Just a thought... actually a question... but it seems to have morphed into an opinion... Oh well...

Some existing enterprise solutions already parse telephone numbers displayed on a web page (primarily on their intranet or portal) into either "call" links, "skype" links or even "hover over bubble blurb" links. The key aspect here (one we can not forget) is that the enterprise decides how to handle things based on their business.

In some enterprises, the way people connect and interact is a critical, strategic aspect of their business. A developer of a new client app simply can not assume that they can "override" this key business process by including what they feel is a fun, new way to parse, display and handle telephone numbers.

Perhaps I misunderstand, but I see that the pending Skype v2.6 includes the function to automatically turn numbers on a web page that you display directly into "skype" links. From other posts, it looks like it blindly comes along with the install package for v2.6. While I'm sure this sounds good for Skype, does this mean that existing solutions that enterprises may have already deployed will break?

I'm sure we are all aware that many client apps seem to "elbow" their way into your infrastructure and forcefully take over certain protocols, file extensions and other things. Their designers simply assume that you want them, and they barge right in. I guess I should have actually read the Skype v2.6 release blurb before saying this, but I hope v2.6 will not mark the begining of this trend by Skype.

We all love to complain about this kind of intrusive behaviour from other providers (eg: Microsoft, AOL, Sony-root-code, Musicmatch, Yahoo toolbar, MSN toolbar, AIM, KaZaa, Realplayer, etc). Let's not start the same trend at Skype.

Skype is already having cultural problems getting past system administrators. Please do not add weight to the system-admin case by packaging a potentially intrusive toolbar or a disruptive feature along with the v2.6 install package. This will surely decide the case right then.

So, while the developer thinks this is "fun and fancy", perhaps the forced install of a potentially intrusive and distruptive feature should be optional (without having to manually UN-install it after the fact). This would preserve the world class image that Skype desires. I hope I have misunderstood the blurbs I've read about v2.6. What do you think?

You can untick the plugins in the setup of Skype. (The EULA screen) in this way, it is nowhehre intrusive since you can disable it, so you are nowhere forced to install it

If I've not mistaken the installer by default does not tick it.

However, the one thing about having it hidden in a seperate "Options" page means that beginners can easliy miss it and continue with the setup.

What Skype should do is to NOT have a seperate options page (just to make it look simpler) and by default do not have the options for installing the plugins ticked.