[clug] Calling all Linux n00bs

[Alex Satrapa]

On 11/06/2009, at 08:32 , Felix Karpfen wrote:

> To be explored.  To me it sounded very like some of the features  
> currently
> provided by "Skype".

Skype is based on proprietary standards, and does wonderful things  
like turn your connection into a "supernode" if you have halfways  
decent bandwidth. What this means is that no other software can  
interact with Skype without the Skype company's blessing, and  
furthermore Skype will use your connection to host calls for other  
people you don't know (ie: chew up your bandwidth without your  
permission).

If you use Skype you can only talk to other Skype users. SkypeIn and  
SkypeOut let people with landline telephones make or receive calls  
from Skype users of course.

Alternatives to Skype are mainly based on the SIP and H.323 open  
standards, for examples check out the "Clients" section of the "List  
of SIP software[SIP]_" on Wikipedia. GizmoProject provides similar  
POTS in/out capability to Skype.

Tools like Asterisk will let you build your own VoiP services,  
allowing you to do funky stuff like route all local calls through the  
local POTS connection, while sending long-distance or International  
calls through an "IP Communications Service Provider"[AST]. You can do  
that with Skype too, but you are tied to Skype's rates, and Skype's  
service area.

For people who like just downloading software and paying someone else  
to do the technical stuff, you could do worse than GizmoProject. Their  
software is not FOSS, but both the software and the service are  
intended to be interoperable with other SIP products. From my reading,  
the SIPphone company (the people behind Gizmo5/GizmoProject) is aiming  
to make money by having you pay for their services, not their software.

Stay away from Skype, it's a trap for the unaware in the same way that  
Microsoft Word is.

Regards
Alex

.. [SIP] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_SIP_software
.. [AST] http://www.onlamp.com/pub/a/onlamp/2004/01/22/asterisk2.html

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