Summarize this article in one sentence.
If you don’t have a Skype account already, click the green “Join” button in the middle of the page. This will take you to the account creation screen. You will need to enter your real name and a valid email address. You will also need to choose the correct Country/Region, and create a Skype username and password. The username will be displayed publicly; only people on your contact list can see your real name.  You can skip this step by logging in with either your Microsoft account or with your Facebook account. Skype will pull the necessary information from those accounts instead.  Skype now requires that you set up using a Microsoft account.  While it was formerly possible to create a Skype ID, all Skype IDs have to be connected to a Microsoft account to continue using Skype. Skype will automatically detect the operating system you are using and provide you a download link to the correct version. Click the large green button to begin downloading. If you need to download Skype for a different operating system, click the link below the download button. Once the download is complete, open the file to install Skype. Most users can keep the recommended settings.  Skype will want to change your homepage settings, so be sure to uncheck those boxes if you don’t want your homepage changed. If you are using Windows 8, you can install Skype from the Marketplace. This app acts slightly differently than the desktop version of Skype. To install it, open the Windows 8 Store and search for Skype. Make sure that you install the app published by Skype and Microsoft.

Summary:
Visit the Skype Homepage. Enter your information. Download Skype. Install Skype.