India, April 30 -- It is April 2025. My daughters are sprawled on the living room couch, Netflix humming in the background, texting their friends. A WhatsApp call buzzes on the side. Their digital lives flow seamlessly. They barely register what's happening in the world of tech. Skype is being taken off life-support by Microsoft. May 5 is its final day. I doubt they'll even notice. But I do. I will mourn its passing. For me, Skype's death is personal. Born in 2003 out of the icy brilliance of Estonian code and the idealism of peer-to-peer rebellion. For me, Skype passed away quietly sometime in the 2020s, after a long illness brought on by neglect, corporate indifference, and the ruthless march of better-designed competition. This is becaus...