Thread: 100 million reasons to use Skype
View Single Post
mwiktowy is offline mwiktowy
2007-07-08 , 23:30
Posts: 373 | Thanked: 56 times | Joined on Dec 2005 @ Ottawa, ON
#20
Originally Posted by Texrat View Post
Actually, it appears that you did. I just responded to your own words about a product that had little that was noteworthy.
I guess I wasn't clear. When I was refering to "product" I was refering to Skype since that was the subject of the "100 million users" not the N800. I would think that Nokia would be very happy to have 100 million N800 users :]

Originally Posted by Texrat View Post
You're taking that way, way too literally. It was obviously meant as a figure of speech, not to be deconstructed into a logical fallacy. It's hyperbole, but harmless.
I don't dispute the number 100 million ... there are undoubtedly that many registered usernames on their books. But for the sake of a review, it is marketese ... sounds great but meaningless.

Originally Posted by Texrat View Post
As for the invocation of Metcalfe's Law, consider that Skype has ADDED to the connection possibilities. Their network restrictions take nothing away from that. So in addition to the number of Gizmo and Googletalk users, we just added another 100 million more potential N800 customers (taking the expression literally for sake of this point).
I missed the press release where Skype is working to actively bridge the gap between its network and other networks rather than its previous history of isolating its network. I know that Gizmo and Googletalk are actively bridging their networks. Not very quickly but at least they have stated the intention to do so.

Originally Posted by Texrat View Post
And if you're one day out of their network, so what? Your contacts don't suddenly die. You utilize a competing means of reaching them.
Which competing client can connect to a user on the Skype network?

I know that everyone can switch to something else but have you ever tried to get someone to switch to something new and unknown (and even possibly better) after they have gotten used to something? It is not easy. There is a great deal of inertia to overcome. It is best to have them not lock themselves into a service where they have no service provider alternatives later.

Originally Posted by Texrat View Post
I'm not sure why you're getting that worked up anyway...
I am not worked up ... it is difficult to read body language or tone in a written message. In fact, I am just trying to inject a bit of unemotional logic into the Skype hype to try to convince people to practice a bit of critical reasoning before jumping into that walled garden when there are equal or better alternatives for the N800 that have existed for a while now that don't involve hedges.