Why we removed SkypeMe! from Skype 4.0 for Windows
If you’re a regular reader of this blog, you may be familiar with one of our themes for this year – focus. So why have we removed SkypeMe!?
In short, we wanted to simplify the number of status options we offer – you may have noticed that we also removed Not Available. Over the course of the 4.0 project, our research showed that users found SkypeMe! confusing. People weren’t always clear what SkypeMe! meant – that they were opening themselves up to be contacted by literally anyone.
I know that some of you come to Skype with the specific aim of finding new contacts and making new friends. We’re investigating ways of making this work without detracting from the simplicity and focus of Skype 4.0 for Windows – so please bear with us. For now, why not head over to the Coffee Corner in the Skype Community, where you can meet new people from around the world.
here is the thing, anyone here knows what can i do? i had the GOOD version, then i downloaded the latest, and then i uninstalled it…..what can i do now? is there any possible way to get the GOOD version? plzz plzz
To download an older version of skype go here:
http://www.oldapps.com/skype.php
we actually made a social study named “SkypeMe!” via skype. just in time. read more here: http://bit.ly/Ahceu
Why would you want to delete ‘SkypeMe!’? You can simply explain it easier like this:
‘SkypeMe! is a feature where anyone can talk to you and you can talk to anyone on Skype.’
But I bet you made it really complicated.
WE WANT SKYPEME! BACK…
This reminds me of when CocaCola got rid of Coke…. then had to go back and start it up again. Skype me was just fun. Surely you can figure away to tweak it for kids. Really was a dragged the way no one was informed. You did not help yourselves with this. Skypeme was fun and should be brought back.
Hi evrybody aiaiaiaiaiaiaia….. skype its nice becouse have SKYPE-ME !
But now so BORING!
that’s what i loved of skype, contact strangers and being contacted by strangers. hope you will bring back this feature or there will be no reason to suggest it to friends or use it, there are so many other softwares embedded in the OS!
Why?! I really miss it It was the best thing I’ve ever seen on messengers PUT IT BACK. talking with other people Miss it put it back! pleaseeee
This is the most disappointing thing skype has done, taking skype me mode off. I just installed it on my new laptop and bought credit so I can coference call overseas. Now that skype me mode has been taken offf I’m considering using another, cheaper rate VOIP provider as I have no reason to use skype any more.
ahahah, this is ridiculous.
SkypeMe! was a pretty function.
Do not try to hide behind a finger, you have failed. Skype currently is almost invasive with baloon tips.
It’s simply to add an explanation of the state SkypeMe!, with a baloon tip, isn’t it?
Fact 1: the removal of SkypeMe! was (is) an epic fail.
Fact 2: “simple software” is _not_ synonymous of “software for idiots”.
hey guys, how do I download the old version of skype that still has skype me mode?
Send the link anyone?
Di
I’ve used Skype allmost since the time it was first released, and as the chorus here agree about – SkyeMe(TM)-mode was one of the things that made me stick with it regardless of the approach of other messengers and Voip sollutions. This has definently earned Skype many thousand “Kroner” only from me in credits, but as long as they refuse to listen to this post, and refuse to implement this mode again, I will simply boikott Skype by simply not buying any more credit. There are tons of other cheaper apps, which now have the exact same functionallity as Skype (after removing this mode) so I don’t see any reason to stick with it. I will also use the 3.8 version as long as possibly and also use the SkypeMe mode as much as I can (without buying credit) just for the sake of it. There’s still a lot of people there. And to Skype: This attitude towards your users will definently be your death, but you can still change. Yes, it wasn’t easy to skim a lot of money out of this, as you thought when you bought it in the first place. To bad for you. You should do more real research in the future. Bye for now.
I liked the SkypeMe mode, but did find it confusing initially. “SkypeMe” isn’t the best term for such a feature — even when you trademark it. It’s best to use simple terms that users can understand instead of cute phrases that marketing people come up with.
May I suggest contacting Jakob Nielsen (www.useit.com)?
Skype me mode was fucking dumb anyway. My concern is how can I prevent every Tom, Dick & Harry on the internet from randomly messaging me things like:
“Hi I am chinese girl looking for fun, look my profile here http://blahspamspam.spam“
Cause I get like 50 of them a day.
Please add “Skypeme” back
I made the mistake of installing the last version on one of my pcs. The worst version of skype ever… Not only for the SkypeMe mode that i use rarely to find some chat friends. The interface is just confusing. The chat window is unusable…
Fortunately in my work pc I have linux with a “good” version of skype client.
Oh no no no, please get SkypeMe back. It was the funniest option here and it really did the difference (afterall all IMs allow phone, video, etc. calls today). Yeah, I’ve been getting sex ads but it was worth it. Because also I’ve been getting calls from fun people all over the world. If the problem is only in people concerned about their children just make some compromise for them. Like ability to put password on SkypeMe or whatever. But please don’t leave us without SkypeMe.
Why not bring SkypeME back, but add functions to prevent random contacts for those people that don’t want to be contacted. Eg. Parental controls, an option to block messages/calls etc from people not in their contact list even when in SkypeME mode…Just a thought! That way people can have more control over who contacts them while parents can be at ease knowing their kids aren’t being subjected to strange messages from the few that send them. The social bunch on Skype can then get back to enjoying the networking functions that SkypeME allows.
I noticed the Ubuntu versions still allows SkypeME mode, but lacks other functions the windows version has…Are there going to be any upgrades made to the Linux versions anytime soon?
If it wasn’t for the SkypeMe! mode I wouldn’t have EVER met the guy i have been dating for the last 9 months, not a virtual relationship but a REAL one. I think SkypeMe was a really nice option to meet new people, and yeah the SPAM or sex messages where annoying, but you could easily avoid them, and Im sure you could develop a system how to eliminate them, just like the user “shannon_marshall” explains. Im sure many users have stoped using skype because of that reason. BRING SKYPEME BACK!! Maybe some more people can find love just like I did.
Hey!
GIVE ME “Skype Me” !!!
There are settings to avoid messages or calls from unknown persons. May be pop-up those help messages while changing the mode to “Skype Me”.
–
Vote for Skype Me !!!
Can you “PLEASE” give our Skype Me back ?
Name it whatever you want.
Just give us the function.
-
I really wonder what type of genious(!) thought removing it.
Amazing!!! didn’t you learn anything from Apple???
You shouldn’t remove any functionality you gave once your users!! they will get angry. If you want to simplify it just make it an option on your preferences panel. Don’t be lazy and code for it
We want skypeme back!
They think only about making money…
Bring SkipeMe! mode back. Just do it.
I can’t even install the 3.8 version now, because I use Windows 7.
That was the best feature Skype had and now it’s gone.
Thanks.
So many comments! Indeed add the SkypeMe! mode again. I miss it too.
Concerning the comment above. I ignored the “Compatibilty issue” message and installed Skype 3.8 on Windows 7. So far so good…
What is Skype good for without SkypeMe? Just use Yahoo
I decided to come back and check out skype again since I pretty much stoped using it since the removal of skype me….well looks like it’s still not here. You guys removed one of the best features, I understand that there is still other ways to make contacts but skypeme feature was simply the best, who care if there was a bit of spam, this is the internet it’s filled with it.
Hey.. I used skype me mode only for a couple of times.. but I liked it anyway no matter how many crazy people would have bothered me.. what a REAL bother is that I had to read all these explanations and dig to even find them.. not quite what I expect from skype.. come on, make it an option! people who like it will use it, people who don`t… well I`m not one of them. thank you for your attention. and how am I supposed to know if this mode ever returns??
I’ve been poking around for the skypeme mode and wasn’t able to find it – thought i was just stupid or something. Removing it was a bad idea. I sympathize with the people who have kids or don’t want to be harrassed, that’s fine… add skypeme as a feature installation then, or a plugin (why doesn’t skype have plugins, incidentally? wouldn’t it be amazing if you offered an open API so people could design their own applications for skype???)
1. If you’re worried that some people may not understand SkypeMe description in plain English, get them dictionaries. Don’t remove the whole thing from the rest of us normal people.
2. If you absolutely had to remove it, at least say it clearly at installation of 4.0, so people like me who used to use SkypeMe didn’t have to search through the whole program and Skype.com just to find out it was dumped for such ridiculous reason.
gosh if you donbt like skype me then just turn it off if u get unwanted calls and stuff if you dont like skype me dnt turn it on but now there is no choice its the stupidiest thing ever im still on 3.8 adn will never update cause i make calls chats with lot sof people who ge ttogether and make fun out of eacother having smart chat fun way spending your free time seriuolsy if they would remove skype me from 3.8 is well i would just move to MSN and thats it as simple as that
For those who get framed in Version 4.0…. you can back anytime to previous skype, just uninstall your skype 4.x and install a oldversion.com skype 3.8
Please add “Skypeme” back
i have this problem,when i found that “skypeme” is not in new versions,i always useing older ones.but now i bought webcam.and its not working on older versions.so l’m very often useing skypeme.please add back it.please just add it back.who dont like will not use it and who likes give us what we want
“… In short, we wanted to simplify the number of status options we offer – you may have noticed that we also removed Not Available. Over the course of the 4.0 project, our research showed that users found SkypeMe! confusing. People weren’t always clear what SkypeMe! meant – that they were opening themselves up to be contacted by literally anyone. …”
these are ridiculous reasons..!! if u want simplify the usage of skype status for the beginner you should develop something like the “base options” or “advanced options” that we can find into the “privacy settings options”.. In this way the beginner users don’t have any difficulties to use “base or simplify status” and all the old users could use the “skype me” status as usually..
Thanks to SkypeMe I met a lot of very nice people, and to practice languages it was very good, I cant believe it’s over now. It’s the worse decission you could have ever toke. Shameful, really…
I think I will reinstall an earlier version of skype because I like to know who is available to chat with. Now I have no clue is is available. Skype me mode was awesome. Was there someone who cried about it or something. I never had my skype me mode checked anyway. But I liked seeing who “WAS” skype me. I think you should find a way to incorporate it back into the options! THANKS!
I can understand there were some bad facts about Skype Me mode. But I was so surprised when I saw you removed it completely. And I was so disappointed I can’t describe.
I mean, I met a lot of nice people using it, and since it’s no longer available, I haven’t met anyone for a while. That is not nice.
What to do if I am boring so much and I want to meet someone new?
PLEASE return it back… Or find some way to replace its missing as soon as possible.
I love Skype so much, and as I read other peoples comments to this topic, I see a lot of them has the same opinion and we all agree we need it!
Skype without Skype Me is boring. No sense to use, there are lots of other communicators. I cant understand why you removed this mode, nobody was forced to use it. Bring it back please
Please restore SkypeMe mode. I too found my girlfriend through this button. I also have a friend in the US with whom I am now collaborating on a cook book, and many others for sharing chat, cultural discussions, games, music, links to interesting video clips etc.
A simple parental lock (assuming only the parents have admin rights to install and uninstall – and know what the hell they are doing) would be sufficient to prevent children being hassled in skype me mode – they are much more likely to be communicating on msn, myspace or facebook anyway.
I use skype much less now – removing “skypeme” has made it much less relevant. I never even thought of reverting back to 3.8 but maybe that’s what I have to do….
Congratulations, you just removed one of the most important values from Skype.
Welcome to dull and boring 4.0 Skype.
Besides SkypeMe, another thing from 3.8 is that if someone leaves a conference, Skype would update this and the person would not still be in the group until the end of the call, like it happens in 4.1. At least, when I used Skype 4.1 for the last time, every person who participated in a call with me, until I hung up the last call, kept his/her name in the conference as if they were still there. Anyway, long live Skype 3.8, for everything it has to offer: SkypeMe, full accessibility and updating of the people who are really in a conference call!!!
I’d love to upgrade but without SkypeMe, Skype loses half the fun. Anybody who was confused over what SkypeMe was would probably have difficulty upgrading anyway.
I agree with most of the comments in this post. I met many great people when Skype Me mode was available. Please bring back Skype Me mode.
OK I’m on the Mac client but I gotta throw my 2 cents in here.
I like Skype. It really works great. However, I really wish SkypeMe was NOT in the Mac client either. Why? Well here’s an example; I just got a group of my users set up with Skype. It’s working great. The only exception was the one user that somehow got her status set to SkypeMe. Her Skype was almost unusable because she got obscene calls every few minutes whenever Skype was running. Not from a single user. From MANY MANY users. I had her switch from SkypeMe to Online and the problem went away.
I know what SkypeMe is SUPPOSED to do. Unfortunately, in my experience it’s a huge problem, a complete failure. There are enough wackjobs with Skype accounts out there to completely screw it up. I’ve added a step to my install checklist to VERIFY that the user is NOT set to SkypeMe. If I could disable it permanently I would. IMO SkypeMe is an interesting albeit stupid idea that should never have made it out of Alpha status. It guarantees messages that you, your mother, your kids, or your boss DON’T want to see will pop up at the worst possible moment. I don’t need this kind of headache.
Please, bring skypeme mode back. don’t take features from us. If you think is complex then put it in an advance mode for the users that really knows how to use a computer.
Thanks
Please bring the ‘skypeme’ function back – I enjoyed this feature of skype and I am sure most people can work out what it does and they don’t need to use it if they don’t want to be contacted by random people – Please let people who want to use this function be able to access it – Give the people a choice at least- cheers
Yeah, it is quite difficult for me to have skype without skypeme. Terrible thing… just hope soon there will be ways for us to be connected with the unknown friends…….I just love that surprise that skypeme gives me…
I absolutely agree with shokki…let skypeme back to us, ok?
Please return Skype Me mode…!!
A number of friends, including myself, are suddenly being contacted (harrassed rather) by people just suddenly trying to strike up a conversation with you. This hardly ever happened when the Skype Me icon was in use. People knew that you were not interested to chat if you were not in Skype Me mode and most respected it.
I understand that there might be some issues regarding sex messages to minors but hey… guess what… they still send you these messages. Only now it happens at random… Instead of removing the Skype Me mode – rather add a “Report user” icon. If a person has x amount of reports against his/her skype name they should be notified that their account will be closed/blocked.
Or skype me could have some kind of password function. This way parents can block the use of it from their children.
Please, Skype Me was not only a fun feature of your program, but it also kept being bothered by complete strangers, from out of the blue, to a minimum.
I’m also very sorry to say but… the coffee corner is NO FUN!!
Viva la SKYPE ME MODE
Thank you