Skype's Goodbye: A Nostalgic Look Back

Skype, the once revolutionary video chat tool, is shutting down. Microsoft made this announcement in late February. It's not surprising, as Skype had become outdated. It was a ghost of its former self. It was clear that Microsoft had long decided to discontinue the service. Skype was a tool for connecting people across oceans when there were few affordable means of making international calls. It was a lifeline for many. It facilitated relationships across oceans when there were few affordable means of making international calls, nothing short of a miracle for those with family members in distant parts of the world. Skype was a tool for connecting people across oceans when there were few affordable means of making international calls. It was a lifeline for many. It facilitated relationships across oceans when there were few affordable means of making international calls, nothing short of a miracle for those with family members in distant parts of the world. For Skype’s long-suffering users, and those who stopped using it but still thought of it fondly, the coming demise of Skype is a moment worthy of acknowledgment. It was a reminder of a bygone era and a source of inspiration for many. Skype was a reminder of a bygone era and a source of inspiration for many. It facilitated relationships across oceans when there were few affordable means of making international calls, nothing short of a miracle for those with family members in distant parts of the world. One nostalgic reader composed a song based on the familiar Skype ring. Michael Frishkopf, a professor at the University of Alberta’s department of music and the director of the Canadian Centre for Ethnomusicology, created a short symphonic work with the Skype theme song in 2020. It was “originally for a film score (though it was never used in that way)”, Frishkopf wrote in an email. “Skype was always a tool for connecting out of isolation and it struck me that a lot of people probably associate it with being far from loved ones, ” Frishkopf said. “That Skype ring tone, I don’t know who made it, but it has a kind of wistfulness to it. It isn’t either major or minor, it could go either way. In the same way, it could sound happy or sad which could represent the sadness of longing for someone and the joy of connecting with them. That