Skype – Safe, Secure and Legal Tony Brett Deputy Head of Information and Support Group Head of IT Support Staff Services Oxford University Computing Services We’ll talk about these things • • • • • • • • • • • Why use Skype? Installing and Configuring Doing it on a mobile device Getting the environment right Prepare, Test and Practise Doing a presentation with slides Working with a partner organisation Backup plans Working with the PSTN Demo Final tips People use Skype because... • • • • • Skype to Skype calls are free Skype is cheaper than airline tickets Some friends/family are a long way away It’s good to see someone as well as hear them Video gives a much better sense of communication • Sound quality can be better than a regular phone • It’s pretty easy to install and set up • It can be used for interviews People dislike Skype because... • • • • Voice delay can be difficult It can invade privacy It can be a barrier to doing work Not a whole lot else! IT Staff are your friends... • • • • If you expect support for using Skype... Or if the machine is college/dept owned... Then as your IT Support Staff first. It makes their life easier and yours! Don’t start it unless you need it • At login, need to untick “Start Skype when the computer starts” Doing it on a mobile device • Now available for Android, iOS tablets and phones • Can use front facing camera • Use WiFi rather than 3G if possible • Can be extremely useful • Make sure battery is wellcharged Equipment • Camera should be reasonable quality – but you don’t need to spend a fortune • Echo-cancelling Microphones are useful for group situations • Headset good for echo-cancelling for just one user • Consider a data projector for a bigger interview panel • Don’t rely on computer speaker and microphone • Don’t run laptops on batteries! Your computer needs to have the resources free to do it • Use wired rather than WiFi network connection if you can • 100kbits/s each way – Not much these days • Shut down other applications – Other apps can have a huge impact on quality • Avoid Relays, Supernodes, TCP – You can see this stuff in technical call info • Make sure you are using a current or at least recent version of Skype – Encoding is better and requires less bandwidth Environment is important • Avoid distractions in the background • If you are wondering what is going on out of frame then ask! • Use appropriate lighting and do it yourself too • Be careful with bright sun as cameras are not as contrast-sensitive as human eyes • Back-lighting creates silhouettes, too much light gives washed-out appearance • Make sure cameras are at correct height so you can both look directly into them Not at 3am in Pyjamas • Think about times of calls, sensitive to their timezone and yours • Best if both parties are alone – Shared spaces are bad for this • Dress appropriately for anything even semiformal • Don’t do anything on a skype call you wouldn’t do in person – They may have another screen or be recording! Beware of being recorded... • • • • Can use two channels One for interviewer, one for interviewee Pamela is a Skype add-on that you can use You should get permission to record (as part of the recording) • It’s OK to ask if you are being recorded Nobody likes 3am... • Do you work better in the morning or evening? • When do they work better? • Can you agree a time that works for both of you? • Don’t be afraid to ask Test & Practice • Do a test call with someone you know who is nearby so you can meet them face to face afterwards and compare notes • Do test calls the day before the main call to test quality and agree time – Important to do at same time of day as the real call to check bandwidth etc. • Do another test 10 mins before if you wish • This depends on how important the call is Doing a presentation with slides • You could have colleague send you a presentation for you to advance when they say • Can put it on a projector and colleague on computer screen • Make sure you are both on same slide – Use numbers! • More recent versions of Skype enable screen sharing – But this consumes more bandwidth so use with care Partner organisations can help • You may have a good relationship with your old school or University • They may be willing to set up a Skype Room – Have better AV equipment – Maybe a graphics tablet for showing working of problems – Technical support to hand Have a backup plan • Things can go wrong! • Get a phone number you can call the other person on, in advance • Be sure to ring other party if Skype fails and you can’t reconnect – They will need reassuring! – You may be able to email You can have a phone number and call phones • This costs money • Can be much cheaper than using normal phones • Quality not as good as skype-skype calls • SMS also possible • Can be useful for a function-specific phone number requirement Demo Remember... • It’s OK to give this a go • Don’t let the odd problem put you off – If it goes wrong you can try again • Digital natives are more comfortable with this stuff than you might think • This isn’t the best way to speak and I would always prefer face-to-face – But it is better than none at all and better even than just phone Questions? • Thank you for attending today