Really? After reading the "A silver needle in the Sky(pe)" .pdf for the first time, I've abandoned Skype in one swift swipe, and i don't see any problems with it. If anyone want to contact me on Skype, I said that I don't use it, cause it's dubious software written by guy with proven spyware background, and that even Skype is confirmed to leak user's private data in the past. Additionally, there are - better in every way - Free and easy to use alternatives (SIP).

If such users are interested WTF I'm talking about, I patiently explain, ending, most of the time, with said user slowly experiencing what real VoIP is. In other cases, well, it's user problem. Same for situations, where they don't care about spyware.

If majority of friends/relatives would start to inject themselves with heroine, it doesn't mean that I need to do the same, just because they're barely contactable otherwise :/

Summing it up, +1 for being glad that they kill skype, shooting own leg.

/Estel

Coincidentally or not, I am seeing a strange thing. I updated Skype this morning on my desktop. Later today I got an SMS from a Skype contact; the address book entry is a Skype contact who has entered their phone number into their Skype profile.

I can no longer see the sender's name when I open the SMS. The old SMSs in that Conversations thread, too, only show the phone number. Opening the contact card, indeed, the name is gone. The Skype avatar still shows in the SMS thread, but not the name only the phone number. Is it a sign of more things to come...errr disappear?

sure they did. Everybody knows about all other crappy closed services. Which I don't use and everybody look at me like I'm a weirdo. But on the other hand, at least no one bothers me all the time. My wife uses all those things and her phone is beeping all the time. I would go nuts in 3 days.
After all, if any of those services work so does the phone. Call me if you need me. Or send the SMS. They are mostly free and unlimited here.

i don't know what, if any, signals the desktop version uses, but maybe there'd be a way of detecting them and forwarding info to the n900 remotely. IIRC theres an app to use n900 as a webcam via wifi so maybe there is the most remote possibility that it could be done.

if you can post all holy methords in this thread it will help me and many others setting up a said service

Whilst I do not see the point in having three threads about the same thing, I would also be interested in the answer. I have tried a few open-source alternatives to Skype in the past and all of them sucked in one way or another.

Give me one that...
1. Does IM, VoIP*) and screen sharing in one application;
2. Can send and receive files at the same time;
3. Has a Windows**), Linux and Maemo client;
4. Has a UI that does not look like a 14 year old student's homework;
5. Is ideally peer-to-peer, without a central server
...and I will switch in a jiffy and become an evangelist sprrading the good word to everyone I know.

*) where the V stands for both Voice and Video
**) extremely important, no matter how much Estel may not like it.

PS
To Estel: Really. It is not just a matter of telling my relatives to stop calling me on Skype and start using Pidgin. It also means to make their contacts switch in a snowball effect. And for what? Because Skype does not work on my phone? An archaic phone with an obscure OS that no one has heard of? Get real. Use your PC or get a proper phone, would be the obvious answer.

(Head-smack to self)
Totally completely forgot.
There is a work around ...in a way.
I've been messing around with DID numbers for a couple years now...
Fairly easy to set up.
Works pretty good.
It essentially routes your calls to where you want them...
works with skype and gtalk and sip (I believe) ....as well of course with standard phones and cell phones.

So basically... technically.... on whatever computer....
you can set up and manage your call routing...
you normally can route your calls to skype and gtalk and sip and other providers ...or from phone to phone or create dummy phone numbers in other long distance area codes and your long distance contacts call THAT dummy number which is local for them from their own cell/ home/ skype/ gtalk/ sip phone...and the call routes to your ...say ....your homephone..or cell or..sip...or gtalk. or skype... So you aren't geo-locked to receive any calls.....or call out....and depending what service you route it to...no long distance charge for you.
Pretty darn cool
Pretty darn cheap
I got family all over and I wanted the most flexible method for them and myself.
So for me ..I set up 4 dummy local numbers where my sisters , mom, and uncle live ...they call that specific local dummy number...my skype rings..with the distinctive ring I set up for that family member .
costs me about 20 dollars a year for each dummy number.
alter where and how calls are received ...
each number has an answering machine you can simply or intricately setup....and with it you can view and listen to missed calls and messages to in your email
Pay by the month or months or year...or years...alter where and how calls are received ....and terminate when desired.
In this specific case it would be routing your skype numbered calls to gtalk or possibly sip ...never done routing FROM skype ...but I imagine it is do-able.
so you still can receive your skype calls from all those people who either won't or can't change from skype...
and even though skype for legacy is disappearing from OUR devices ...it doesn't matter.....
well..it IS a pain...
but it can quasi-comfortably be worked around ...
Crap...forgot again....
Yeah ...for me it is an irritation...I forgot...I gotta scramble now .....now I gotta reroute all my DID numbers that were going to my skype and at least temporarily reroute them to gtalk. It is easy-peasy to do...couple of clicks...
Gotta reroute them...at least for the time being to my gtalk (since I already have gtalk running on my n800's, n810's my laptops and such)...or my n800's won't be ringing (hehe....yeah I still use the old beasts daily ...more than any other )
and I'll be starting to get a few messages in my email...wondering if I'm ok.

oops...forgot again!...(it's early morning here and haven't quite woken up with mah coffee yet....)
No point in giving a link to a DID service site....DID companies are ALL over the web in every country...vying with each other (regardless of national or geo-location boundaries...you may favour a North or South American provider...or a European provider)... for my/ our/ your business...
Study-up on the process and methods of use...shop around for the best price and service and pick

well, after reading those post, I'm more interrested with Neo900!!! Freemantle is going to die!!!

What is the difference between old and new Linux clients? Is it only some sequence that we can fuddle with using a hex editor like we did with Flash, or is there also crypto involved?

Roger that. Skype 2.2, by default MS-free client on SLED 11 sp 2 got killed some 3 days ago. "Error connecting the server" is not solved by reinstalling the rpm package. Maemo version still breathing, though.