What the F (Skype gone mad or is it me)

Bobvfr

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Just got back from the Doctors with some Codine tablets, they apparently can make you go dizzy and get confused...…..

So I think I may as well check for some updates on my SP4 whilst I am waiting for some pain relief.

Skype gets updated...…………………….

This morning I had V12.1815.210.0 on both my SP4 and my 950XL and I had only just reset up SMS relay to see if they had sorted out the mess.

So anyway, Skype gets an update to the UWP V12.1815.210.0 on the SP4 from the MS Store and it mysteriously turns into Skype version 8.30.0.98 Application version 14.30.98.0 which as far as I am aware is the desktop version and not the UWP.

No update for the phone in the Store (I thought UWP's normally updated at the same time).

So I am now left with a phone version that supports SMS relay and a desktop version that doesn't and seeing as the only reason to have SMS relay is that you can send SMS on the PC, seems to make that idea a bit redundant.

But the main issue, how on earth do I get back to the UWP version, what have MS done that allows a UWP app to be replaced by a desktop program version, I for one am very confused.


EDIT Just to fill you in, I actually try very hard to like Skype, I have a Skype number and a small subscription along with the sub that comes with Office 365, I try not to bash it like a lot of people but this is taking me to the end of it with Skype, seeing as the main use is keeping in contact with my family and they had to be dragged into using it.
 
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anon(10524160)

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I have had Skype for at least 10 years and easily paid them 5000 dollars. But last couple of years it is crap. Ever since they want to be a chat app for kids instead a telephone app for adults it became worse and worse month after month.


I have moved away from Skype and only still pay them to keep the same phone numbers.
 

Bobvfr

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I can fully understand if I had Skype 7 desktop version and it got upgraded to 8.


But I didn't have the desktop version installed, just the UWP, now I don't, tried un-installing and re-installing from the store and I still end up with the desktop version 8.


No idea what the heck is going on and nothing on the Skype support pages or forums, but then I really do get the impression that MS/Skype have just about lost the plot.
 

Swapy

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Just got back from the Doctors with some Codine tablets, they apparently can make you go dizzy and get confused...…..

So I think I may as well check for some updates on my SP4 whilst I am waiting for some pain relief.

Skype gets updated...…………………….

This morning I had V12.1815.210.0 on both my SP4 and my 950XL and I had only just reset up SMS relay to see if they had sorted out the mess.

So anyway, Skype gets an update to the UWP V12.1815.210.0 on the SP4 from the MS Store and it mysteriously turns into Skype version 8.30.0.98 Application version 14.30.98.0 which as far as I am aware is the desktop version and not the UWP.

No update for the phone in the Store (I thought UWP's normally updated at the same time).

So I am now left with a phone version that supports SMS relay and a desktop version that doesn't and seeing as the only reason to have SMS relay is that you can send SMS on the PC, seems to make that idea a bit redundant.

But the main issue, how on earth do I get back to the UWP version, what have MS done that allows a UWP app to be replaced by a desktop program version, I for one am very confused.


EDIT Just to fill you in, I actually try very hard to like Skype, I have a Skype number and a small subscription along with the sub that comes with Office 365, I try not to bash it like a lot of people but this is taking me to the end of it with Skype, seeing as the main use is keeping in contact with my family and they had to be dragged into using it.

The same sort of thing happened to me as well. I was unable to access Skype for months. Whenever I tried to login it showed error . Now I have deleted that forever. No updates were available too.
 

Bobvfr

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Mine has been working fine until this update this afternoon and technically it's still working, just I have the desktop program V 8 instead of the UWP version 12 and this was from the MS Store.

I uninstalled and re-installed and still got the desktop program, that I had NEVER ever installed in the first place....
 

TechFreak1

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Check your Start menu, you might have two instances of Skype - One inside a folder (desktop app) and one outside of the folder (UWP).
 

nate0

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I got the October update last night and win32 Skype got removed for the UWP version. In the store I see it updated as soon as I booted into the October update.
 

TechFreak1

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I got the October update last night and win32 Skype got removed for the UWP version. In the store I see it updated as soon as I booted into the October update.

Silly Question, Can you still install the Win32 version from Skype.com?

Just trying to pre-empt future questions lol.
 

deuce01

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I've been using the UWP version forever and it just updated on one of my laptops. Looks like the SMS relay to my L950 is gone...FUK!! That's the only reason I even have Skype. I love texting from the laptop. It's getting harder and harder to stay on W10M.
 

nate0

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Silly Question, Can you still install the Win32 version from Skype.com?

Just trying to pre-empt future questions lol.

Good question...am not in front of my pc yet. However, why would I want to right, the UWP app is suppose to be getting better or better than the former...but who am I to judge that.
 

nate0

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I've been using the UWP version forever and it just updated on one of my laptops. Looks like the SMS relay to my L950 is gone...FUK!! That's the only reason I even have Skype. I love texting from the laptop. It's getting harder and harder to stay on W10M.

That is whacked. Microsoft is messing with our minds. Cannibalizing it's own kind...

I liked SMS relay/sync with Skype on my pc too, but the darn UWP app for mobile was so darn unrealiable in many ways, I just relied on notifications sync and replied to those instead lol.
 

TechFreak1

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Good question...am not in front of my pc yet. However, why would I want to right, the UWP app is suppose to be getting better or better than the former...but who am I to judge that.

Because the issue of presence controls stems further than just being an indicator, for instance your in a relationship but the your significant other is not tech savy and Skype is the prefered communications platform so your significant other use the win32 app as it's just there.

So since Away is now equivalent to as offline or invisible, your significant other will think you are ignoring them because for you they will show as offline. The inverse is true, if they are using the UWP app and your using the Win32 app...

In addition the last seen counter is not accurate as many times I am active on the win32 app, on the phone or uwp app it will show last active as in weeks ago.

So to counter this you leave status as online in the win32 app and leave the PC running but on the phone or uwp app you still won't get marked as active or online until you open it. Furthermore you get timed out, which also means if someone sends you a message on Skype it get losts in the ether or it shows on the Win32 app and you get no notification in the phone or uwp app until you open it. If however you do not open either app - you get zero messages.

Plus since your "online" on the win32 app but not at the PC, your significant other comes online and doesn't disturb you cause you might be busy. So they wait for you to message them, but since you're not on the PC and you haven't opened the app nor do you get an notification on the app if someone has come online. You will never know they were online and waiting for you to message them.

So to either party it would seem a person is simply ignoring them.

The psychological strain caused by the entire presence control fiasco is frustrating to say the least.

Good software design doesnot only take into account useability and extensibility it also encompasses potential use case scenarios. One of the reasons which is Windows for example is so ubiquitious - it's extremely flexible - there are countless ways of accomplishing a task (encompassing various potential usage scenarios). Psychology is and will play massive role in the future, for example why does Cortana have different accents and is not called Cortana in China?

Familiarity, it is form confirmation bias and one that provides comfort or at the very least a stepping to stone to prolonged usage.

When Microsoft began to use telementry data to design and implement work flows, it became far too rigid as a result we lost many features than gained features. Another reason why many features are isolated to the US as due to the telemetry data there is low usage.

The flaw of using the US only as test for feature implementation is that you will have less people using the features and functions. The wider they are available the more people you have using the features.

Telemetry has no place in functional design as it only constraints usage and growth into box, for example going back to Windows phone - the photo hub was changed from the sliding presentation of pictures to a grid view because they noticed people were going into the album first soon after they launched the photo hub.

What the telemetry doesnot show is the smile on your face when you see a priceless moment and nor does it tell the story you tell to others around when you go into the album and dig out that moment from the gallery.

Another example is the Bing Search button, in Wp7.x and upto a version of Wp8.x before Cortana was showcased, it used to be able scan barcodes and help you find deals then it became a glorified QR scanner - just because Microsoft noticed most people where using it as QR scanner via Telemetry data.

Thus in closing, Microsoft and other software companies instead of dictating what users need to use as tool - just provide the damn tools and we will use them make us more productive or in ways that are inconceivable to the developers.

The classic example to this is Minecraft, the creators created a sandbox - a tool to play with and as a result we have crazy maps, worlds, 1:1 Enterprise mimcry and the like.

Going back to Skype - If Skype was not an desktop incumbent they would have ceased to exist in this current climate as they have become far too rigid.

A communications platform is a tool that stays in the background not the foreground - hence why SMS relay via Skype will always have issues - it's a bottomless waste of resources.

Thus in drive to save on cost - that feature will be removed from older handsets - rigidity - driving away customers to competing platfroms.

Same as not focusing on Office mobile apps for Windows, it is also a kick in the nuts to the mantra of enabling everyone to do more and to be more productive.
 
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TechFreak1

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I will take that as in you prefer the UWP app...
@nate0

Actually, I prefer Windows Live Messenger with the Plus plugin + passport.net for custom logins alongside Wp8.x Rooms over the Skype.

I apologise for the overly long post - Skype is such a frustrating experience that it puts my over analysis into over drive. There is no other software application that triggers that level of diabolical frustration.

The Win32 Skype app is just barely bearable, the UWP and phone app.. don't want to talk about that experience hahaha.
 

nate0

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@nate0

Actually, I prefer Windows Live Messenger with the Plus plugin + passport.net for custom logins alongside Wp8.x Rooms over the Skype.

I apologise for the overly long post - Skype is such a frustrating experience that it puts my over analysis into over drive. There is no other software application that triggers that level of diabolical frustration.

The Win32 Skype app is just barely bearable, the UWP and phone app.. don't want to talk about that experience hahaha.

I am right there along with you. I could only laugh when I saw and read that reply...
@TechFreak1
Use Unigram/Telegram for W10M?
 

nate0

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Telegram/Unigram, is No go for me as that means getting everyone else to use another messaging client lol.

Ya I understand. I have the same problem. Everyone is either using whatsapp, Messenger for fb, or the like. Whatsapp for wp works OK still and who knows for how long, so I have kept my distance not knowing how/what Microsoft has been doing the past 3 years would affect its development.
 

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