I already use a propriety teleconferencing software, but I thought I'd play around with Skype.

I used it when it first came out some years ago, but I found it a bit tacky and unreliable. I should explain I only have a 2 meg connection, so I don't expect miricles anyways. But I thought, well hey, it's free :) My way of judging anything that plays video is Youtube. If I can play Bonjovi smoothly, I'll go down in a blaze of glory.

Skype's not perfect - but it's not bad. It's not so good that I'd use it's 'paid for' services but I was pleasantly surprised. Juggling the settings for half an hour was the biggest annoyance - but then again, I've spoken to people who went with the standard settings and had no probs. I'm made a bit shy and retiring - I twitch at the thought of being 'on camera', but I accept it's a better way of communicating than email..... but that's another post :) My conclusion is that it's not bad, actually now.

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I spend some time talking to some highly intelligent, highly qualified, fine upstanding people, across the planet at weird hours because of time zones. A lot of them have letters after their names that just leave me confused. But do you know, though they're way above my intellectual level, their patience and the respect they show me, and my input, well, I'm just .... well I'm just.

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