dancilley wrote: ↑January 11th, 2024, 12:11 am
Winston wrote: ↑April 4th, 2013, 8:41 am
Microsoft owns Skype now, so they are going to f**k it up.
Due to the fact that I now have a desktop computer with cable internet and connected via ethernet cable, and I don't even have cell phone service, yesterday I subscribed to Skype so that I could call numbers (they have a 30-day free trial, by the way...but it's only $2.99 per month anyway).
After I subscribed, I used Mozilla Firefox browser in order to try to call someone using the web version of Skype.
What happened was, when I called a company, when it asked, "Press 1 for English," the pressing of the 1 did nothing. It made a tone, but it acted as though it didn't communicate any information. Insane. By the way, this has happened to me when using cell phones.
At least on the website, it did have a warning saying, "This browser has limited functionality with Skype," or something like that.
So what I did, is I decided to download the Microsoft Edge browser.
I am using Linux, so it's not easy to do that.
I ultimately did successfully install it.
I made another call, and it...worked. When I pressed 1 for English, it worked, and I was able to navigate through the menu normally, etc.
Also, it says that Skype is not intended to be a replacement for your primary phone, so that is good that they say that.
I haven't used skype in years. I don't know if they are still giving away phone numbers, but I got a Google phone number years ago. They have changed the platform to use the number on once or twice, but now it's voice.google.com. I think domestic calls are free, and international calls are cheap. I think I pay 3 cents a minute to call a land line in Indonesia. It used to be 8 or 9 cents a minute to call a cell phone. It is uncertain whether it will connect, and sometimes you get charged, maybe, if it doesn't connect on the Indonesian end, but I think the problem is on the Indonesian telecommunications side, so there isn't much to do about that.
Skype got messed up really bad after Yahoo bought it. My password stopped working. They took 5 or 10 dollars or so of my money and changed my password. I hadn't used it for years. I was going to do a telephone interview for a job once and I hadn't caught the email that said it would be on Skype. The job I ended up with paid better anyway, and is actually near a city where there are some restaurants and a few things to do.
But overall, obviously, it seems they intentionally design the software so that it doesn't work properly on Firefox, so that you have to download the Microsoft Edge browser.
They try to act as though their software is the only software to buy, and that there are no other options. They make a deal with Dell and all the manufacturers for the manufacturer to pre-install their proprietary software.
I use Windows so Edge is in there already. I used to not use it unless I absolutely had to, but Bing chat bot has a search feature and it is pretty powerful and a time saver. I think they switched to chat GPT, and since it has been a bit more friendly and helpful. It used to be kind of passive aggressive.
They act as though Microsoft Word, Excel, etc. are the only word processing applications. It's funny how open-source versions of such are free.
If I just did word processing, I'd use Open Office, which has something like word that is very similar and easy to use, and something like Excel. But their spreadsheet uses a different code for functions, and I'm not learning a different version of Excel code with stuff placed differently and ; instead of , so I am still using Microsoft products. But I bought 2007 Office to go on four computers at a time, and I just keep using that on my personal computers, and the up-to-date version on my work computer. It isn't that much different, except the new read-out-loud is good.
I am thinking about buying a one-computer updated Office package with read-out-loud because they may turn it all to virtual subscriptions one day.
Then, everyone gets used to using Microsoft Windows, and isn't familiar with any other operating systems, like Linux, which is free.
You said it wasn't easy to install Edge on Linux. I used Linux for a class once, and I've used it a couple of times to get into computers where someone lost the password for it. I found it frustrating in the class (seminar actually) I used it for not to be able to quickly find stuff. Mac was the same way.
Then Windows crashes, has viruses, etc. and you either decide to buy a whole new PC (with a newer, "improved" Windows version), or you purchase anti-virus software.
It's funny how Linux never gets viruses.
I hate VOIP technology anyway. I hate cell phones too.
I am going to pay the price for a real, traditional, landline service.
So-called land lines these days are often VOIP bundled with internet service.
It sucks that payphones are not expected to be available anymore. There should always be a payphone everywhere, at supermarkets, libraries, airports, restaurants, etc.
I miss that but they wouldn't have enough customers to justify the expense. If you have a computer, you can probably get a google phone number. You can have calls forwarded to another number if you aren't online to receive the call. Texts can go to your email, or could the last I got one.
I hate the concept of using mobile technology for situations that are not mobile. If you are at home, you should use a landline. If you are at home, you should use a wired internet connection. If you are traveling, then that deems it reasonable to use a VOIP connection, say if you are at an airport or in a coffee shop that has WIFI...but that's only because payphones don't exist. If you are literally outside, away from buildings that should have a payphone, that is the reason to use cellular voice/VOLTE.
There should be an operator, where you pick up the wooden phone thingy, put it to your ear, and say, "Mable, patch me through to Mr. Winston in Carson city." That's the kind of stuff they had in old movies. Why can't we have it today? The technology platforms are going to keep changing. We can't do much about that. When I was a kid, we used rotary dial and listened to music and recordings on cassette tapes or the record player. My parents generation had four-track, then eight-track before the other tapes came out.
However, companies act as though you need their services, even though you don't. For example, if I have a cable internet connection at home, I don't need 30GB data on my smartphone.
If I do not use a lot of data, I pay about 13.50 a month for TrackFone. I get the 25 dollar plan for 60 days. Mint has some cheap deals for unlimited also.
When I'm home, I've got wi-fi. When I'm at work, I've got wi-fi. I need wi-fi occasionally if I want to talk to my GPS or look something up while I am out or about. I used to get free wi-fi at Walmart, but now I have to read an agreement and agree to tracking for that, so I just use the paid wi-fi. I set the button for the data connection to show up at the top of my phone on the first screen and turn it on and off as I use it to prevent it from just disappearing.
Winston wrote: ↑May 19th, 2013, 5:47 pm
Why does Microsoft have to keep making new versions of Windows? Why can't it just make a stable version and stick with it?
Because they are trying to make as much money as possible. They come out with a "brand new" operating system, and people buy it because they think it is totally superior to the last version...when there isn't actually much difference.
Ever since I became aware of conspiracy theorists talking about Bill Gates being a globalist...I put two and two together and realized that Microsoft Windows crashing, susceptibility to viruses, requiring updates, etc. is probably intentional; it's designed to frustrate you intentionally.
There's a lot of sociopathic, evil people in the world who get pleasure from deceiving and having power over others.
It might be about money. It is possible they don't make their software _too_ stable so people will upgrade. They also stop supporting software with anti-hacking patches and stuff to force people to fork over more money every few years for a 'downdated' software which removes useful features and puts stuff you have learned to access in some other place in the software. It's frustrating. Maybe on the backend, they are improving security. They also make their software larger to use up more computing space as computer manufacturers add that.
During the Obama administration, Microsoft squeezed the US government into updating from XP. I thought that was foolish. Most of Microsoft's value is given to it by Congress, who has power to grant copyrights.
I was thinking Obama should have tried to lobby Congress a bit on this or just used federal power to purchase XP by eminent domain. The government could argue that since Microsoft wasn't supporting or selling XP anymore, it wasn't worth much, then have a little government organization come out with updates, and run the whole government on XP, then sell XP to vendors to sell to the public.
I also think Congress should shorten copyright protection for software to 10 or 20 years. If software and computing is 7 times faster than the rest of the economy, then how about 70/7 for copyrights? Don't drugs have a 20 year window for IP protection, from start of development before FDA approval? They end up with maybe 7 years to sell junk at a high price before it goes generic.
The government is interfering with free enterprise by granting intellectual property protection, requiring medical licenses (state level), etc. These are all government interference in the free market. Copyright protection is not an inalienable right. Generally, it is for the good of the economy to have it, but when you end up with near monopolies, it is no longer good for society.
