Oak Framed Beech

I've had another gritty day dealing with issues caused by the way the latest versions of IE have been implemented. You can never stand still in this business. Code which has worked undisturbed for years suddenly has to be modified. And we normally only find out about it from the client and have to respond and fix very quickly. At least I got another good run in at lunchtime and I've finally chosen to post from Hirst Wood. It's a very special place.

The day and now evening has completely run away from me so by way of a journal entry I'm posting what I sent to Skype today. If you agree perhaps you could send them some feedback too along the same lines.


To all the lovely people at Skype.

Before making a suggestion for an improvement I first need to thank you for the wonderful service you provide. You have truly transformed lives in this world where friends and family are often so far flung. All the people closest to me live now in distant places, yet I'm able to have a proper face to face conversation with them whenever I want. My world would be very much diminished if it wasn't for your technology.

The only real problem I have with your service is when it comes to finishing a conversation. When I hit the icon to close the call my loved one is extinguished instantaneously. It feels so horribly abrupt ... like I've exterminated them. It's a rather brutal way to part. In real life the process is normally much slower. You get the chance to watch your loved one walk away. You can cast them a final glance, a last wave, take a little time to accommodate their parting from you. Could I request a fade feature to close a call. Perhaps it could be customised so we can set the length of the transition ourselves. It would just be so much nicer. And certainly a lot more romantic. A bit like watching your partner leave on a train, receding into the distance until you can no longer make them out. This feature would make a lovely Christmas present for a lot of people. How about it?