Voice messenger for Ubuntu 7.04

[Jonathan Kaye]

Harold Hartley wrote:
<snip>

> I just want to say that if there is a linux app that is proprietory and
> runs well on linux, big deal.
> I run some proprietory apps on my linux box too, but its made for linux.
> Its not like I'm running a app for windows in wine, but as long as the
> app is made for linux.
> It sounds like some people think that all linux apps have to be open
> source showing the source code. Well it doesn't have to as long as its
> made for linux is the main thing. The more apps made to run on linux the
> better wether its open source or proprietory.
> Thats just my 2 cent.
> 
> Harold
Hi Harold,
I think we need to make a distinction between a proprietary app and a
proprietary PROTOCOL. Skype uses a proprietary protocol and this means that
the only client that can use the skype voip protocol is a skype client. So
when you use skype you force someone else to use it too, if they want to
communicate with you. Compare this with SIP (Session Initiation Protocol)
which is open and not proprietary. There are loads of SIP clients, some
proprietary others not. For example sjphone, which uses SIP, is a
proprietary client but unlike skype, if you use sjphone you don't force
anyone else to use sjphone. It happens that my friend uses sjphone on his
Mac. I used to use sjphone but now I use Twinklephone, open source. I use
it not because it's opensource but because it is better (or at least I
prefer it to sjphone). Someone using sjphone or any other SIP proprietary
client does not restrict my freedom. You using Skype do restrict my
freedom. You force me to use Skype which I don't care to do.

I hope that clarifies some (not all) of our objections to Skype. You might
want to compare the version numbers and features of Skype for Windows, Mac
or Linux. You'll notice a big difference.

That's my cinc cèntimes.
Jonathan

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