UBL TC calls transitioning to Skype

[Jon Bosak <bosak@ibiblio.org>]

Hello UBL TC,

I will be posting minutes etc. from the TC meeting just ended when
I get back home the week of 18 August.  However, there is one
decision from that meeting that you should be aware of before we
resume regular conference calls.  Since the conference bridge that
Sun has been sponsoring for the last seven years will soon cease
operation, we have decided to switch to Skype for future TC calls.
The service itself is completely free; just download the software
from skype.com and then notify me of your Skype address so that I
can include you when starting the call.

You can use your laptop's built-in speakers and microphone for
Skyping, but most people who conference this way switch to a
headset designed for the purpose.  Decent ones cost about USD
30-50 and are available in most large consumer electronics stores.

I've never been a VOIP fan myself; it would be difficult to design
a technology more poorly suited for the transmission of audio
information than packet switching, and the sound quality has been
terrible.  But quality has improved greatly in recent months (my
Skype calls home this week have been of higher quality than my
cell phone calls), and the price can't be beat.  Skype also makes
ad hoc file swapping really easy.  We used the service all week
for the TC meeting in Montréal, and it worked great once we
figured out how to suppress feedback (not a problem unless you've
got more than one user in the same room).

Reminders will be included in con call agendas, but I wanted to
give everyone advance notice.  Send me your Skype address if you
want to be included in TC calls going forward.

Jon