Anyone using Skype on FC11 ?

[Tim]

On Sun, 2009-08-30 at 10:42 -0430, Patrick O'Callaghan wrote:
> Not to defend Skype, but let's keep a sense of proportion. Is the
> *phone system* open source?

That would depend on your level of electronics knowledge...  But it
doesn't matter, how to use the phone, isn't a guarded secret.  You can
plug just about any phone into the wall, and it works.  You can even
build your own, if you're so inclined.  Years ago I built a speakerphone
because I wanted a full duplex one without crappy squelch or feedback.

> Is it free from bugging?

Mostly impossible for the average person to listen to your calls.

I don't really care whether the government snoops on my dead boring
conversations, so long as their agents don't abuse their ability to do
so.  Likewise for the telecom techs (which they have been known to do).

I have had one peculiar phone incident, many years ago.  I answered the
phone to hear someone play back a recording of me answering my phone,
then it hung up.  None of my friends stirred me about it later, so I
don't think it was a practical joke.  Darned if I can guess what the
point of it was.

I don't care whether a phone tap that stops drug dealers, etc., is
illegal or not.  In the choice between stop them, or try to prosecute
but perhaps fail, I'd vote for stop them.

> (BTW there is no evidence to suggest that Skype conversations can be
> overheard, as long as both ends are secured. That doesn't mean they
> can't be, but the balance of probabilities seems to be against it for
> the time being. Note that traffic analysis is another matter).

Traffic analysis might be enough to be a concern, depending on what
you're doing.  Trojans, and other malware might be a concern.  I
wouldn't like to find out that using VOIP would be yet another avenue of
computer hacking.


-- 
[tim at localhost ~]$ uname -r
2.6.27.25-78.2.56.fc9.i686

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