There’s this little program called Skype that’s been making a lot of news in the online world. It’s free software (as in beer*) that lets you make free voice connections to anyone else using Skype — kinda like an Internet phone call. You can also use Skype to connect to traditional phones, a service that’s free till the end of 2006.
How can I use Skype?
- Recording interviews for podcasts, radio shows, etc. (see Skype + Podcast Recorder)
- Audio production for low or no cost (see Using Skype as a Community Media Production Tool)
- Instant messaging, ala AIM or Google Talk (see Using Skype Chat)
I’m brand new to Skype but I’m particularly interested in it as a way to record audio of a conversation or interview, for later publishing on the web. Ooh, storm in brain — what if I were to mix it up with YouTube? I could interview my mom about family history and put together a movie of family photos (think Windows MovieMaker) to make a narrated story. A student of mine could do the same with his/her grandparents. Neato.
* “Free as in beer” is a reference to software that costs nothing, as opposed to open source software that’s also free, but in a different way (as in liberty).
Megan Hayes-Golding 