Skyping Shmyping

As challenging as it is to creativify (yep, real word. Look it up) a topic that is as intriguing to me as memorizing the international scientific dictionary, I'm going to attempt to do it.

All jokes aside Skype is a great resource for people to use, however I've used it and never found a good personal use for it so I can therefore stand behind my opinion that it's a topic low on my interest scale.

I'm going to throw some numbers at you. (I'm going to throw them really hard because I want you to know when they hit you so it gets you thinking "why in the world did he do that?")

1. 170 million
2. 8.5 billion (cash, money, moolah, dough, smackers etc...)
3. 1%
4. 207 billion

Now I have will lightly toss some words at you that you can try and match with the numbers.

a. Skype users who pay for it.
b. Number of minutes of voice and video conversation in 2010
c. Selling price to Microsoft
d. Skype user base.

Answers are on the bottom of the box.
These numbers are quite mind blowing and I don't see Skype going away anytime soon. ( Benefits of Skype )

I used Skype before. It was incredibly awkward (staring at the other person who was probably not dressed from the waist down...) and I didn't have anything to say... Sure being able to see them was cool but where is the fun and mystery in that? I think it's exciting never really knowing where the other person is for sure and vice versa. How many times have you been talking to someone and then heard a random flush 10 minutes into the conversation? As some people say "sh** happens"... in this case the phrase could not be more literal. I think Skype would just make that situation a lot more awkward. Some things are better left unseen.

Seeing people in person as opposed to seeing them on the computer can be compared to the way people act when you ask them a question face to face vs. asking them a question on camera. You're never going to act the same when you're friend says "hold on, let me put a camera in your face and then ask you some questions." 90% of people don't act the same on camera. (just made that stat up but it sounds right) I'm a fan of real genuine human interaction. Skype brings in that slight feeling of awkwardness and I can't say I like it.

Professionally speaking I know Skype can be a valuable tool used for education and business purposes and I respect that. ( 7 things you should know about Skype ) A lot of people are for sure better off because Skype exists. Small and large businesses alike can now expand more easily to other countries because of the ease of communication brought about by Skype. Don't discount its power. If you can get past the awkward toilet flushes and whitey tighty wearin' business professionals that only have to be presentable above the waist, I think you got yourself some fine possibilities in the world of business!

In one really random experience, Ustream (similar to Skype) was used to live stream a wedding to England because the parents of the groom couldn't make it. In those kinds of situations I think the technology is heaven sent and couldn't be more beneficial. Props to the minds that created such things but
as for me and my house, I don't really care to Skype.

Amen.

I just realized you guys don't have the box to check the answers above so here they are. 1-d, 2-c, 3-a, 4-b