2018-07-17 03:48:53 (edited by TheGreatCarver 2018-08-06 20:47:40)

UPDATE!

Microsoft have extended the lifetime of Skype 7 for the foreseeable future. You can read more here

Note: I have left the content of my original post untouched. Please be aware that not all the information below is accurate.

Hello All,

Well, we knew this was going to happen. According to Microsoft, Skype Classic will be discontinued on September 1, 2018.

https://blogs.skype.com/news/2018/07/16 … r-desktop/

Lovely. that explains why I've been seeing that update message every time I try to use Skype. So now, we either have to use the Electron app, or the one built into Windows 10.

There is some hope. Doug Lee has written some scripts for JAWS, and an addon for NVDA, to make the Skype electron App more usable. Here are the links:

Skype 8 (Electron app, Skype for Windows older than 10) JAWS scripts

Skype 8 (Electron app, Skype for Windows older than 10) NVDA addon (direct link)

Skype UWP (Skype for windows 10) JAWS scripts

NVDA support for SKYPE UWP (Windows 10) is built into the Windows 10 App Essentials addon, written by Joseph Lee, Derek Riemer and other Windows 10 users. You can find more information at:

https://addons.nvda-project.org/addons/ … ps.en.html

Hope that helps make this miserable transition better.

The Beast continued its studies with renewed Focus, building great Reference works and contemplating new Realities. The Beast brought forth its followers and acolytes to create a renewed smaller form of itself and, through Mischievous means, sent it out across the world.
from The Book of Mozilla, 6:27

2018-07-17 03:55:07

I'm of the mindset fuck skype anymore. But yeah, I have been using the UWP version, and I don't like it, I also don't generally like electron apps since they're so bulky and just don't feel right.

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2018-07-17 04:27:01

This gonna sucks. Trying to find an alternative

2018-07-17 04:45:26 (edited by Draq 2018-07-17 04:45:57)

Agreed. I still don't understand why they have to fuck up the interface like this. No split window view is going to make things ridiculous. What are we supposed to do, go through every conversation to see if anyone said something new?? *sighs*

2018-07-17 04:54:13

Why isn't there an alternative? Are sighted people sufficiently satisfied with Skype / Facebook / Snapchat that a decent IM client wouldn't get traction? I don't think Skype is popular enough to rule the market (I know people who used Skype only grudgingly after they discontinued WLM and the like, and have avoided it ever since Facebook and Snapchat provided an alternative).

The thing that really bugs me about this isn't that there isn't a decent IM platform accessible to us. It's that there was, nay, were, when the Skype API was available. Kinda like how we had good 3d sound and EAX in the late 1990s, then we didn't, because it was all under patent and strict licenses and the companies that controlled them failed. Except, in this case, the companies involved did not, in fact, fail. They just deliberately keep destroying things. That it happens that these things are better than their replacements takes second place to the general public's preference for shiny new things, I guess. I'm sure there's some reason that is good and decent, but gah what happened to the fantasy that anyone could fill a niche on the internet, rather than technology being controlled by four or five titans? And it has to be four or five, since that protects them from antitrust suits.

Skype has always been crap. Facebook Messenger goes back and fourth, but is currently refusing to let me enter messages (last week it would just crash when I'd open a conversation). Is there anything whatsoever that will fill the gaping hole left by the death of the 2000s IM clients? Are we really the only people who need something more like them than what we have now?

看過來!
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2018-07-17 05:12:55

I use Miranda NG for Facebook messages, and sometimes simply use m.facebook.com.

2018-07-17 06:05:15

byebye, skype! is microsoft the only company i know who is forcing people to use their new stupid inaccessible useless products?

2018-07-17 06:09:18

Saying it's inaccessible may be taking things too far. Is it ridiculous? Yes. Is it a pain to use compared to the classic version? Yes. Is it inaccessible? No. Accessibility isn't the problem.

2018-07-17 07:06:25

By "stop working", will they mean the client will fail to log in or will it be forcefully removed?

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2018-07-17 07:18:21

Well, I've read the blog post and I was like, I better upgrade before they make me.
I find it accessible but ug, the interface is just, horrible.
In the classic skype you can see the person online status and their mood message by just arrowing down through the list, now god knows how you can do it.
Plus, no split view? just meh.
And I also can't find a way to return back to old messages history like in the old skype.
It is accessible, and even usable if you push your self using it, but personally, I honestly don't use skype as much as I did in the past, so this makes me wanna delete the app and be done with it

2018-07-17 07:20:36

I suspect it'll just refuse to sign in.

2018-07-17 08:44:03

Great. Just great. First, Twitter kicks out every App, that made their service fun and easy to use. And now, Microsoft wants to force people, to use their new, crappy app.
Well, I guess, I will get rid of both then.
For alternatives, I started to use Hangouts lately. It works pretty good so far.

2018-07-17 08:50:09

my nvda crashes when i open that shit, so yeah it is

2018-07-17 09:20:33

Hello new world, where desktop is being put aside and everyone's being forced to work on shitty tablet-like interfaces.
Why do you think skype junked the split view, so you can't have one window per conversation.
Because  duh, the new laptops that are sorta also tablets that you wiggle your fingers around and magic happen wouldn't look cool with everything being in different windows.
so freaking Ironic, Microsoft windows... skype.......no split windows.....

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2018-07-17 09:33:34

the player wrote:

Great. Just great. First, Twitter kicks out every App, that made their service fun and easy to use. And now, Microsoft wants to force people, to use their new, crappy app.
Well, I guess, I will get rid of both then.
For alternatives, I started to use Hangouts lately. It works pretty good so far.

that's not true regarding twitter. use the twblue snapshot. it works pretty well. regarding the chicken nugget, i'm disapointed how the devs aren't even announcing anything about it. but anyways.

2018-07-17 10:30:37

That's good IMO. People have to learn new things every day!

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2018-07-17 10:45:11

vlad25 wrote:
the player wrote:

Great. Just great. First, Twitter kicks out every App, that made their service fun and easy to use. And now, Microsoft wants to force people, to use their new, crappy app.
Well, I guess, I will get rid of both then.
For alternatives, I started to use Hangouts lately. It works pretty good so far.

that's not true regarding twitter. use the twblue snapshot. it works pretty well. regarding the chicken nugget, i'm disapointed how the devs aren't even announcing anything about it. but anyways.


I was actually talking about Twitter's new API, which will be effective on august 16th. I am not sure, how useful TWBlue will be after that.

2018-07-17 11:20:17

nuno69 wrote:

That's good IMO. People have to learn new things every day!

Sometimes change is good, I agree. It's not always good when people are forced to use whatever crap developers decide to throw at them. If people wanted to use a tablet interface,, they'd use a tablet. If people buy desktops, then uh... They probably want to use good old desktop programs with normal interfaces. Perhaps one day developers will see this, perhaps they won't. Time will tell.

As it is, I don't think any amount of complaining will do anything once Microsoft is set on replacing something. See the replaceing of Windows Live with Skype as an example. As long as enough people continue to simply use whatever gets thrown at them, Microsoft will call it a success. It's always possible that this'll turn out like Windows 8 and they'll go back on it, but again, time will tell. Unfortunately, I'll be one of those who'll have to just suck it up and use the new Skype when the classic version drops dead. Pisses me right off it does, but what else can I do other than drop skype? maybe the fact that I have no choice is what gets me more than the change itself. Hmm.

2018-07-17 11:44:59

Personally I think it's best to roll with the punches. I do agree the Skype 8 interface is rather annoying in some areas, but I'd be better off learning the new interface rather than dig my heals in, stick with the old version and get left behind. But heh, that's just me, and if there was a thumbs down button people will probably mash it 65536 times a second because they hate my opinion, so yeah. big_smile

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2018-07-17 11:59:41

It's not so much that you'll be left behind. It's more like you'll be hsut out. They basically say it's time to upprade or you won't be able to use Skype. Left behind would be more like continuing to use XP or Vista after extended support was dropped. I do get why they would drop an older version. I don't get why they would drop an older version in favor of something obviously inferior.

2018-07-17 14:36:53

very very lame
I think time to stop the using their crappy app,  don't get me wrong, they wanting to force you upgrade to windows 10
their interface are not good for me
if you have older laptop with windows 7 etc,  you will be stuck,  so that means you cannot use classic skype in your windows 7 machine
I've just stopped using fb, tw already,  my alternatives is wp,  viber, google duo, or imo,  they are good and accessible in the phones.

2018-07-17 14:43:38

You wont be stuck. Skype 8 is a solid web app, I use it on Windows 10 and it will work on older Windows versions too so nobody actually forces you to update windows just yet.

2018-07-17 14:52:45

Shit, shit, shit.

2018-07-17 15:36:17

Ethin wrote:

By "stop working", will they mean the client will fail to log in or will it be forcefully removed?

Most likely, it will refuse to connect. I have no idea though, as Microsoft hasn't given us that much information.

The Beast continued its studies with renewed Focus, building great Reference works and contemplating new Realities. The Beast brought forth its followers and acolytes to create a renewed smaller form of itself and, through Mischievous means, sent it out across the world.
from The Book of Mozilla, 6:27

2018-07-17 16:20:57

And once again Skype screws us all over and forces us over to their shitty new tablet interface. Like someone so rightly said before, desktop is for desktop apps, not this. What's even worse is that on the mac there's absolutely nothing that can be done other than changing the interface back, because fuck it, voiceover can't be scripted. oh well. If we remember skype for power pc, that stopped working a long time ago but there's a hack to convince it that it's running a later version when really it's not. If the same trick can be pulled for this I'm sure that skype7 on the mac will work at least, but windows is going to harder to convince.