[LINK] Propose Video Bandwidth Limit During COVID19 Emergency

[Roger Clarke]

On 20/3/20 8:34 am, Tom Worthington wrote:
 > ... I suggest that video products be set to
 > limit bandwidth use by default ...

Tom, naturally I agree with what you say, but I think your post omits a 
further, important consideration.

The vast majority of video transmitted during video-conferencing is 
valueless in informational terms.  Most of it is also of limited value 
in other, let's call them 'cultural', terms - the feeling of being in 
(metaphorical) contact, the feeling of being suitably 'socially 
distanced', etc.

Individuals can turn off their video-uplink after meeting-commencement 
pleasantries have been completed.

They can turn it back on during the (in most cases infrequent and fairly 
brief) episodes during which they are actively participating.

Indeed, flicking video back on, and showing a troubled face, is an 
effective, attention-drawing form of non-verbal communication to those 
people in the meeting who are actually looking at their screen at the 
time - and it's less rude and disruptive than audio interruptions.

Service-providers can include, and promote, features whereby individuals 
can participate audio-only, thereby suppressing more unwanted traffic.

(It's interesting that the proportion of audio-only connections in some 
of the conferences I participate in exceeds the proportion in Australian 
Privacy Foundation Board meetings.  And people think *APF'ers* are 
privacy nuts??).

In addition to adjusting defaults to video-off, providers could build in 
occasional (and not-*too*-obtrusive) reminders such as 'Are you *sure* 
you want to continue transmitting video and burning up network capacity?'.


I'm not criticising people for not thinking about this more often.  I'm 
part of a sub-set of society that's more likely to switch off outbound 
video, because:
(a) I'm not one of the world's most beautiful people,
(b) I'm very much aware of that, and
(c) as Secretary of a couple of virtual organisations, I work during 
meetings, with my head down.  And the top of my head is even uglier, and 
conveys even less informational value, than the front of it does.

________________


On 20/3/20 8:34 am, Tom Worthington wrote:
> There is likely to be a high demand for Internet access over the next 
> few months due to COVID19. So I suggest that video products be set to 
> limit bandwidth use by default. Video streaming and conference tools 
> adjust to the bandwidth available, but try to use *all* that bandwidth. 
> This makes them poor online citizens, like someone who fills their 
> shopping trolley with toilet paper, if you let them. ;-)
> 
> On Thursday I took part in a webinar (video conference) on "COVID-19 and 
> the Household/Commercial Solar and Battery Storage Market", hosted by 
> the Smart Energy Council. I suggest other industry bodies and 
> professional societies follow this example.
> 
> There were only a few brief dropouts in the audio (fewer than on ABC 
> Radio National that morning). This was with Zoom, which is not my 
> favorite product, as there is no way for participants to set the audio 
> or video quality to reduce bandwidth. But it is possible to reduce data 
> use to around 220 to 300 kbps by making the video window smaller.
> 
> It would be good if the video products, such as Zoom, used a low 
> bandwidth mode with a small video window, by default.
> 
> More at: 
> https://blog.tomw.net.au/2020/03/video-conference-on-covid-19-and.html
> 
> 


-- 
Roger Clarke                            mailto:Roger.Clarke at xamax.com.au
T: +61 2 6288 6916   http://www.xamax.com.au  http://www.rogerclarke.com

Xamax Consultancy Pty Ltd      78 Sidaway St, Chapman ACT 2611 AUSTRALIA 

Visiting Professor in the Faculty of Law            University of N.S.W.
Visiting Professor in Computer Science    Australian National University