After we all watched with irritation at what Skype's latest version did to their open-source developers when they integrated all their cool features into it without any renumeration or warning, we were ticked off to say the least. Well, now the Skype Journal is actually publicly suggesting they should copy YackPack (very cool) and their audio/video blasts.

YackPack certainly illustrates where Skype could go with audio / video blasts. There's no reason this couldn't be developed and copied in Skype particularly now that SkypeWeb exists.

However, BJ Fogg, CEO of YackPack is calling them out on it.

I guess we should be flattered. But there's something troubling about people asking Skype to rip off the YackPack user experience, especially since I spent two years of my life and over $100K of my own hard-earned cash to develop it. (Not to mention the costly patents we applied for, whatever they end up being worth.)

I'm with you BJ! Skype, you should innovate, not imitate. Your basic service is great. I had an hour long call with a guy in Poland a week ago and I only experienced a few brief periods of latency. I mean, that's impressive for a free service.

No need to copy YackPack, they've got something great going on, no doubt, but your service doesn't have to be just like it. Oh, by the way, on YackPack I'm duzins. Feel free to add me: robyn *at* sleepyblogger.com.

* Social Butterfly Episode #1 w/BJ Fogg, CEO of YackPack