Videochat Software over the Years

So, with the coof going around, and the official reactions to it basically shutting down huge parts of the economy and normal society, I'm sure we're all using a lot more video chat software these days than we used to.

I used to use Skype a lot, but stopped using it a long time ago. It just seemed to keep getting worse over time, and other people also seemed to use it less. Somewhere around this time, it was also bought by Microsoft. Now it auto-starts with my Operating System, and I just can't figure out how to uninstall it.

The main software that seems to be used is Zoom, which is used because it has the lowest possible standards of accessibility, which allows even boomers to engage with it. The very wide array of ways to access it from makes it difficult to work with when said boomers, from a different part of the city, demand that I metaphorically tie their shoes for them (help them access the zoom call).

There is definitely a range of better software solutions available in terms of technical stability, featuresets, and so on, but they don't seem to be used much.

One of the bizarre things I've noticed is that most people never seem to bother learning how to use the software's featureset. If they log in with one of their existing accounts and hand over an existing package of information, then they get some kind of profile picture, but most people seem to never even get that far. I can't figure out why or how someone would work to preserve their ignorance like this and expect others to pick up their slack.

E-mails are workable ways of sending newsletter information to people, but it's easy for things to get lost in the shuffle.

Text messages with cell phones are good for individual people, but mixing in technically inept iphone users (who have a false idea of how much they understand what they're doing) who try using Apple services like they're platform-agnostic and then blaming Android phones for being unable to get on to the Apple network is frustrating. There are also often problems when trying to get a bunch of people into a group text chat, depending on whether they know how to use their text chat program on their phone or whether their service allows MMS group chat services.

What other videochat or audiochat software have you used over the years to keep in touch with people, or to have some sort of group meeting, and are you happy with your current software solution? What solutions would you recommend?

One of the benefits of Zoom is that you can use custom backgrounds to pretend that you are working remotely from Equestria. I use Skype when my brother calls in from out of the country (he's got a visa extension to stay there until the coof is over: he's free to return home at any time, but he can't get back to work there if he comes home). I don't think I used FaceTime since my Apple-obsessed friends divorced 3 or 4 years ago.

e-mail delenda est

I'm that asshole who types entire paragraphs in text messages. I'd rather receive one long message than many short messages in a row, so I send as I'd like to receive. Deal with the contradiction between this habit and my above statement on e-mail as you will.

For now most often I'm using Jitsi Meet for voice and video calls. The main advantage for me is that it is very simple, works in browser, and you don't need to register account, so you can talk anonymously on it. You just start a meeting, and send link to people you want to talk to. They open the link in browser and that's all (of course you can secure your meet with password). It support group video calls, and screen sharing.

In the past I was using Tox chat. It's p2p decentralized and end-to-end encrypted, but you need to download client for it, and it was hard to convince some people to download and install it. It also don't support group video calls.

There is also element.io (in the past it was called riot.im). It is secure, privacy-respecting instant messaging app which also supports voice, video calls, and screen sharing. It also works in browser, and you don't need to provide your phone number or email to register account.