Skype has been a very useful tool for making ip-based phone calls. We even used it last spring to make a video call to Japan for a Park Fellowship interview. However, a reading of the end user license agreement reveals that we can’t use it on campus. The following is a section from the Skype end user license agreement:
4.1 Utilization of Your computer. You hereby acknowledge that the Skype Software may utilize the processor and bandwidth of the computer (or other applicable device) You are utilizing, for the limited purpose of facilitating the communication between Skype Software users.
Unfortuantely, if you have Skype installed on a School computer in use on campus, neither the processor nor the bandwidth is yours to give to an outsider. This might not be such a big problem, except that Skype can direct network traffic to your computer, which can have an impact on the network availability and performance for others here. If your computer becomes a problem on the network, ITS Networking has the ability to shut off your port.
You can (in violation of the agreement with Skype) use it for outgoing calls if you turn it off when not in use. Or, better yet, there are alternative products which do not have the same legal or technical complications.