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Twisted Logic in Skype "Community" Administration

When I have written previously about the Skype "Community" (formerly the Skype User Forums), I was only speculating that their objective in the reorganization was to drive Skype users away. Now there is more concrete proof of this, in the blog of their "Head of Forum Operations", who expresses satisfaction that since the reorganization there are "fewer posts and less new topics" than before.
Written by J.A. Watson, Contributor

When I have written previously about the Skype "Community" (formerly the Skype User Forums), I was only speculating that their objective in the reorganization was to drive Skype users away. Now there is more concrete proof of this, in the blog of their "Head of Forum Operations", who expresses satisfaction that since the reorganization there are "fewer posts and less new topics" than before. Well, if that is the measure of success, then it is clear what the objective was!

In the same blog is this gem about problem reporting: "Skype has an excellent ticket system". I wonder what twisted version of reality these people are experiencing? First, the Skype problem reporting ticket system is difficult and tedious, to be kind, but more importantly, the objective of the system should be solving the problems, and as far as I can tell they have no system for doing that whatsoever! As I have said previously, desperate Skype users, who have absolutely no access to Customer Support, and now have essentially lost the Skype User Forums as a source of support. have started posting pleas for help to the "Independent" Skype Journal comments. This one, from the past weekend, is one of my all-time favorites:

... now images cannot be displayed. I a message that says `error image cannot be displayed because it contains errors` ...

It is a sad state of affairs.

jw 26/5/2008

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