[Linux-aus] NBN discussion

[Jeremy Visser]

On 02/07/13 01:23, David Newall wrote:
> Might I suggest that discussions about Skype, or products with other 
> proprietary protocols, are not very interesting, particularly on a 
> mailing-list devoted to open-systems?

I would say that discussing proprietary products and protocols when in
the context of comparing to their open cousins is decidedly *on*-topic
for an open source list.

If open software is not working as reliably or is as easy to use as its
proprietary counterparts, that is *absolutely* a discussion we in the
open source community need to be having.

I'll throw my support behind what Bret said. Skype *does* work almost
unbelievably better than any other VoIP product out there for pretty
much everybody except the technically inclined. (For example, if you
know how to use Wireshark, you can't really talk about what's easy or
not for the average person.)

I'd say Bret falls under the "normal person" category when it comes to
consuming this stuff. As someone who deals with normal people using VoIP
every day in my day job, I absolutely sympathise with Bret's experiences
and position.

To shift the balance from being a part of the problem, to being part of
the solution, we need to start naming and shaming products and protocols
that don't work. (By the way, harassing people/companies who don't yet
support IPv6 falls under that category.)