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Re: SKYPE

• callaghan159 6,457 Posts

  Sat, Mar 1 2025 3:46 AM

  I just seen a headline on CNN that skype is shutting down. Never heard the reasons why and I know some clubs use skype for chattting. Thoughts anyone? Cheers

• ScottHope 10,677 Posts

  Sat, Mar 1 2025 4:09 AM

  Goodbye Skype, hello Teams.

• FuturaUK 1,818 Posts

  Mon, Mar 3 2025 9:34 PM

  One main problem I have with Microsoft Teams... 

  You only get 1 hour of voice or video call chat ( for a group chat).

  You have to pay for it if you want a group chat for more than 1 hour. Having the chat room closed down would be a nuisance.

  Overall I do like Microsoft Team, but I am not sure it will be the 'right place' for the club I am in.

  There are so many 'unknowns' with it that is being looking into, if we were to pay the subscription.

  Such as:

  If the 'subscriber' opens the chat room and is the first to leave, will the room remain open once the 'free hour' has been reached?

  If the 'subscriber' is not the person to open the room but joins it after its opened, does the room become 'unlimited time' or does it closed after an hour?

  The club I am in meet up every day at 6pm GMT for a chat and games of golf. Generally there are between 6 to 12 of us that do that. We get sorted into teams of 3 or 4, organise a course and then play/chat. We are generally on for 1.5 hours.

  The idea of having to open another room and all join that is not something I wanna have to contemplate, as having to do it mid shot/game  wont be enjoyable.

  We are currently looking at other options.

  Discord is AT THE BOTTOM OF THE LIST OF OPTIONS !! lol

• BlackBogey 641 Posts

  Tue, Mar 4 2025 4:00 AM

  ScottHope:

  Goodbye Skype, hello Teams.

  For businesses yes, if they haven't already switched.  I've been involved with several large companies in the last 10-15 years and they all use Teams as the primary mode of communication, and when I've had to attend virtual meetings with someone outside these companies only 1 required Skype, so writing was on the wall.  Teams just has so many other things that are nice for sharing info among colleagues in addition to the voice/video calls, and it all ties in fairly seamlessly with other Microsoft programs.

  For WGT Discord is the only way to go for sharing info and streaming info with club mates.

   

• FuturaUK 1,818 Posts

  Tue, Mar 4 2025 10:13 PM

  Unfortunately Discord requires a minimum of Windows 10, I believe.

  There are a number of people who still play this game on Windows 8 or less and are not in a position to 'upgrade'.

  I know that's a personal choice, but a club owner who cares about ALL of their members, would not be able to use Discord as their method of uniting all of their members for 'CLUB  chat/games.

  I am still trying to find places that will be able to accommodate ALL people, no matter what device or system they use (but primarily using a PC) AND not restrict 'voice call time' to 1 hour or less without having to pay a subscription.

  So far I have found 'telegram' that seems to be a viable option', but I have to do a lot more investigation on that one lol.

  Microsoft Team is a good service but would require a subscription for 'longer calls' :(  

  I have researched, using co-pilot, and came up with this (I have yet to investigate any of these fully, but will do soon): 

  Here are some chat service providers that allow group voice chats lasting more than an hour, without requiring a subscription, and are compatible with Windows XP or earlier:

  1. Mumble: An open-source, low-latency voice chat software that supports group chats without any subscription. It works with Windows XP and earlier versions
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     .
  2. TeamSpeak 3: Known for its high-quality voice chat, TeamSpeak 3 offers free group voice chats and is compatible with Windows XP
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     .
  3. Ventrilo: Another free voice chat service that supports group chats and works with Windows XP

  I am not sure if this will be helpful to others, but thought I would put it on here anyway.