Gripes From Skype Users After eBay Buy-Out

[David Farber <dave () farber net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Dewayne Hendricks <dewayne () warpspeed com>
Date: September 19, 2005 11:34:50 PM EDT
To: Dewayne-Net Technology List <dewayne-net () warpspeed com>
Subject: [Dewayne-Net] Gripes From Skype Users After eBay Buy-Out
Reply-To: dewayne () warpspeed com


[Note:  This item comes from reader Steve Schear.  DLH]


> From: Steve Schear <s.schear () comcast net>
> Date: September 19, 2005 3:29:28 PM PDT
> To: dewayne-net () warpspeed com
> Subject: Gripes From Skype Users After eBay Buy-Out
>
>
> Gripes From Skype Users After eBay Buy-Out
> By  Reuters
> September 13, 2005
>
>
> LONDON (Reuters) eBay's acquisition of Skype could be worth up to  
> $4.1 billion to investors in the Internet telephony start-up, but  
> it is getting mixed reviews from Skype's fervent supporters.
>
> It was the hard-core Skype fans whose word-of-mouth advertising  
> helped it become the world's largest voice over Internet protocol  
> (VOIP) provider without spending a penny on marketing. It has some  
> 54 million registered users and usually has more than 3.5 million  
> people online.
>
> But the sale to eBay could signal the end of the evangelical zeal  
> from users that drove Skype's rapid growth. Its software which  
> offers free computer-to-computer calls between Skype users has  
> spread in classic viral fashion, as each new user convinces friends  
> and family to sign up.
>
> In a poll on the forums, 69 percent of users said the acquisition  
> is not a good thing, compared with 23 percent in favor of the deal.
>
> "In my opinion, the takeover by eBay means to me possibly and  
> probably the end of free Skype services. I anticipate a very bad  
> future for us here but I sincerely hope I am wrong," the Skype user  
> Alan2 wrote on Monday. Users also raised concerns that the purchase  
> of the Luxembourg-based Skype by a U.S. company could mean new  
> legal constraints on the service.
>
> More at: <http://www.eweek.com/article2/0,1895,1858664,00.asp>

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