed here the past days offer the feature? (Without smartphone, that's essential to me.)

Thanks a lot!

frank

You need to download Microsoft Teams if you don't have this on your
machine. Windows 11 includes Microsoft Teams but you can download it
from here:

<https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/microsoft-teams/download-app>

Then you'll have the dial up pad: See this article:

<https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/office/use-the-dial-pad-to-make-a-call-in-microsoft-teams-20d24ace-2851-4c29-8441-30dd2a5cf078>

You also need a calling plan but your Skype credit might just work:

For US see this link: <https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/phone-reference/plan-availability/availability-in-the-united-states-u-s#calling-plans>

First things to know about calls in Microsoft Teams

<https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/office/first-things-to-know-about-calls-in-microsoft-teams-2b883a81-dd15-41bd-a6ba-39deef141027>

Good luck.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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On 2025-03-01 19:45, Frank Slootweg wrote:

Philip Herlihy <nothing@invalid.com> wrote:

In article <vpveog.hj4.1@ID-201911.user.individual.net>,
this@ddress.is.invalid says...

Anyone know of a replacement for that: Cheap calling of landlines and
mobile phones from an app on a smartphone? (And no, no Google Voice for
us non-US users.)

Try these - free access number, then cheap rates to your destination:

https://planet.uk/cheap-international-calls/
https://www.mytello.com/en_GB/

Sorry, I was probably too terse, but I was assuming the context of
Skype voice calls to normal phone numbers (i.e. not Skype-to-Skype).

With Skype you can not only call (cheaply) *to* foreign countries, but also *in* foreign countries and *from* foreign countries.

AFAICT, the services you mention, allow one to call from a normal
phone (i.e. not an app on a smartphone or a computer) *to* foreign
countries.

For Skype, it does not matter where you are and all destinations are essentially local, because the voice call goes over the Internet to the destination country and only then is converted to a normal phone call.

So a call from Australia (AU) to The Netherlands (NL) costs the same
as a call from NL to NL. And a call from NL to AUS costs the same as a
call from AU to AU.

Yes.

It has the problem that the party being called sees a phone number that
does not recognize, and may hang up. Happened to me.

So Skype is ideal when you're travelling, because you don't need
(very) expensive mobile roaming, you only need Internet access. That
Internet access can also be provided by a local SIM, so instead of
expensive roaming for calls, you use inexpensive data.

Or the WiFi at the hotel.

But provided that your destinatary has the same mobile app as you, it is
even easier to call using WhatsApp. And gratis.



--
Cheers, Carlos.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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On 2025-03-01 05:54, VanguardLH wrote:

"Jan K." <janicekoziol@nie.ma.spamu.prosze.com> wrote:

Microsoft said Friday that it will shut down Skype in early May

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/02/28/microsoft-skype/

That article is inaccessible without an account. Nope, not creating an account to read an article that can be found elswhere without
constraints.

I get a request to register to read for free one article, or subscribe.
I then block javascript, reload, and the entire article is open. Well,
dunno if entire, it is 10 paragraphs.

https://www.google.com/search?q=microsoft+shutdown+skype

found:

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-365/blog/2025/02/28/the-next-chapter-moving-from-skype-to-microsoft-teams/

As I recall, you had to buy SkypeOut minutes to get connected to
non-Skype users, like to landlines and mobile phones. Does MS Teams
require similar purchase to connect to non-Teams endpoints with
landlines and mobile phones?

Connecting to a landline needed money, yes. I did this about two decades
ago to phone across the pond for the cost of a local phone call instead
of international. I don't know if there are currently alternatives to
skype offering this service.

...

--
Cheers, Carlos.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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On 2025-03-01 22:01, Frank Slootweg wrote:

VanguardLH <V@nguard.lh> wrote:

Frank Slootweg <this@ddress.is.invalid> wrote:

VanguardLH <V@nguard.lh> wrote:

Frank Slootweg <this@ddress.is.invalid> wrote:

VanguardLH <V@nguard.lh> wrote:
[...]

As I recall, you had to buy SkypeOut minutes to get connected to
non-Skype users, like to landlines and mobile phones. Does MS Teams >>>>>> require similar purchase to connect to non-Teams endpoints with
landlines and mobile phones?

"Moving forward, we will no longer offer paid Skype features to new >>>>>> customers, including Skype Credit and subscriptions that allow you to >>>>>> make and receive international and domestic calls."

Bummer, calling landlines and mobile phones was the only Skype feature >>>>> we still used (most others like same-platform video/voice calls have >>>>> been replaced by WhatsApp).

I want my 10 Euros of Skype Credit back! :-)

Anyone know of a replacement for that: Cheap calling of landlines and >>>>> mobile phones from an app on a smartphone? (And no, no Google Voice for >>>>> us non-US users.)

[...]

Ooma has Android and iOS apps. I didn't look into where you can use
Ooma. There is no Windows app for Google Voice unless you count using a >>>> web browser to their site, but you could use a web browser to Ooma, too. >>>> Ooma isn't free, but they have a low-cost tier that charges for the
taxes they are required to collect by the feds (~$10 USD for my area). >>>> For home phone service, you use their VOIP converter (not free).

Sorry for the confusion. See my response to Philip as to what Skype to >>> normal phones (Skype Credit) can do. It allows cheap calls *to*, *in*
and *from* foreign countries, all at a fixed price per country, no
matter where you - the caller - are. That is what I need, not just cheap >>> calls *to* another country.

[...]

Skype included a VOIP service if you paid extra. As mentioned, there
are lots of other VOIP providers. I'm not an expert on all VOIP
providers, so that research you'll have to do yourself.

I did not use a VOIP service from Skype and I'm not looking for a VOIP service.

I'm (mostly) looking for an app on an Android smartphone which allows
me to make cheap calls to normal phones (landline or mobile) from
anywhere in the world (i.e. where I happen to be) to anywhere in the
world. That is what Skype with 'Skype Credit' provides. That's not a
VOIP service. It might - and probably will - use VOIP in part of the
pipe from caller to callee, but it's not a VOIP service.

Actually, it is VoIP :-)

It is VoIP to the destination country, and then, via a gateway, it is
POTs to the destination phone. This is a service that any full service
VoIP company should be able to provide.

You have a phone number, a terminal (which can be an actual terminal, or
a computer + SIP software), and a provider. You place a call to a VoIP address, you pay zero. You place a call to a landline, then you pay zero
to the gateway at destination, then you pay according to your contract
the fee from gateway to destination. You have to look up the tables for
those prices that your SIP provider gives you, to find out the prices.

The better the SIP provider is, the more gateways it will have. If the
gateways are distant, the service can be nearly as expensive as standard
POTs.

--
Cheers, Carlos.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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"Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> wrote:

VanguardLH wrote:

"Jan K." <janicekoziol@nie.ma.spamu.prosze.com> wrote:

Microsoft said Friday that it will shut down Skype in early May
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/02/28/microsoft-skype/

As I recall, you had to buy SkypeOut minutes to get connected to
non-Skype users, like to landlines and mobile phones. Does MS Teams
require similar purchase to connect to non-Teams endpoints with
landlines and mobile phones?

Connecting to a landline needed money, yes. I did this about two
decades ago to phone across the pond for the cost of a local phone
call instead of international. I don't know if there are currently alternatives to skype offering this service.

Microsoft is killing Skype, and telling its users to move to Teams.

In a reply by Jim, he cited articles saying MS Teams can make/receive
phone calls. I did not much delve into the articles to check if such
calls are free. With Skype, you had to buy SkypeOut minutes. That
allowed access to the telco POPs (point of presences) that converted
from Internet (VOIP) to the telcos services (landline, mobile).

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-teams/microsoft-teams-phone https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/microsoft-teams/microsoft-teams-phone

There is a link to pricing, so you'll have to pay to get outside of the
VOIP system (i.e., have one endpoint *not* a VOIP client).

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/what-is-phone-system-in-office-365

When I had an MS 365 subscription (for 5 years), a monthly quota of 60
minutes of SkypeOut was included as a perk (along with upping OneDrive
storage to 1 TB for each up to 6 linked accounts).

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/skype/how-do-i-activate-my-microsoft-365-skype-minutes-01bacd19-7133-4d4f-bbd5-11a839714fe4

With Skype now dying, I don't know what will happen to that 60-minute
SkypeOut perk. The above article mentions you have to get a Microsoft
Calling Plan.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoftteams/calling-plans-for-office-365

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On Sat, 1 Mar 2025 12:36:31 -0600, VanguardLH wrote:

And yet, after uninstall, Microsoft would still push updates for
software that was not on your computer. Go figure. Perhaps they
figured you couldn't survive without Skype, and updated its support or ancilliary files just in case you later reinstalled it.

Haven't seen any updates for Skype since I removed it.

--
s|b

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Carlos E.R. <robin_listas@es.invalid> wrote:

On 2025-03-01 22:01, Frank Slootweg wrote:

[...]

Sorry for the confusion. See my response to Philip as to what Skype to >>> normal phones (Skype Credit) can do. It allows cheap calls *to*, *in*
and *from* foreign countries, all at a fixed price per country, no
matter where you - the caller - are. That is what I need, not just cheap >>> calls *to* another country.

[...]

Skype included a VOIP service if you paid extra. As mentioned, there
are lots of other VOIP providers. I'm not an expert on all VOIP
providers, so that research you'll have to do yourself.

I did not use a VOIP service from Skype and I'm not looking for a VOIP service.

I'm (mostly) looking for an app on an Android smartphone which allows
me to make cheap calls to normal phones (landline or mobile) from
anywhere in the world (i.e. where I happen to be) to anywhere in the
world. That is what Skype with 'Skype Credit' provides. That's not a
VOIP service. It might - and probably will - use VOIP in part of the
pipe from caller to callee, but it's not a VOIP service.

Actually, it is VoIP :-)

Not neccessarily and more to the point, as I wrote, it's not a VOIP *service*. I.e. the *user* does not enroll in any kind of VOIP service.

As to 'it' (Skype with Skype Credit) being VOIP, we have no way of
knowing what *protocol* is used to get from the Skype 'app' on the
user's device, via Skype's service/servers to the other end. There are
other audio transport mechanisms than VOIP and those transport
mechanisms do not necessarily use Internet Protocol.

But yes, as I wrote, *part* of the pipe from caller to callee will
probably use VOIP.

It is VoIP to the destination country, and then, via a gateway, it is
POTs to the destination phone. This is a service that any full service
VoIP company should be able to provide.

But Skype with Skype Credit, also called Skype Out (i.e. only
*outbound* calls) is *not* a "full service VoIP company", that's the
whole point!

BTW, in my case, the part to our destination phone *would* be VOIP!
:-)

[Irrelevant description of VOIP telephone service deleted.]

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s|b <me@privacy.invalid> wrote:

VanguardLH wrote:

And yet, after uninstall, Microsoft would still push updates for
software that was not on your computer. Go figure. Perhaps they
figured you couldn't survive without Skype, and updated its support or
ancilliary files just in case you later reinstalled it.

Haven't seen any updates for Skype since I removed it.

Do you read the release notes for every Windows update you've received
for 14 years? I found out by reading the release notes that some
updates pushed Skype updates. Unfortunately Microsoft release notes on
Windows updates have been getting more and more terse resulting in less information conveyed to users. After the updates, I would scan the
registry and file system to find Skype files that had been before
removed; i.e., I had to redo the remnant cleanup of something that was previously uninstalled and the remnant cleanup done at that time.

Be careful on registry remnant cleanup of Skype. MS Office updates also include a Skype server. If you have MS Office installed, take a look at:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID\{AAEC1DAE-CC06-4DA4-B762-56A76FD4B2FF}

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Local Settings\MrtCache\C:%5CProgram Files%5CWindowsApps%5CMicrosoft.SkypeApp_14.35.152.0_x64__kzf8qxf38zg5c%5Cmicrosoft.system.package.metadata%5CS-1-5-21-2131505889-2184669246-1466091326-1001-MergedResources-0.pri
and under C:\Program Files\WindowsApps
or do a search on "skype" in voidtools' [Search] Everything.

If Skype was uninstalled, why is there still a user profile folder for C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Roaming\Skype?

Skype for Business is a component of Microsoft 365 suite of products.
Remember I noted you got 60 minutes per month of Skype for free (along
with 1 TB per account) when you got their MS 365 products. You can try
to eradicate Skype, but WU and Office updates will update it. Back when
I saw Skype reappearing on my desktop computer, I didn't yet have MS
365. I just read the release notes for the Windows updates (when they
used to be informative), and then check and found resurrected files and registry entries after the updates.

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On Sun, 2 Mar 2025 14:07:04 -0600, VanguardLH wrote:

If Skype was uninstalled, why is there still a user profile folder for C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Roaming\Skype?

It's not there, but I uninstalled using Geek Uninstaller.

--
s|b

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s|b <me@privacy.invalid> wrote:

VanguardLH wrote:

If Skype was uninstalled, why is there still a user profile folder for
C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Roaming\Skype?

Doesn't the same thing happen when you uninstall Fx or TB?

I Thunderbird's or Firefox's uninstaller does not optionally offer to
delete data files, like profile folders, then I would consider them to
be dirty uninstallers.

The issue was Skype was uninstalled, and registry and file system
remnants were expunged. Yet later updates still applied updates to
Skype that wasn't there anymore.

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s|b <me@privacy.invalid> wrote:

VanguardLH wrote:

If Skype was uninstalled, why is there still a user profile folder for
C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Roaming\Skype?

It's not there, but I uninstalled using Geek Uninstaller.

Just checking: Do you now, or did you ever, have MS Office (or MS 365
with the local programs) installed? That includes components for Skype.

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On 2025-03-03 05:29, VanguardLH wrote:

s|b <me@privacy.invalid> wrote:

VanguardLH wrote:

If Skype was uninstalled, why is there still a user profile folder for
C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Roaming\Skype?

Doesn't the same thing happen when you uninstall Fx or TB?

I Thunderbird's or Firefox's uninstaller does not optionally offer to
delete data files, like profile folders, then I would consider them to
be dirty uninstallers.

That's intentional, the uninstall keeps the email that any user might
have downloaded. Thus if you later install again, the mails are there.

It is the same in Linux.


--
Cheers, Carlos.

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"Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> wrote:

On 2025-03-03 05:29, VanguardLH wrote:

s|b <me@privacy.invalid> wrote:

VanguardLH wrote:

If Skype was uninstalled, why is there still a user profile folder for >>>> C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Roaming\Skype?

Doesn't the same thing happen when you uninstall Fx or TB?

I Thunderbird's or Firefox's uninstaller does not optionally offer to
delete data files, like profile folders, then I would consider them to
be dirty uninstallers.

That's intentional, the uninstall keeps the email that any user might
have downloaded. Thus if you later install again, the mails are there.

So, a dirty uninstall. It should ask if you want to keep or discard.

Also, if using IMAP, all the e-mails are still there no matter which
IMAP client you [re]install on any platform. Only if you use POP are
the e-mails local. I left POP more than 2 decades ago.

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VanguardLH <V@nguard.LH> wrote:

"Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> wrote:

On 2025-03-03 05:29, VanguardLH wrote:

s|b <me@privacy.invalid> wrote:

VanguardLH wrote:

If Skype was uninstalled, why is there still a user profile folder for >>>>> C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Roaming\Skype?

Doesn't the same thing happen when you uninstall Fx or TB?

I Thunderbird's or Firefox's uninstaller does not optionally offer to
delete data files, like profile folders, then I would consider them to
be dirty uninstallers.

That's intentional, the uninstall keeps the email that any user might
have downloaded. Thus if you later install again, the mails are there.

So, a dirty uninstall. It should ask if you want to keep or discard.

Also, if using IMAP, all the e-mails are still there no matter which
IMAP client you [re]install on any platform. Only if you use POP are
the e-mails local. I left POP more than 2 decades ago.

But after uninstalling Firefox or Thunderbird, do they or their
components reappear in subsequent Windows updates? Nope.

When you uninstall Firefox, does it remove its background update
service? Only if that got left behind could something possible
reconstitute Firefox as part of some half-assed update that installed
some files, but didn't reinstall the program in full.

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On 2025-03-03 10:54, VanguardLH wrote:

VanguardLH <V@nguard.LH> wrote:

"Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> wrote:

...

But after uninstalling Firefox or Thunderbird, do they or their
components reappear in subsequent Windows updates? Nope.

Windows updates AFAIK never touch Mozilla products, they are third party.

When you uninstall Firefox, does it remove its background update
service? Only if that got left behind could something possible
reconstitute Firefox as part of some half-assed update that installed
some files, but didn't reinstall the program in full.

AFAIK it is removed. It is code.

--
Cheers, Carlos.

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On 2025-03-03 10:03, VanguardLH wrote:

"Carlos E.R." <robin_listas@es.invalid> wrote:

On 2025-03-03 05:29, VanguardLH wrote:

s|b <me@privacy.invalid> wrote:

VanguardLH wrote:

If Skype was uninstalled, why is there still a user profile folder for >>>>> C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Roaming\Skype?

Doesn't the same thing happen when you uninstall Fx or TB?

I Thunderbird's or Firefox's uninstaller does not optionally offer to
delete data files, like profile folders, then I would consider them to
be dirty uninstallers.

That's intentional, the uninstall keeps the email that any user might
have downloaded. Thus if you later install again, the mails are there.

So, a dirty uninstall. It should ask if you want to keep or discard.

Asking is a complication, you then need to add a bunch of complicated
code. Just play safe and do not erase user data. In a multiuser
environment you'd have to ask every single user.

Also, if using IMAP, all the e-mails are still there no matter which
IMAP client you [re]install on any platform. Only if you use POP are
the e-mails local. I left POP more than 2 decades ago.

No, you may move mail to local folders, manually or with filters. You
can have filters, and configurations. On multiple users.

--
Cheers, Carlos.

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On Mon, 03 Mar 2025 17:21:31 +0100, "s|b" <me@privacy.invalid> wrote:

On Sun, 2 Mar 2025 22:31:11 -0600, VanguardLH wrote:

Just checking: Do you now, or did you ever, have MS Office (or MS 365
with the local programs) installed? That includes components for Skype.

Nope, I've been using LibreOffice for years.

Nit to butt in (okay, so I am) but was Messy Orifice ever included in
the bloat that came with your new computer when you bought it?

It's included as a trial offer on many Windosed boxes. My 2013
machine still has it because I'm too lazy to bin the thing. :)

J.

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On Sun, 2 Mar 2025 22:31:11 -0600, VanguardLH wrote:

Just checking: Do you now, or did you ever, have MS Office (or MS 365
with the local programs) installed? That includes components for Skype.

Nope, I've been using LibreOffice for years.

--
s|b

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s|b <me@privacy.invalid> wrote:

VanguardLH wrote:

Just checking: Do you now, or did you ever, have MS Office (or MS 365
with the local programs) installed? That includes components for Skype.

Nope, I've been using LibreOffice for years.

I had MS Office, then MS 365, switched to LibreOffice for 2 years, and
switched back to MS Office. Back when Microsoft was pushing Skype
updates inside of Windows updates, but Skype was already uninstalled,
was so long ago that I cannot remember what I used back then for an
office suite.

Back then, I noticed Windows updates were dumping files for Skype onto
my desktop. The Skype program was not getting reinstalled. Just some ancilliary or library files were reappearing. Microsoft embedding stuff
in their Windows updates that are not described in their release notes
is not a new behavior nor an old behavior no longer committed. When researching a problem, or how to get rid of some unwanted "feature", you
find out it was delivered in a Windows update, but Microsoft didn't
inform anyone about it. You end up at AskWoody, or other web sites that analyze what changes an update commits.

With program installs, sometimes you get a custom option where you can
elect what components to include in the installation. Not so with
Windows updates. Microsoft assumes all their users are idiots which
cannot understand the technical aspects or jargon of updates. It's aAll
or nothing, but nowadays nothing just means later. This is in addition
to secret updates aka stealth updates you are never informed about.

https://mezha.media/en/2024/11/12/microsoft-covertly-updates-windows-10-to-force-users-to-upgrade-to-the-latest-version-of-windows-11/
https://www.techradar.com/computing/windows/microsoft-stealthily-installs-windows-10-update-to-nag-you-to-upgrade-to-windows-11-and-not-for-the-first-time

As with the embedded crap covertly bundled in a Windows update, you get
updates like this that users will see as just an update to the Windows
Update service, and think it's okay, and even wanted. Are stealth
updates new? Nope; see:

https://www.askwoody.com/newsletter/microsoft-updates-windows-without-users-consent/
dated 2007

Yes, the computer is your physical property, but Windows remains the
property of Microsoft, and they change their property however and
whenever they want.

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On Mon, 03 Mar 2025 16:53:52 +0000, John wrote:

Nit to butt in (okay, so I am) but was Messy Orifice ever included in
the bloat that came with your new computer when you bought it?

It's included as a trial offer on many Windosed boxes. My 2013
machine still has it because I'm too lazy to bin the thing. :)

Not to my knowledge. I chose the components myself, but let the shop
assemble it and install W11. Normally they don't install any other crap.

--
s|b

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In alt.comp.os.windows-10, on Fri, 28 Feb 2025 22:54:44 -0600,
VanguardLH <V@nguard.LH> wrote:

"Moving forward, we will no longer offer paid Skype features to new >customers,

So what will they offer to old customers? Or do they consider me a new
Teams customer even though I've had Skype for years?

That's probably it, but still they do have existing customers. Will they continue to offer them Skype credit calls to landlines?

including Skype Credit and subscriptions that allow you to
make and receive international and domestic calls."

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Op 1-3-2025 om 8:40 schreef Jan K.:

W Fri, 28 Feb 2025 22:54:44 -0600, VanguardLH napisal:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/02/28/microsoft-skype/

That article is inaccessible without an account.

Some day I'm going to figure out why I can see these things without an account but others can't see them. Maybe it's your browser? Or IP address?

Do you have NoScript ?

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On 2025-04-02 03:33, micky wrote:

In alt.comp.os.windows-10, on Fri, 28 Feb 2025 22:54:44 -0600,
VanguardLH <V@nguard.LH> wrote:

"Moving forward, we will no longer offer paid Skype features to new
customers,

So what will they offer to old customers? Or do they consider me a new Teams customer even though I've had Skype for years?

You will get an email from skype with the details.

That's probably it, but still they do have existing customers. Will they continue to offer them Skype credit calls to landlines?

including Skype Credit and subscriptions that allow you to
make and receive international and domestic calls."

--
Cheers, Carlos.

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Carlos E.R. <robin_listas@es.invalid> wrote:

On 2025-04-02 03:33, micky wrote:

In alt.comp.os.windows-10, on Fri, 28 Feb 2025 22:54:44 -0600,
VanguardLH <V@nguard.LH> wrote:

"Moving forward, we will no longer offer paid Skype features to new
customers,

So what will they offer to old customers? Or do they consider me a new Teams customer even though I've had Skype for years?

You will get an email from skype with the details.

I got an e-mail this morning. I rarely use Skype, but I really don't like Teams. :(
--
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." --Philippians 4:6. Crazy Caturday with Duke losing badly, <2h 1923 finale, protests, etc.
Note: A fixed width font (Courier, Monospace, etc.) is required to see this signature correctly.
/\___/\ Ant(Dude) @ http://aqfl.net & http://antfarm.home.dhs.org.
/ /\ /\ \ Please nuke ANT if replying by e-mail.
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