Update: Thanks to all of you who've spoken to me individually — now safely arrived in Tallinn after some little flight-related hitches, but it's not too late to contribute. [Hit me up on Skype](skype:peterparkes?chat) or leave a comment here and I'll make sure your feedback counts.

On Monday I'll be heading to Tallinn to join the rest of our Skype bloggers and forum moderators, along with Villu Arak, who heads up the main Skype blog, and Ike Roelfsema, who manages the forum side of things.

We'll be talking about the way Skype works with communities online, and discussing how we can improve the way we talk to people about Skype — whether it's good, bad or ugly.

Here's a good example: yesterday, the Today programme on Radio 4 featured an interview with the chairman of the BBC Trust, Michael Lyons. When the connection failed halfway through the interview, [John Humphrys](http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/today/about/meet/pres.shtml?humphrys) revealed that he was using Skype. Good or bad? [The Inquirer's coverage](http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=41100) and PCW's [*The Test Bed*](http://labs.pcw.co.uk/2007/07/skype-humbled-o.html) offer different points of view.


As Jaanus [pointed out a year ago](http://share.skype.com/sites/en/2006/06/quality_assuranc.html), Skype invests a lot of time in improving the quality and reliability of calls (and perhaps not as much as it should in the quality of its door signs). It's just a shame that the call from New Zealand (where Michael Lyons was) to London cut out in the middle of his conversation.

I debated whether or not I should blog about this - on one hand, it's a bit embarrassing; on the other, it's a great example of the way in which Skype can make conversations possible - and free. For a public service broadcaster like the BBC, that's very important, and that's ultimately why I'm writing this.

When I meet with the other bloggers next week, we'll talk about the way we write, and what we write about, and I hope that we collectively agree to carry on telling the embarassing but fun stories as well as the ones which are fun without any embarrassment.

What's your view? How do stories like this affect the way you think about Skype? It'dbe good to hear from you. Post a comment below, or [chat to me on Skype](skype:peterparkes?chat) — whichever suits you.

*Oh, and John, if you're reading, give me a shout and we'll send someone round to make sure you've got your internet connection set up properly...*