By Woody Leonhard
Here’s how to add a Contact in the old-fashioned desktop version of Skype:
1On the main screen, click the Add a Contact icon.
2Type something into the search box.
3Click on the most likely hit (sometimes it’s hard figuring out whom to pick; try narrowing the search argument).
4Click I knew that, silly Skype, that’s why I’m adding him to my Contacts list, and then Add to Contacts.
5Click Send.
6Wait.
7Type to your heart’s content, and when you’re done with this and any other conversations, click or tap Skype→Sign Out.
8To add a Contact in the tiled Metro version of Skype, go to the main Metro Skype page and right-click the main part of the screen, or swipe up from the bottom.
The basic sequence of steps are the same as if you were working in the (much more information-dense, and easier to navigate) old-fashioned desktop version of Skype.
In Metro Skype, some of the settings (your account picture, for example, or privacy settings) are hidden in the Settings charm on the right, and others (adding new Contacts, for example) are hidden in the App bar.