Skype serving strobing adverts to epilepsy sufferers.

[Anymouse]

But Skype tells me I can avoid this by getting a paid account. Thanks, too late. They already assaulted me.

Below is my back-and-forth with Skype's tech support (reads from the bottom up):

I am sorry, I will not pay a company that permits advertisers to intentionally trigger seizures in those with epilepsy.

Other companies and ISPs have made this part of their contracts: that Microsoft and Skype will not is quite telling of how you view your disabled customers, particularly this disabled veteran.

Your company has the ability to tell its advertisers to not do this. It has the ability to tell advert serving companies not to do this or you will not do business with them. That your company does not, and that you make excuses for it (you could pay for an account that blocks such adverts) does not protect the next of two million people with epilepsy that chooses to log onto Skype for the first time with no warning that his health and life is endangered by Skype.

If your company chooses to allow such advert serving companies to do this, then your company should provide a warning before someone signs up. Sadly, that was too late for me.

I will not choose such a paid account until your company assures me that you are no longer assaulting those with epilepsy in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

James.

From: Skype Customer Service [mailto:[e-mail]]
Sent: 21 June 2013 16:29
Subject: RE: Update on complaint: Skype issues non-answer to epilepsy complaint <<#2224619-3570116#>>

Hello James,

Thank you for your reply.

We are sorry to hear that advertisements caused you inconvenience and affecting your health condition. We would do our best to assist you on this matter.

We apologized for what happened. You may see advertisements for other companies in Skype which is system generated for all Skype users. It was created not intentionally to to disrupt our customers.

We would like to recommend, you may change your privacy settings accordingly, simply follow this link http://support.skype.com/faq/FA140

To stop seeing any advertisements for other companies in Skype, you may purchase Skype Credit, a subscription, or Skype Premium.

Thank you for sharing this particular incident with us. We appreciate your feedback and rest assured that we would definitely look into it.

We are working hard to implement performance and usability improvements as well as new features. We will inform our departments about your concern.

Should you need more assistance, feel free to contact us again.

We’d also like to advise you to update your Skype profile with the latest details. This will help us to provide you with the best possible solution more quickly and protect your account from abuse.

Best regards,

Huixian A.
Skype Customer Service


--- Original Message ---
From: James
Received: 6/22/13 5:43:18 AM GMT+08:00
To: <[e-mail]>
Subject: Update on complaint: Skype issues non-answer to epilepsy complaint
The answer you gave me below is of course, nonsense. My Skype experience is fatally flawed if I cannot use the service for strobing adverts on your site that trigger seizures in me. I hope that your answer is only an automated response and not your company blowing me off. (Skype answer below, my original complaint below that.)
I have not opened Skype since this happened for fear of your company’s Website.
If your company has no control over such adverts on its site, I cannot use Skype, and will also inform others with my condition and family and friends accordingly. I will also inform the Epilepsy Foundation so that the two million plus Americans with epilepsy can be advised of your company’s lack of consideration for our conditions. – James A Kulacz
________________________________________
Hello James,
Thank you for contacting Skype Customer Service.
We understand your concerns regarding the advertisement you saw on Skype. It would be our pleasure to look into this for you.
Occasionally, you may see advertisements for other companies in Skype. These advertisements will not disrupt your Skype experience in any way.
We do not share any of your personally identifiable information with advertisers.
However, we may use non-personally identifiable information, such as your location, gender or age, with the aim of providing you with advertisements that may be relevant to you.
If you do not want to share this information with advertisers, you can change your privacy settings accordingly.
________________________________________

Name: James
Topic: Other features
Subtopic: Suggestions / Feedback
Subject: Advert on Skype Epilepsy Trigger
Device: Desktop Computer | Skype for Windows desktop
Skype Version: null null
Country: US
Language: en
Browser: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; WOW64; rv:21.0) Gecko/20100101 Firefox/21.0
IP address: 76.0.14.157
Message:

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
An advert for Vistaprint business cards that shows up on the main window of Skype has a strobing number that rapidly runs from zero to 250. I have photo-sensitive epilepsy and this advert triggered a seizure. If this is not immediately fixed I am done with Skype. It is fortunate I was not injured, as this could successfully be brought as a suit under the ADA. I am not interested in that, but am not interested in a seizure when I log into Skype either. Fix it or I am gone the next time it happens.

I will also notify the Epilepsy Foundation to warn our members of your user-unfriendly adverts.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

[KC]

1. I don't think

you'll ever get anywhere by emailing
them. It sounds just like an automatic
response.
I'd probably try to call them and if no luck
file a complaint with the ADA!

[Warpy]

2. You need to complain to Vistaprint, also

since they're the ones running the ad and they're the ones to know which advertising company guy to string up by his balls.

A lot of people are utterly ignorant about how strobing triggers seizures in so many people and they have to be educated. I don't get seizures, but strobing adverts and on some TV shows can trigger migraines, as it does in me.

They might think it's eye catching, but it's not. It's annoying as hell even to people without seizure disorders or migraines.

[Anymouse]

3. Thanks. . . .

Thank you for the suggestion about contacting Vistaprint. I will do that.

[Anymouse]

4. OK It's Done . . .

. . . let's see if they bother to respond. I also helpfully directed them to Wikipedia:
Photosensitive Epilepsy article

[Anymouse]

5. VistaPrint wrote me back . . .

I received an E-mail from the marketing manager of VistaPrint. He wrote he was unaware that such things could cause a problem, and said he would direct the Webmaster to correct the issue.

Although this issue first surfaced when Anonymous attacked the Epilepsy Foundation's Website with a message that had strobing elements in it, and later an infamous episode of Pokémon was aired in Japan that caused seizures in hundreds, it is ofttimes overlooked by Webmasters designing Websites. They are simply unaware that rapidly-flashing page elements are anything more than an attention grabber.

I usually give such a person the benefit-of-the-doubt when I run across it - provided he corrects it.