The Pacer

Issue date: 1/23/07 Section: Technology

Occasionally in journalism, writers will compose a story that heralds the benefits of certain products that are helpful only under certain conditions without considering the negative aspects the product could hold for a large audience. This is particularly true for technology, where some products that are beneficial to some may be disastrous when used by many.

In my last column, I wrote about using Skype for voice and video conferencing and how the UTM Instructional Technology Center staff had tested the software before Christmas break. In so doing, I inadvertently forced a connection between UT Martin's Information Technology Services (of which the Instructional Technology Center is a division) and Skype. Allow me to clarify here that no such connection exists and that ITS does not endorse the use of Skype to UTM's students.

Andy Rivers, UTM Information Technology Services security administrator, said Skype is a good product for home users but presents serious issues for business and large institutions.

"Skype operates on a peer-to-peer network, meaning that all system resources used are shared among users," Rivers said. "Skype assigns the local computer running its program to one of three roles: a super node, a relay host or a client peer node."

Rivers explained that every time a Skype call is made, the calling computer gets the location of the receiving computer from a super node. This could be any Skype user's computer; users are not given the option of choosing which of the three roles their computer plays. Skype assigns the roles based on users' computer specifications and Internet connection speed.

The call then goes through other computers being used as relays before it is finally received by the other client. This means that relay host computers carry voice, video or text information for calls from other users. Although this happens in a matter of milliseconds, computers that are being used as super nodes and relays will have some of their system resources tied up any time they are logged on to Skype.

Individual users are not greatly affected by the system of nodes and relays because Skype limits the amount of information that each computer processes in terms of Kilobytes per second. However, institutions such as UTM that have large amounts of bandwidth and computer processing power can also be used as super nodes and relays, thereby limiting their ability to perform every day functions for students, faculty and others.

Another major security issue is the use of the voice mail system. Because the peer-to-peer network eliminates the need for a centralized Skype file server, any time a voice mail is left for a user it is recorded on his or her computer instead of being left on a server for retrieval. A person who knew how to retrieve this file could access it directly from the computer the Skype user last visited.

As is true for almost all software available today, Skype has its pros and cons. Users should not be afraid to use the software because of the peer-to-peer process or the voicemail security issue, but should keep them in mind and use the software responsibly. While not as good for use on a campus wide basis or in a business setting, Skype is still a very successful method of communicating from home computers on a personal level.

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