[gentoo-dev] Re: maintainer-needed@ packages need you!

[Duncan]

J. Roeleveld posted on Sun, 07 Sep 2014 17:51:46 +0200 as excerpted:

> On Sunday, September 07, 2014 01:16:57 AM Andrew Savchenko wrote:
>> Hello,
>>
>> On Mon, 01 Sep 2014 07:15:53 +0800 Patrick Lauer wrote:
>> > On Sunday 31 August 2014 11:39:22 hasufell wrote:
>> > > Martin Vaeth:
>> > > > hasufell <hasufell@g.o> wrote:
>> > > >> On 08/30/2014 02:35 PM, J. Roeleveld wrote:
>> > > >>> For net-im/skype,
>> > > >>
>> > > >> Screw skype.
>> > > >
>> > > > Please don't. Not all communication partners are linux users.

The (in)?famous network effect.  A network grows in value based on the 
number of users it has...

>> > > Tox is multiplatform [but] pre-alpha [...]

FWIW, this subthread was the first I had read of it, tho I saw an article 
in the press about it since.  The early 4chan involvement is 
interesting.  This should be rather less controversial but at the same 
time potentially far more (semi-)permanently effective than the LOIC 
stuff.  Good for them! =:^)

>> > So it doesn't work [...]
>>
>> Can't agree with you here. I just tried tox (utox client) from
>> tox-overlay. Works like charm from the box [...]
>>
>> I tested text messages, audio and video from double-nat environment
>> (where SIP clients can work only using stune and only some of them).
>
> It probably works, provided all your contacts also use it.
>
> As long as the vast majority of my contacts use Skype and Yahoo, I will
> not be able to switch. If Kopete (and other generic IM clients) would
> add support for tox, then it would be easier.

That was the point above about not everyone being a Linux user (aka 
network effect), tho it seemed lost by the point of your parent post even 
if it was still quoted, so thanks for re-making it.

Of course not all users do servantware either and skype's simply not an 
option for them.  FWIW that includes me, no matter what my comm-partners 
might use.  But the network effect remains valid.  I simply can't join 
that network, network effect or not.  So I can certainly identify with 
the screw skype sentiment since that's demonstrably their attitude toward 
potential users who actually care about their rights.

>> It should be noted that at least in Linux skype is much harder to
>> install and use since it requires pulseaudio and I don't use that sh^W
>> stuff. So skype reqires its own LXC container set up which is doable,
>> but costed me a day (with all tight isolation stuff). And I even had
>> not mentione that installation of skype equals to trojan injection into
>> the system (that's why I used all that LXC and separate X server
>> precautions).
>
> If you want to isolate a package, then yes, it is more difficult then
> just running " emerge skype " (Which works flawlessly for me).
>
> I also had no issues installing pulseaudio. (Apart from having to undo
> some alsa-settings to default to the normal audio output instead of the
> HDMI one).
>
> Which trojan injection are you talking about?

I'd guess the no-warrant-NSA-trojan that skype is pretty much known to 
have, given the Edward Snowden and etc. revelations, when it *HAD* been 
claimed to be "secure".

In theory there's at least shreds of the law that was supposed to protect 
US citizens left, if only shreds, but there's been no candy-coating the 
fact that if you don't happen to be a US citizen, they felt no 
compunction whatsoever.  Whatever US citizens may feel about it then, 
certainly for everyone else in the world it's a trojan, period.  That 
some g-men injected it (or forced MS to) is immaterial, when it wasn't 
/their/ g-men.

(FWIW I'm a US citizen and I'm none-too-happy about the NSA's actions 
either, but obviously I'm in the minority as Obama got elected after 
retroactively authorizing otherwise law-breaking actions, etc, and few if 
any other politicians who voted for that or any of the other shenanigans 
seem to have been kicked out due to it either, so what can I say?)

-- 
Duncan - List replies preferred.   No HTML msgs.
"Every nonfree program has a lord, a master --
and if you use the program, he is your master."  Richard Stallman