Tech Tina: Skype

Ok... I know I am way behind the ball on this one. Just had it in my head that was Skype was for talking to people in other countires. Last night I was at a dinner party with some great geeks (what made them great is they were the perfect combination of geek and heart). They mentioned that their church is doing their online campus through Skype. That was the final straw... I have to check it out, so here goes:

Overall impression: Wow! Though it is definately more impressive on my Mac where I have a built in camera and mic versus my PC with only speakers. I like that it is more than just a phone calling system persay. You can call over phone, as a chat, or as a video chat.
Look/Feel: Very easy to follow and functional
Purposes Fullfilled: Fellowship & Mission (b/c you can call people in other countries for pretty cheap)

Account Setup:
1. You have to actually download the skype software onto your computer. It is easily done on both PC and Mac.
2. Account setup is pretty standard (not a confirmation email to verify account... which was kinda weird to tell the truth).
3. If you want to make calls to phone lines you do have further account setup and steps for that (becuase it is not free).
4. On my mac it popped up and allowed for automatic inporting of all my Address Book entries and profile updates. On the PC I have to click on the "personalize" tab for the account settings and can import contacts via the Contact tab.

So... will I ever come back to this site:
The reason I have not been using this yet is b/c I did not know anyone on it. I am sure as I meet people who have Skype accounts I will use it again. Next mission trip I will keep the numbers of those I connect with and may give them a buzz again as well. You know in Rwanda so many have cell phones, but few had running water and electricity. How moving would it be to get calls checking up on them and continuing those relationships between trips. I know many who have family or friends out of the US that use Skype as their lifeline to those people.

Prayer:
Lord, thank you for Skype. That this makes the world smaller. Help us to use skype as a tool for outreach and missions. Amen.