[governance] RE: FW: [OIA] MS & Skype?

[Michael Gurstein]

So is "push(ing) the use of open protocols for instant messaging and voice
over Internet (XMPP and SIP), not to encourage closed software" sufficient
to ensure a universal accessability of "very low cost IP enabled
international communications"?

M

-----Original Message-----
From: Stephane Bortzmeyer [mailto:bortzmeyer at internatif.org] 
Sent: Tuesday, May 10, 2011 12:55 PM
To: governance at lists.cpsr.org; Michael Gurstein
Subject: Re: FW: [OIA] MS & Skype?


On Tue, May 10, 2011 at 07:49:24AM -0700,
 Michael Gurstein <gurstein at gmail.com> wrote 
 a message of 51 lines which said:

> I'm not exactly sure how/where this should be covered in IG 
> discussions but even from a purely self-interested CS perspective 
> there is an absolute need to begin to work towards some sort of global 
> institutional/regulatory framework to ensure the preservation of a 
> public interest in a global virtual public space and public capacity 
> for very low cost IP enabled international communications (a la 
> skype).

I fail to see why the fate of the private company Skype, which produces a
closed software using undocumented proprietary protocols could be a subject
for CS.

I agree that "preservation of a public interest in a global virtual public
space" and "very low cost IP enabled international communications" are good
goals. But Skype is the very counter-example of what we should aim for.
Specially, the fact that the source code is hidden from its users is there
to hide shameful practices such as enrolling users as "supernodes" without
asking their advice or even informing them (see
<http://www.velocityreviews.com/forums/t727931-skype-fixed-supernodes-list.h
tml>
and the list in <http://cryptolib.com/ciphers/skype/skype_servers.txt>).

So, if CS is interested in "preservation of a public interest in a global
virtual public space", it should push the use of open protocols for instant
messaging and voice over Internet (XMPP and SIP), not to encourage closed
software.

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