In writing this book we feel as though we embarked on an enormous journey. We couldn't have done it without the help and assistance of colleagues, friends, and peers who have gone out of their way to be helpful. We express our heartfelt gratitude and appreciation, and we acknowledge their contribution in the making of this book and its companion Web site (www.skype4dummies.com).

Numerous people at Skype have been generous, devoting their time, energy, and expertise. We need to single out two people who were especially instrumental in facilitating the connections to the right people within Skype and throughout the Skype community. Thank you, Kat James and Romain Bertrand. We have been truly fortunate to have Jannus Kase, who many of you may have seen on the Skype blogs, as our technical editor. Few people on the planet know more about Skype than he does. Lester Madden, Dan Houghton, Raul Liive, and Tony Saigh opened many doors for us. We've had numerous and engaging conversations both inside and outside of Skype. In order of first name, we thank the following people:

Aaron Wellman, Adam Gross, Allison Kohn, Anders Hallin, Ash Valeski, Ben Lilienthal, Bernard Percy, Bill Campbell, Bill Good, Brian Phillips, Charles Bender, Christophe Melle, Dani Shefer, David Cohen, David Rivier, Deborah Quinlan, Dick Schiferli, Elspeth Knight, Eric Choi, Eric Partaker, Erica Jostedt, Eyal Gever, Faye Williams, Gershon Goren, Gordon Evans, Graeme Gibson, Grete Napits, Heron Stone, Imogen Bailey, Jen Webb, Jennifer Ruff, Jeremy Hague, Jim Brady, Jin Kim, Joan Gordon, John Martin, John Picard, Karen Gorman, Karen Richardson, Karen Sohl, Kelly Reed, Leslie Schecht, Liz Tierney, Lou Guercia, Martin Dougiamas, Mat Taylor, Melinda Kolk, Natasha Konstantinova, Nicola Riordan, Olivia Selbie, Philip Pool, Philippe Tessier, Phillip Pyo, Rich Conti, Rouzbeh Pasha, Sam Aparicio, Sandy Krochek, Sara Reitz, Scott Miller, Shira Litvak, Stan Kwang, Stella Porto, Stephanie Zari, Tom Gillen, Viktoria Randalainen, and Wendy Dominguez.

We also thank all those friends and family members who helped us put Skype through its paces, and especially George and Cele Pomerantz, who embraced Skype wholeheartedly.

We are grateful for having Susan Christophersen, Leah Cameron, and Colleen Totz Diamond as our editors to give our book shape, clarity, and coherence. Susan Christophersen and Greg Croy did an incredible job of pulling this book together. Our technical editor, Jannus Kase, did an outstanding job, constantly providing great technical suggestions and ideas. We also wish to express our gratitude to Jen Webb, Jodi Jensen, Mary Corder, Andy Cummings, and Lisa Coleman.