Skype – Safe, Secure and Legal
Tony Brett
Deputy Head of Information and Support Group
Head of IT Support Staff Services
Oxford University Computing Services
We’ll talk about these things
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Why use Skype?
Installing and Configuring
Doing it on a mobile device
Getting the environment right
Prepare, Test and Practise
Doing a presentation with slides
Working with a partner organisation
Backup plans
Working with the PSTN
Demo
Final tips
People use Skype because...
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Skype to Skype calls are free
Skype is cheaper than airline tickets
Some friends/family are a long way away
It’s good to see someone as well as hear them
Video gives a much better sense of
communication
• Sound quality can be better than a regular phone
• It’s pretty easy to install and set up
• It can be used for interviews
People dislike Skype because...
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Voice delay can be difficult
It can invade privacy
It can be a barrier to doing work
Not a whole lot else!
IT Staff are your friends...
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If you expect support for using Skype...
Or if the machine is college/dept owned...
Then as your IT Support Staff first.
It makes their life easier and yours!
Don’t start it unless you need it
• At login, need to untick “Start Skype when the
computer starts”
Doing it on a mobile device
• Now available for
Android, iOS tablets and
phones
• Can use front facing
camera
• Use WiFi rather than 3G if
possible
• Can be extremely useful
• Make sure battery is wellcharged
Equipment
• Camera should be reasonable quality
– but you don’t need to spend a fortune
• Echo-cancelling Microphones are useful for group
situations
• Headset good for echo-cancelling for just one
user
• Consider a data projector for a bigger interview
panel
• Don’t rely on computer speaker and microphone
• Don’t run laptops on batteries!
Your computer needs to have the
resources free to do it
• Use wired rather than WiFi network connection if
you can
• 100kbits/s each way
– Not much these days
• Shut down other applications
– Other apps can have a huge impact on quality
• Avoid Relays, Supernodes, TCP
– You can see this stuff in technical call info
• Make sure you are using a current or at least
recent version of Skype
– Encoding is better and requires less bandwidth
Environment is important
• Avoid distractions in the background
• If you are wondering what is going on out
of frame then ask!
• Use appropriate lighting and do it yourself
too
• Be careful with bright sun as cameras are
not as contrast-sensitive as human eyes
• Back-lighting creates silhouettes, too much
light gives washed-out appearance
• Make sure cameras are at correct height so
you can both look directly into them
Not at 3am in Pyjamas
• Think about times of calls, sensitive to their
timezone and yours
• Best if both parties are alone
– Shared spaces are bad for this
• Dress appropriately for anything even semiformal
• Don’t do anything on a skype call you
wouldn’t do in person
– They may have another screen or be recording!
Beware of being recorded...
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Can use two channels
One for interviewer, one for interviewee
Pamela is a Skype add-on that you can use
You should get permission to record (as part
of the recording)
• It’s OK to ask if you are being recorded
Nobody likes 3am...
• Do you work better in the morning or
evening?
• When do they work better?
• Can you agree a time that works for both of
you?
• Don’t be afraid to ask
Test & Practice
• Do a test call with someone you know who is
nearby so you can meet them face to face
afterwards and compare notes
• Do test calls the day before the main call to
test quality and agree time
– Important to do at same time of day as the real
call to check bandwidth etc.
• Do another test 10 mins before if you wish
• This depends on how important the call is
Doing a presentation with slides
• You could have colleague send you a presentation
for you to advance when they say
• Can put it on a projector and colleague on
computer screen
• Make sure you are both on same slide
– Use numbers!
• More recent versions of Skype enable screen
sharing
– But this consumes more bandwidth so use with care
Partner organisations can help
• You may have a good relationship with your
old school or University
• They may be willing to set up a Skype Room
– Have better AV equipment
– Maybe a graphics tablet for showing working of
problems
– Technical support to hand
Have a backup plan
• Things can go wrong!
• Get a phone number you can call the other
person on, in advance
• Be sure to ring other party if Skype fails and
you can’t reconnect
– They will need reassuring!
– You may be able to email
You can have a phone number and
call phones
• This costs money
• Can be much cheaper than using normal
phones
• Quality not as good as skype-skype calls
• SMS also possible
• Can be useful for a function-specific phone
number requirement
Demo
Remember...
• It’s OK to give this a go
• Don’t let the odd problem put you off
– If it goes wrong you can try again
• Digital natives are more comfortable with this
stuff than you might think
• This isn’t the best way to speak and I would
always prefer face-to-face
– But it is better than none at all and better even
than just phone
Questions?
• Thank you for attending today