We’re enthusiastic Skype users at GUANXI so today’s report that a Chinese knock-off of the system’s technology could undermine the usually excellent quality of the service is worrying: “Knock-Offs Could Cripple Skype”. The internationality of Skype is part of its appeal, as is the fact that one can hold multi-party conversations with IM chat, too, for nothing. I was thinking just this morning of asking someone I’m corresponding with in Beijing if we could discuss a matter by IM–if we could find an hour when we’re both able to be online, something of a challenge in dealing with Chinese from the East Coast of the U.S.A.