week2-Topic2
Mention to the applying in Skype, I have to take about the changing of high-tech using in my family. Due to everyone’s different careers, my family separate in different part of the world. My father works in Singapore, my mother works in Taichung, the city where I grew up, my sister studies in Taipei City, and I, I study here in Seattle.
All changes make magical differences. Since my family had faced the situation, especially when the telephone bill getting higher and higher, we finally figured out the solution—teach my parents use the Skype software. It’s an amazing process to let elder people accept new technology, especially if they have mental fear to use computers. Fortunately, After practicing several times, we can successfully talk via Skype.
Through the Skype system, the first advantage is that the cost of telephone reduced fatefully. Secondly, the function of “conference” overcame the obstacle of traditional telephone, and let my family can talk in the some time from four pats of the world. Even more, we could see each other face to face with webcams.
Back to the article we discuss this week, with all these advantages, will the free internet phone or VOIP service kill the traditional phone business? I think the answer is maybe, because they have to figure out the challenges they are facing now. As I talked about the magical learning process of my family, seeing the other side, we can find that there are some concerns in the up-growing communication industry.
For example, you can use the Skype service only through the internet, which means you must have a computer, a microphone, an earphone, the Skype software, sufficient electric power and a workable internet connection. But we all know that digital divide deeply affect the development of digital products. Not everyone in the world can reach a whole set of these PC apparatus. That’s why traditional telephone (even the cellular phone) could survive for a while.
Furthermore, connecting via internet, the security of users’ data and dialog should be concerned. And the quality of users’ dialog is also a great point. What people complained most is about the instable connecting of it. (the second complain is about the unfriendly user interface) The last one, since the capital societies broadly believe in “There is no free lunch,” Skype company (eBay) and other free internet phone operators consequentially will face the issue of charging sooner or later.
In the age of “We the Media,” the roles of sender and receiver were severely changed. We can talk in our own language or know strangers in some networks. However, we have to back to the interpersonal communication ultimately.
The birth of a new media consequentially represents the rise of a new media industry. As a blooming industry, where can VOIP service reach? And what kinds of function can VOIP have? We all wait and see.
Is Skype really a “Telecom Trouble Maker?” Maybe, depends on you are its customer or not.
posted by ０８：１２ @ 12:21 AM
3 comments
3 Comments:
Exactly, the target market of SKYPE is people who are willing to adopt new technology at least accept the new idea. If VoIP will take over the phone business, that notion means the hardware has alreaady upgraded and we can use the Wireless phone everywhere without lag. In the meanwhile, the government might take some actions in the privacy and security of WiFi signals.
I think you're right about the inevitability of Skype and services like them charging eventually. Seven years ago, when I first started college, I was able to talk with friends over the Internet for free (I don't remember the name of the company, but it wasn't skype) - I could call their home phones from my computer. But not much later the company started charging for the technology and I stopped using it.
Indeed, a lot of people who do not know how to access the internet have benefited from Skype. “Do you Skype today?” has become slang. Your article mentions that digital divide affect the development of digital products deeply. In my opinion, if the government set the wireless station or hot spots for WIFI and then they finally become public goods which are belonged to government, the problem of digital divide may be solved gradually.
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