Who is leaving Skype running on their computer all the time for business?
 

I've had Skype for years but never found a real use for but last week I created an account for use with the radio show and I've been leaving Skype open and now prefer it over ICQ.

Already have a handful of people in my Skype list including people that I normally use ICQ to communicate and now I'm finding that we are using Skype instead even though I also have ICQ running.

It's nice being able to switch to voice if needed although I'm not crazy about doing video as normally the last thing I want is for people to see me looking all wrong still looking like I just climbed out of bed.

I guess I never really grasped that Skype is also good for doing text only chat which is what I prefer most of the time and always thought of it as video/voice chat software.

How many of you are using Skype for this biz?

I don't really like icq since they sold to mail.ru - the amount of spam is ridiculous and I would drop it in an instant if I could. Every day, I get 10-15 authorization requests with spam in the auth message.

I don't like Skype much - the message waiting notifications don't come up, though, I do like the fact that it is encrypted. Their user interface is a little kludgy and I can't easily switch between conversations with keyboard - which makes it a bit more cumbersome, though, with the trackpad it isn't too bad.

I know. I always have these single and lonely russian women that want to get married. LOL

I leave them both open and yes I agree. Too much spam on ICQ.

I've used it for years and love it... not sure about Microsoft recently buying it though.... so it will probably get shit with ads and so on.

You do still get occasional Skype spam requests, but they are from hot chicks :)

Its great for IM, calls and video calls (all free) and for calling landlines (paid).... but I also love the new feature screen share.

The non stop spam on ICQ since the Russian bought it is what really has me looking to replace it.

I've have tons of contacts in ICQ though so I'm forced into keeping it open. Hopefully Micro$oft buying Skype won't ruin it.

I keep Adium running most days with a couple of ICQ and a couple of AIM accounts online. One of the ICQ accounts gets spam every day, almost always an underage girl with lots of characters that show as ASCII code in the profile and a location in Russia. Deny and block.

I have Skype but I don't keep it open. Actually the only times I've loaded it were for a few calls to MML for the radio show plus a few calls with a friend traveling in Japan. I don't have a headset for Skype so I just pair the little Bluetooth earpiece from my cell phone with my computer on the rare occasions when I use Skype.

I'd keep it open and use it more if there was a need for it, but almost everyone I chat with online uses ICQ.

I much prefer Skype over ICQ. I don't leave it on all day any more, mainly in the mornings.

I have Skype on my notebook (because it's got the webcam) so if that's up & running next to me, Skype is on.

I'd love to get rid of ICQ, but you just can't - too many contacts on there & every old school webmaster still uses it. Thew spam doesn't bother me too much - once a day I just go down & delete/ignore them all.

I also have Yahoo's IM running as an old friend uses that. I also have Facebook & Twitter open pretty much 24/7.

I've seen you in your work attire - you have nothing to be ashamed of :D

You have seen me in my we have a male house guest attire. My regular attire I would need to be changing for cam shows. :D

I see from reading the replies to this thread that most see Skype as video/voice software which is also how I've always seen it but it is also text chat software just like ICQ and that is all that I would want to use it for 90% of the time.

Anyway I'm going to start leaving Skype open all the time right next to Aduim which actually has ICQ and AOL accounts logged in and just use whatever the person on the other ends wants to use.

I dont use Skype much. Still ICQ most of the time. Or email.

never tryed skype and I agree with greenie about icq

I deleted ICQ after a few attempts to install a virus came from it. I talk to one person on Yahoo and that's pretty much it. I have used Skype in the past for voice calls and it is nice to have. If I was around all day like I used to be it'd be on all day long.

i use to use ICQ all the time, but my adddress got out and after a few days of 200+ new requests each hour of the day, dang thing sounded like popcorn popping whenever i would boot it up and turn it on....i had to get rid of it...just got in the way of work....which reminds me i have to get MIRC on this new laptop of mine...before next Wed. for the show...
never bothered with skype after my experience with icq..and since i don't web cam, never missed it...

I use ICQ. It is open as long as my computer is on. Also have MSN always on but with few contacts and just for private use.

I (should) have an account an AIM, YAHOO, SKYPE but use it rarely.

I used to leave adium open with all my stuff. I now really only turn it on here and there. I just found so much of the time I would end up chatting with people and wasn't getting as much done. It's sad how much a 10 minute conversation would then have me on youtube or some other dumb site surfing away. Next thing I know even though the conversation was 10 minutes I didn't get back into a rhythm for another 30 or so minutes.

I have skype and have used it here and there. I for a long time used it when I was working with a guy that was serious about getting shit done. We would generally just have our headsets on and for an hour or so in the morning really work on things. At times it wasn't that we were saying anything. Just that at a moments notice could be like...hey send me this or what's the status with this. etc.

The spam on icq I do like Greenie and once a day just ignore and block a group of new people. The way it is shown in adium it doesn't really bug me.

skype is really nice. video calls work very well and interface is easy to use

I use Skype and YM. ICQ is not realiable and too spammy. I also have a very hard to remember PW for icq, another reason not to login |huh

I do use Skype but if you leave it open you are asking for trouble. Have connects in Asia. We talk on Skype. if they get hacked, you get hacked. Lots of Chinese stuff going on with Skype and not good. If you do leave open all the time, check your list daily for new people in your contact folder and you have no idea who they are...

I use ICQ, but don't keep it open all the time. I used to use yahoo, but don't even have it installed anymore, is it important enough these days?

I use Skype, primarily for my radio show, along with Pamela to record the interviews. Like everyone, I hope MS don't fuck up skype, it's pretty good as is.

I'm not familiar with Adium, what is that?

Adium is a Mac client that does ICQ, Yahoo, AOL and a bunch of others. I use it myself, it's excellent.

I never heard of Pamela and had to Google it just now. I'm using Nicecast to do my radio show and it archives all the audio including Skype so that is how I do it.

Thanks much for the links Cleo, the Adium would be a good choice on my Mac. I run Skype on my PC, Pamela records my interviews then I load to the site where my show airs.

I use Skype and ICQ and YIM and AOL - but none of them are open all of the time. I try to maintain something like office hours.

I tend to use AIM. ICQ is too dead of a platform for me, personally.

I have every instant messenger working when I am online or some where around my laptop. Affiliates sometimes have questions in the middle of the week-end :)