There are more expensive webcams out there of course – like the Logitech QuickCam Orbit AF – an auto-focus Carl Zeiss lens and automatic rotor that follows you around the room makes this $100 cam a geeks dream : (See it at amazon). Alas, for the casual user just starting with skype, a $25 cam is a nice start.

Skype Security

There were  a few real-life examples of why it’s probably not smart to answer Skype calls form strangers. As with any online service, you are connected to the world, and should take appropriate cautions.  One such example Ed gave was when he changed his Skype status to “skype me” he got lots of weird calls.  ”Skype Me” is a feature they’ve had for a while in skype where if you were bored and felt like talking to anyone, you can just leave your status at “skype me” and it places your name in a directory that makes your record look like this:

Displaying your status when you’re online. (btw, if you have skype installed, you can use the above button to call me… cool huh?)

This is good for attracting weirdos, lonely people or scammers – not so good for your friends, so leaving your staus at “online” is good enough.

Speaking of status, we discussed “going invisible” for those times you want to make calls but not necessarily take them.  ”Do Not Disturb” is also a good way to keep people from bugging you when you’re busy.

Facebook

We only briefly discussed Facebook near the end of class – the focus of next weeks group will be completely on the “phenomenon” they call Facebook. If you haven’t done it yet, head over to http://www.facebook.com/ and set yourself up a new account – we’ll be discussing at depth next week.  Facebook is sort of the new e-mail – with groups, public walls, photo and video galleries, it’s a great way to connect with old friends, new friends, families, co-workers… or pretty much anyone else who’s “online”.  Chances are, if you went to a particular school, some of your old classmates are already online.

Tagged Photos

Our first topic to kill on the facebook warpath is Photo tagging.  Once you upload a photo or view a few albums others have created, you’ll start to encounter this feature called “Tagging”. Tagging was created as a way to notify others that you have a photo of them online.  They get a message stating they were tagged in a photo, and a link to view the photo directly for their convenience.  Tagging has also been used to identify people within a photograph.  This purpose works, but is not the initial reason for the feature.  In fact, because of the way tagging works, it makes sense to only tag people in exceptional photos, or if there is an entire album that person is in, just a few good shots from that album is sufficient.  Otherwise, they get a notification for every single time you tag them, and their inbox can get pretty gummed up this way.

If you want to tag a photo for Identification purposes only, use a nickname or something other than their Facebook profile name – this workaround is common and acceptable on FB – and you won’t drive your friends crazy!

It’s also worth mentioning that every photo you are tagged in gets placed in a special album in your profile – if your friends want to view your photos from your profile page, they will see every photo you have been tagged in.

This is great – except when your aunt Gerty posts that picture of you with your mouth full of cake!  Thankfully, there is a cure for this – just go to the photo and “un-tag” yourself in the caption at the bottom.

If anyone has any specific questions about Facebook they want addressed during our group this saturday, feel free to send me a message, post a comment on this blog, or give me a ring on skype.

Our first group meeting we discussed a few of the things we’d be learning this session in the Computers & You Group.  A few questions came up about Skype, so we dove right in and got some software installed, and some accounts set up.

Mac Users can download the latest version here.

Windows Users can download the latest version here.

The download and install are pretty straightforward.  You will have to pick a user-name that no one else is using… I typically recommend using your real name, or some variant of it (firstlast, last.first, etc…).  Make sure the e-mail address you use is entered correctly!  Skype doesnt verify the address, so if you loose your password – you’re in trouble!  Finally, make sure you use a good password – if you start to use Skype a lot and take advantage of some of the paid services, you don’t want someone pretending to be you on there… so don’t use a password everyone knows.

Skype Features

Skype is a multi-faceted application that can really change the way you communicate.  Some of the most popular uses include:

1. Free Video Calls: using a web-cam, you can call another skype user for free video calls anywhere in the world.

2. Phone Calls: you can call Skype users for free, and it’s extremely cheap to make local and LD calls to landlines and cell phones. (just $3/mo. to US and Canada, unlimited – $10/mo. International!)

3. Text Chat: less obtrusive than a full phone call, you can send text messages to other skype users in an instant message.  For obvious reasons, this is faster than e-mail, more convenient than texting on your mobile phone.

4. Extra Phone Line: For $30/yr. (special price if you have monthly subscription mentioned above) you can get a REAL phone number for people to call in to your Skype account from any regular phone.  This is a great option for small businesses or companies that want to expand their capabilities on the cheap.

So anyways, enough already… you get the picture.  Skype is a free or extremely cheap way you can use your computer to save money and enhance your communication  with friends and family.