www.wherewords.com

where words come from




  Skype Answer:

1.     Skype                                                                                                                  
        software to make video or voice calls, and send instant messages over the internet

        Where does the word "Skype" come from?  (choose the one best answer)

A.    Derives from Old Norse "skajp," a trivial theft (related to our slang word "kype").
B.    
Contraction of "skip-the-hype," an early mantra because the technology worked.
C.    
Shortened from "Skyper," a geeky nickname combining "sky" plus "peer-to-peer."
D.    
A random letter-string; it's just a short, internet domain name that they could get.



In April of 2003 Skype.com was registered by entrepreneurs Niklaus Zenstrom and Janus Friis of Luxembourg (who have since launched Kazaa and Joost).

Thirty months later Skype was acquired by eBay for about 3 large (after cash, stock and earn-out) and while a lot of "grown-ups" can't tell you what it is they do, amazingly every 20-year-old on the planet can.

All other internet phones utilize a client/server configuration to centralize traffic, but only Skype uses peer-to-peer technology to distribute it -- so C is correct.



(close this window to return to the quiz, or if you just got here you can navigate with the menu on the top left)

Web Hosting Companies