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44 Comments
- ahawks, on 10/12/2007, -1/+29If telemarketers are hindering Skype's services... Skype has to but alter the EULA, ban them, and be done with it. It's a private service, they have the right to pick who gets to use it and not.
Of course, finding the marketers might be hard, but they may be able to monitor which users are causing high load, or maybe let users report them. - radu79, on 10/12/2007, -1/+14Skype is a p2p system, it should not be affected by those telemarketing calls.
On the other hand, it is annoying, and it's much worse than spam. However, you can simply chose not to get calls from people not on your contact list. - prowlerdog, on 10/12/2007, -1/+12I am so glad this story is out there. I was the one who got that telemarketing call (en espanol) while speaking to the story's author, and, needless to say, was not the least bit happy about it. I, personally, choose not to block calls from people not on my contact list and, admittedly, I do get the occasional weird and unsolicited call from god knows who. But this was the first recorded telemarketing call I've received, and the very thought of getting blitzed with these calls on a regular basis really gets my blood boiling. I am hoping that we can nip this one in the bud before this cancer spreads throughout the entire Skype network.
- The_Decryptor, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7Why Are You Capitalising Every Word In Your Sentence?
- festivalman, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6Does it matter? just turn on the privacy option of buddy list calls only. This type of thing was solved years ago when the same type of ICQ and AIM spam started. Non-story...
- benb, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6Umm...did you read the article or the comments? The poster was on Skype when the person he was talking to got the call.
- Zonkzor, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5They've already stooped to calling people at home. Calling their computers is not a stretch.
- loganrapp, on 10/12/2007, -1/+6It's called first hand information. Occasionally, the article originates from a blog. When he mentions a lot of "I [did this]," and "I [did that]," it means there ISN'T an article to link to.
Clearly you just looked, said, "oh it is a blog" and felt the need to troll. You must be the type who just downgrades dissenting opinions, despite the fact that they may have a good point to make. - matatabe, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4You mean by posting all my information and making myself available on an open, easily searchable network people can contact me!>??!? What implications could this have for MySpace?!?!
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Just implement a "Report spam" button on the chat window. That simple.
- 15charmaxwtf, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4It Is A Disease.
- MikeMacMan, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4Does anyone realize that right now it is free to use skype to call any phone in the USA and Canada? Any sleezy telemarketing firm anywhere in the world could use it to call completely for free. Think about that. This could get much worse.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4It should be built into the licensing that Skype can be used commercially, but not for telemarketing. But then again, i'm not the owner.
- Silby, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4I doubt this is something that can be stopped. Eventually, VoIP services will become even more widespread to the point where they could become more popular than your standard phone.
Think of VoIP like the Mac (easily done for most diggers). It will slowly become more popular and popular and soon there will be widespread telemarketing on Skype just like eventually (unfortunately) there will be widespread viruses on Macs. And although Telemarketers can be blocked (just like spyware and viruses can be blocked) it will still grow and I doubt there is much we can do about it. - VSKBadCRC, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Very true, for me personally, if this does come to light, and who knows maybe it will, but you can always shut off Skype when you're not using it, I only use it to make out calls anyways, or sometimes to voicechat with friends that are out of town.
Personally, I'm not too woried about the whole thing. - nTensify, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4"but you can always shut off Skype when you're not using it"
Even more simple, couldn't you just set it up with a "Caller ID" system so you can tell who's calling you and screen your calls? If it's not someone you know, or someone you want to talk to, don't answer it.
That's how I use my Cell, I don't see why VoIP needs to be any different. - sspooner, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I call BS. It's in your privacy settings "Don't accept calls from people not on my contacts list"
What a crock. - MikeMacMan, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Skype calls are only routed through a 3rd party if both of the users are behind a firewall that prevents them from connecting to each other. Everyone else just connects directly to the other person on the phone call.
- Cbeck527, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3I hope advertising dosent stoop that low...
- loganrapp, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I'll give you that, but it doesn't have to be that way.
The Facebook (facebook.com) is quite open, but you have a much better signal to noise ratio than Myspace, using some very simple identity requirements. I think it's reasonably possible to make an open network relatively ordered and without the trash (within reason). - whackaxe, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2same as spam, as long as people buy into their *****, it's worth it
- thegsa, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4Yeah, A Couple Of Weeks Ago, I Got A Message From Someone In Hong Kong Offering Me Mandarin Lessons For 200 Bucks, But I Messed Around With Them So Much That They Blocked Me.
Hint: If You Want Them To Stop Calling You, Just Be An Extreme *****. - canadianguy33, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Ummm.....do you work for Vonage?
Is this the other VOIP providers idea of a scare tactic?
**start sarcasm**
"don't support Skype unless you want to be bombarded with calls from telemarketers!"
**end sarcasm**
:) - Pseudo98, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2My worst fear is that giant spiders and rats will cross breed to create a new creature that would lay webs capable of trapping humans to catch cheese, Skype certainly isn't involved.
- mookieXL, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I just wanted to say that. And when you expect call from someone who isn't on your list just switch to 'skype me' mode.
- daonlyfreez, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Why in *$%&'s name is this bogus 'panic' story dugg to the front page?
It's easy, just open Skype, go to the menu 'Tools' -> 'Options' -> go to tab 'Privacy':
Now you can tick your wanted options, being: Allow calls/chats from (anyone | only people from my Contacts | only people I have shared my details with)
Select one of the latter two, and no way you will receive Spanish telemarketing calls.
Remember the AIM/ICQ days? You'd get spam bots/unwanted messages too if you left your nick for anybody to find on the network.
Would you be surprised to get spam e-mails if you left your e-mail address on every web page you visited?
Duh... - fggarnett, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1this is just ridiculous, i think that anyone that will want to do that is just an idiot. the buddy list privacy feature is there for a reason but why should we even have to do that. ban the telemarketers
- Zonkzor, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2What's their Skype ID?
- nikkesen, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I've received telemarketting calls on my cellphone. This doesn't surprise me. Telemarketting companies have double standard policy; one that forces the CSRs to follow one set of ethics and then on the other ignore the law.
- konspence, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Actually we don't all share bandwidth; there are Skype "servers", which are Skype clients seen with a huge uptime and lots of bandwidth.
- dbr_onix, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Isn't that the default setting? I don't really see many reasons to allow anyone not on your contact list to phone you
But this isn't really a new big scarey thing, it's an extension/combination of spam-email and normal telemarketing, but made easier by the fact you could extremely easily automate it to call a bunch of harvested skype-names from any number of freely setup skype-names, and there's not nearly as much restriction on online marketing as there is in "the real world", and it's easier online, which explains the ammount of spam-email, and online adverts, and you can opt out of telemarketing phonecalls if you speak to your service provider, British Telecomms have a "BT Privacy" service that does this, if we get any telemarketing phonecalls, you just tell them your on this list and they never call again
- Ben - gatorsrule21, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2It's not my worst fear... but I wouldn't like it.
- jonstafari, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0so when i get a telemarketing call on my cell phone maybe i should digg it ;-p
yeah, it'll suck to get voipspam, but it was bound to happen. honestly, it's not _that_ big of a deal... and it seems like people think this "problem" isnt fixable -- block the caller, ip and set your privacy options properly = fixed
lame - cablemonkey, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Two words....IP blocking
- konspence, on 10/12/2007, -3/+3The same way Tor isn't affected by people using it for Bittorrent? Oh wait......
p2p doesn't make it invincible.
Calls are routed through servers still, just in a p2p fashion. - editopen, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Skype is based on Kazaa - we all share bandwidth even if we are inactive
- TheRooster1972, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0To think that our beloved Skype is going to the dogs! Having said that I am really not sure what Skype or anyone else can do about it. If we are to maintain a free economy where capitalism and free speech prevail then how can these activities realistically be blocked or restricted. If marketers want to use Skype, the Internet, a billboard or the TV to advertise then we can not stop them in a free world. Although I agree it sucks and it is just another thing that is going to annoy us in the age in which we live. Are we just pissed off or are we saying it is wrong because we have not had to put up with it before. It was only a matter of time.
The greatest thing is that a great mate, co-host and friend broke a huge story. - canonman, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Here in Taiwan this is actually quite common, at least across the text-based chat system. Fortunately I've always been away when these people call but I often come back to my computer with a few chat windows open and gobbledygook in Chinese sprawled across the screen. Whats even freakier is that I've never given my Skype ID to anyone other than my parents, hell, I don't even know what my Skype ID is!
- forestflyer, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Lame rumor-mongering. Completely bogus panic story. This is the kind of bull that does damage to a good thing.
I have no excess love for ebay, but Skype has been very, very good to me, and to you. It's only a big company, but it beats the hell out of Vonage and other rip-offs. It's one thing to lament telemarketing, but to jump to this conclusion is bogus.
Based on one (1) incident, he writes:
"This is my own blog entry but I feel it is important enough digg because it could be such a massive deal. Looks like telemarketing has finally invaded Skype and may already being seriously hampering its connectivity and quality."
Wow.
Based on one incident. I agree with the guy above who says:
"Ummm.....do you work for Vonage?
Is this the other VOIP providers idea of a scare tactic?
**start sarcasm**
"don't support Skype unless you want to be bombarded with calls from telemarketers!"
**end sarcasm** "
Blogs are mostly empty echo-chambers (mine included). This is a perfect example. - ddales, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0Buddy lists and privacy options may be able to block certain unwanted calls but that's not the point. The point is, if telemarketing firms start using skype in large scale, they will eat up the bandwidth and degregate service. That is a problem for everyone even if it's impossible for a telemarketing call to actually get through to you.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2@konspence
Tor has many fewer peers than skype does. I can with out a doubt claim telemarking was not the cause of their connection woes. Why? The amount of telemarketing calls would have to be so big that we'd be hearing alot more buzz about it. Yet we don't. Hench it was just a coincidence thrown in to spice up a blog post to put on digg. Like other's have said...soon as Skype changes the EULA these people are gone. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1if this does happen, skype (eBay) has two choices.
a.) let this happen and remove blocking features in its program for $$$$$
b.) stop this and change the EULA so that telemarketing is not allowed, or allow users to choose weather there skype name/number is Private or a public number.
because this is eBay, i think they might choose option A :'(
_______
http://www.i-o-n.blogspot.com - synacktion, on 10/12/2007, -2/+0ok... and then you get another call from someone else (4,294,967,296 possible someone elses in theory).
- poipoipoi, on 10/12/2007, -13/+2and how about linking to wherever YOU learned this info, instead of your blog?
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