Skype "Community" Achieves its Goal - Driving Away Users
I've just had a look at the Skype "Community" (revised User Forums), for the first time quite a while. I haven't been there because I can't stomach the new format; I find it to be difficult to read, difficult to follow, and generally unpleasant. As I have mentioned before, judging from the drop in the volume of posts, they have succeeded in their purpose in "redesigning" the Forums, it has driven Skype users looking for help away in droves. I would estimate the volume since the conversion at about 10% of what it was previously. There is one Skype user who runs a "Skype Numerology" blog, where he posts a variety of propaganda, but of course he is not likely to investigate or post anything this negative about Skype... too bad, it would be interesting information.
I did stumble across a Forum titled "Using these Forums", where there were a number of user comments posted, and one reply from Skype. Here is a summary (repeats deleted):
1. Skype: Welcome to the new Community 2. Skype Founder: Congratulations, I like it 3. Skype Staff: We worked hard on it, and it's great. 4. Skype User: I don't like it 5. Skype Super User: I don't like it. 6. Skype Super User: I don't like it. 7. Skype User: I don't like it. 8. Skype User: I don't like it. 9. Skype User (former Super User); I don't like it 10. Skype Staff: Thanks for the comments, but we're going to do as we please, so get used to it. 11. Skype User: I don't like it. 12. Skype User: I've been using Forums for 16 years, and I hate it. 13. Skype User: I don't like it. 14. Skype Moderator(!): I can't find things from the old Forums, it's too complicated, I don't like it.
Well, let's see. Out of 14 different people, 11 didn't like it; the Skype founder, a Skype Staff member and a Skype Admin where thrilled with it and proud of it. If I had produced something that received UNIVERSAL DISAPPROVAL, not one positive comment from a user, a Super User or a Moderator, I don't think I would be either thrilled or proud.
But as I said, it apparently achieved their purpose. Skype users, who already have no Customer Support or Technical Support, now find that the "Community" is so inscrutable as to be unusable for getting support as well.