Can You Hear Me?

Remember way back in the early days of long distance telephony when 'trunk calls' were mostly about delayed responses, "Are you there?", "What time is it with you?" and "I can hear you, can you hear me?" ? (ok, so I don't actually remember these days, but I've heard about them)
Well, thanks to the wonders of modern technology, I can relive these experiences on a regular basis.
I love Skype. I use it a lot, both for voice and text. It has, in some places I've lived, been my main or only telephone. But when I'm living or staying in places with less-than-perfect net connections, I get to experience all the historical/hysterical joys and frustrations of the old-fashioned trunk call.
Lucky me.