Comments on: Skype outage and restoring confidence

By: neville

neville — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 20:23:25 +0000

You’re right, Sallie, that hadn’t occurred to me re last Thursday’s show!

We devoted quite a bit of time in today’s show to a discussion on this Skype issue from the communication perspective.

By: Sallie Goetsch (rhymes with "sketch")

Sallie Goetsch (rhymes with "sketch") — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 18:09:11 +0000

It’s a bloody good thing you and Shel weren’t trying to do a live show on Thursday!

Skype interacts with the BIOS on Windows computers, which means it’s tied in at a very deep level, so it’s possible quite unexpected things could interfere with it.

By: neville

neville — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 14:12:58 +0000

Just taken another look at the Heartbeat post that explains things.

Update to the text which now explicitly lays the blame on Windows Update:

[...] The disruption was triggered by a massive restart of our users’ computers across the globe within a very short timeframe as they re-booted after receiving a routine set of patches through Windows Update.

I think this story is only just getting going.

By: neville

neville — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 14:06:46 +0000

That’s what some people are saying, Shel.

I’d like to know what Microsoft will say. It’s a pretty serious accusation to lay the initial blame with Microsoft. Many ingredients here for a major public kerfuffle.

I hope we get some clarity on exactly what the cause was rather than speculatory media and blog interpretations of the Skype Heartbeat post.

By: Shel Holtz

Shel Holtz — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 13:54:21 +0000

I’m pretty sure the “routine software update” was a Windows patch delivered automatically throught he Windows Update Service.