[LINK] Elluminate

[Jan Whitaker]

At 12:35 AM 9/05/2009, stephen at melbpc.org.au wrote:

>I don't know what linker opinion about this is, obviously, but Vic EdDpt
>appears happy with it, and i would think that Linkers have ideas re this?

Have you used it?

How many people can connect simultaneously?

One of the advantages of the streaming format is that the number of 
viewers is only limited to the server 'power' to feed them on the 
technical side. Because they can't 'talk back', the direction of 
participants isn't needed.

On the sharing of communication/messages side, though, when 
synchronous communication systems are used where the remotes can 
'talk back', the participation must be managed more closely with 
better protocols. One of the nice aspects of a twitter or IRC channel 
is that it self-manages and doesn't cut across the main content. If 
they linked directly in with sound in particular, the noise 
interruption problems multiply if there isn't a way for a moderator 
to shut it down during presentations. Even with small numbers in VCs, 
the amount of mic noise from paper rustling, bad mic placement, side 
conversations, etc. is a problem. Now multiply that to LOTS of places 
with people who don't know how to properly use a microphone and 
you'll get the idea of the associated challenges. Pia would have a 
different set of problems to prepare for and the clarity and quality 
of the program for participants would go down.

Having a mutable audio channel or even an integrated data channel, 
say, feeding twitter questions back through the video feed during the 
Q&A, would be interesting to try. Check out what the ABC show Q&A 
does for a possible model, Pia.

We did multi-site broadcasts to large audiences using videoconf when 
I was in Arizona, way before streaming on the net that opens up to 
almost anywhere participation. We had moderators in each 
participating site to coordinate input. That was because these were 
not existing groups like classes of students. The norms of 
class"room" behaviour has a lot going for it when a group is normally 
together. And tutors and teachers have a bit of power and authority. 
But in an open forum situation like the networked environments, and 
especially when the remotes are not seen, the norms aren't there in 
the same way.

Hope that helps the thinking.

Jan



Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
jwhit at janwhitaker.com
blog: http://janwhitaker.com/jansblog/
business: http://www.janwhitaker.com

Our truest response to the irrationality of the world is to paint or 
sing or write, for only in such response do we find truth.
~Madeline L'Engle, writer

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