GGoogle chat vs Skype

[Roger]

On 25/09/11 00:16, Aaron Konstam wrote:
> On Sat, 2011-09-24 at 09:23 +1000, Roger wrote:
>>> How are Skype users addressed? I suppose I am OK if I know their
>>> telephone number.
>> Skype, for me on Unbuntu and Fedora took about a few seconds to install.
>> Read the skype instructions for how to use.
>> To use, you need the skype addresses of the people you wish to contact,
>> from memory there are lists of skype users that you can choose from.
>> If yo want to telephone people using skype that's another matter.
>> Roger
> I assume you are saying that you can only contact people who use Skype
> when their computers are on.
> The phone company is glad to give me peoples phone numbers, so that
> seems like a better way to reach people. But it seems to me that the
> Google products allow Skype-like communication including video
> conferencing.
As I understand it, there seem to be 2 ways to use skype, ekiga, Bosix, 
etc and probably google.
skype to skype,  and skype to telephone.
skype to skype is free of charge, that's the one I refer to.

For skype to telephone you pay skype in advance by opening an account 
and can make calls as you wish to the value of the account. I would 
assume that would similarly apply to google.
Some of my associates who are in frequent international contact have 
skype acounts. They have VOIP telephones and modems. Bigpond in 
Australia disables VOIP in the Thompson Gateway modems.

Skype, Bosix and similar have video and conferencing, I discuss our 
Drupal cms development on skype conference and the others involved have 
video. I can see them, they cannot see me.
Bandwidth is a problem in non city areas. Conference calls drop out very 
very often and this I feel would apply to any service which relies on 
copper cabling and inadequate resources in the exchanges.

I read somewhere that greater stability can be purchased through/with an 
account.

I use skype because my associates have it. Some however are going over 
to Bosix which is reputed to be more stable and more secure with better 
video and conferencing, I have no knowledge on this.

Because google seems to be moving more to surveillance and marketing, I 
am unsettled with more than minimal use of such services.

Hope this helps
Roger