Usually I think claims like this are just shrill alarmists who can’t deal with the sexy wilderness that is the internet. In this case, however, I think they have a point. Skype porn spam is unavoidable, and there is no measure that can be taken to prevent complete strangers from hitting you with an dirty-talk contact request accompanied by an explicit picture.
The Windows client, at least, allows such messages to accumulate in the taskbar, but OS X users get popups — trouble if your Skype is idling and your kid is googling something. I can hear them now: “Dad, what’s a horny webcam?” — “Look mom, she’s hugging her friend with her legs!”
Some diligence can prevent this potentially hilarious tragedy, but the program is meant to replace your phone, so why should you have to turn it off when you’re not actively using it? Just make the option to block all but your contacts available, people!
[image credit: The Register and its tipper]