Where Did Those 3 Minutes Go?

I wonder if there is anyone who knows the answer to this?

Without going into detail, my daughter has a had a bit of an online issue with some girls (surprise, surprise), to cut a long story short they said their internet went down at some point whilst they were on Skype, four girls, four different locations.

So I went into the timestamps on the conversation.

The call began at 18:35
The call ended at 19:22

I calculate this to be 47 minutes, however the call duration according to Skype is only 44 minutes.

What happen to those 3 minutes?

Is the discrepancy our end? Is it because the internet went down, so it didn't record the 3 minute outage?

If so, would the deficit occur because of our connection, or could it be because of anyone in the group chat not being able to connect?

Due to the nature of what has gone on, I highly doubt their connections failed simultaneously from different locations, however how is it that the call duration logged is 3 minutes less than the total time displayed by the start/end timestamps?



If someone knows the answer I would be most grateful.

Notes:

As far as I am aware our internet didn't go down.

My daughter wasn't even on the call or the group chat at the time, but the app was signed in, just sitting on my phone idle.

We don't use pay Skype, just the wifi free calls version.

a reply to: solargeddon

Maybe there are separate log times for the host and the subscribers involved? Not sure, but a host can be in a skype call for longer than the participants. So, maybe there was a 3 minute delay in joining a group call?

originally posted by: ttobban
a reply to: solargeddon

Maybe there are separate log times for the host and the subscribers involved? Not sure, but a host can be in a skype call for longer than the participants. So, maybe there was a 3 minute delay in joining a group call?

So do you mean, the person who began the call could have been on the call for those 3 minutes, but it wasn't until another person on the group picked up the call that the duration began counting?

I thought of that in the sense perhaps the person who began the call was listening to it ringing for 3 minutes before anyone pick up, but I don't think that can happen for that long, ordinarily it will ring for about 30 seconds then timeout, by which time you would have to call again, yet there isn't multiple attempts logged, just the one notification saying call started.

Thank you so much for responding, let me know what you think...did I understand your point correctly?

a reply to: solargeddon

Say a group call is initiated. The host begins the clock. One person joins 30 seconds later, and your computer logged on 3 minutes later. All computers but the hosts should log both times... except for the host, which will renew the clock for all calling if the host drops connection. It's also likely to join within 30 seconds, lose connection 2:30 into the call, and it take another 30 seconds to reestablish connection.

Skype room hosts can also remove others from the calls, so not all connections are lost through internet connection. Removing others from group calls is just a click away.

originally posted by: ttobban
a reply to: solargeddon

Say a group call is initiated. The host begins the clock. One person joins 30 seconds later, and your computer logged on 3 minutes later. All computers but the hosts should log both times... except for the host, which will renew the clock for all calling if the host drops connection. It's also likely to join within 30 seconds, lose connection 2:30 into the call, and it take another 30 seconds to reestablish connection.

Skype room hosts can also remove others from the calls, so not all connections are lost through internet connection. Removing others from group calls is just a click away.

Ok, so we weren't the host of the call or the group, the Skype is on my phone, so nobody logged in from our end and my daughter was already signed in on Skype prior to the call (she's permanently signed in...forgotten password), just that no-one our end paid any attention to it, as in the phone wasn't even looked at when it rang, if it rang.

Just to clarify when you mean host, do you mean the person who created the group?

Or is the host the person from the group who initiated the group call?

If the person who started the call had connection issues, does this mean the others wouldn't be able to speak until the instigator of the calls connection was resolved?

Sorry, I may be covering the same ground again, but I just want to get it clear in my head, thank you for your contribution and patience.

a reply to: solargeddon

No worries... glad to debate possibilty.

I have been in skype calls. When the host of the group call (initiator) starts a call, the entire link runs through the host. So, when the hot loses connection, the entire group call disappears. Then to restore it, someone from the group typically starts a new call. Each call is logged in time.

Now, you said there were 4 in the group call. As long as the host keeps the connection open, those in the call can remain in it. I have been in calls where the host long went too sleep prior but left the call open for the rest to keep talking. As long as the call remained open, I was able to come and go as I please.

That aspect is why there may be a difference in time stamping... quite a few variables, and difficult to make ends meet when it comes to she said/she said events.

Best of luck with the conflict

a reply to: ttobban

Thanks for your input, I think you helped a bit.

So, unless there is a connection problem with the person who started the call, the call would continue.

If anyone other than the host's connection went down, the call would continue, but if the host's connection goes down, it ends the call and someone else would have to begin a new call, or the host could start a new call when back online.

So one more question, even though my daughter never joined the group call, would the app still log the number of minutes the call lasted?

If so, my internet connection can sometimes play up (goes in and out) if one of the out periods on my connection was 3 minutes would that account for Skype on our end miscalculating the actual duration of the call, as for 3 minutes my phone would not be connected to record that duration, but as soon as the connection came back in, resume counting the duration.

Cheers for the assist, the info won't help me too much with the conflict, but it will go some way to destroying their alibi.

a reply to: solargeddon

The group calls rings like a phone... it will continue on for a good minute or 2 on its own if a connection to skype exists.

The options when ringing, are 'answer' and 'ignore'. Time should only be logged on the call from the participants end if the 'answer' button was tapped on. Is it possible to mis-click and join a call that we intended to ignore... yes. But it doesn't change the need of the participants to initiate their own involvement within a group call. Just because a host adds participants, does not mean that the participants are automatically involved in the group call.

Keep in mind that the host can also set the settings to include all of the participants to hold the same rights as the host does... in terms of who is involved and who can add or sensor whatever if chosen.

a reply to: ttobban

Well, we didn't participate in the call, but the call start and end time were logged on our Skype when I read the conversation, on the end time it stated the duration of the call and when I clicked on the start and end time it allowed me to see the timestamp, but as I say, nobody our end pressed answer or ignore.

Thank you for your help

On the answering calls side, Skype can be set to answer (automatically connect) to incoming calls from everyone, or only contacts, or finally only certain contacts. So if your daughter had that setup to connect automatically for contacts then it would have rang for a few times to give her time to hit ignore, then if ignore wasn't clicked it would connect the call.

a reply to: Wolfie0827

Well the call couldn't have been connected or I would have heard the conversation, unless there is a way to automatically connect but prevent engagement, unless you initialise it.

I don't think there is an automatic answer set up on her Skype.

Thank you for contributing, I appreciate it.