Keith
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Video conferencing / sound and vision - 2007/04/12 13:09
In my capacity as acting Chair of the ISA Outreach group, I am renting a conference room in www.hearme.com for about another month. The name of the conference room is 'Stuttering discussion ISA'. It is a private room where participants need to be invited. This room, is being used for testing the usefulness of video conferences, and is limited to five people at any one time. It can of course be used 24/7 with the different time zones around the world, and when the trial period is over if there is a wish to continue on with this I/We can rent bigger rooms.
Within the room, there is a facility for texting; speaking; connecting up a web cam to be seen. WebCam is not required to see other people who have WebCams. Although the main purpose of the room is for video meetings, an invited participant does not have to have a WebCam.
At present, I am the owner of the (5 person) room and also the only moderator. So I am the only person who can invite participants. It occurs to me, that for a time, early next month (May 2007), I will be away from home at the 8th world Congress for people who stutter in Croatia. Many of the ISA board and advisory board members will be there as well. So there will be a definite period of time when I cannot really make use of the room. Can anybody else? (My treat, so no charge in this first month)
Are there any people here who would like to use the room over the next month or so? I can set up other moderators, so that they can invite other stutterers to join them in the room as well. Would any of you like me to invite you to join the room as participants or moderators?
My long term vision of the ISA room, is that if the trial is successful, then
1. stuttering associations who have board members hundreds or thousands of miles apart may find it easier to have meetings via videoconferencing (we will need a larger room);
2. stuttering associations may like to "sub rent" the room for its members to use during periods of the month (I use sub rent deliberately, because this would enable associations to have the facility just when they chose to use it, understanding that any small profit made would be used by the ISA to help supply additional PC / webcam hardware to people over the world requesting help);
3. some of the online Stuttering and speech-language professional groups may also find a use for sub renting the room (Stutt-L, StutteringChat et alia);
4. It may be useful to have a video conference of Chapter leaders, or self help group leaders; a National video conference of PWS and Police / Court room staff / Prison staff / and others on what to expect when talking with PWS. We can all think up many scenarios.
If anyone wants to be included in such plans, of the testing and trialling of videoconferencing facilities, please e-mail me.
If anyone has a little free time and wants to join a team to evaluate video conferencing for PWS and SLPs / SLTs all over the globe, please email me.
Unfortunately, this facility is only being offered to PC users. It is not yet a cross platform facility.
Take care,
Keith
If you can help somebody as you pass along, then your living shall not be in vain. |
