Hanging Out All By Myself

Web Conferencing is another use of the internet that is becoming more and more popular.  I have personally used Google Hangout before so I used it again for this demonstration.  All you need is a gmail address to get connected.  The first thing you do after logging in is find friends.  You can type in someones name, username, or email address to find them.  Then you push a button that looks like a green phone receiver (it is in the middle of the screen and red below, as this was during a hangout) and it places a VoIP phone call.  It has replaced the olden days of webcam chatting.  It is kind of the same thing but there is much more interactive capability.  My screenshot below is me logged in to one google account on my laptop and another on my phone.  Yes, I had to call myself because it is late at night, I've had a super busy week and when I read the instructions for this project I missed the part where I was suppose to conference with someone.

As I said before, it's been a busy week, so please overlook how I look.  My nephew's graduation started at 8:30 pm and I didn't get home until almost 11:30 pm.  That's another story.  You can see how interactive it is.  On the right side you can chat, on the left side there are options to share your screen.  I have been in web conferences at work where this is used.  We all get an invitation to a conference, and I honestly don't remember which service they use, but I'm sure they are all similar. Once the time arrives you join the conference.  When I did this at work, someone was sharing the screen to demonstrate some new software that they were getting ready to integrate.  He shared his screen with all the attendants. We had audio and were watching his computer screen as he demonstrated the software. Instead of sending out a powerpoint presentation, or some instructions that everyone might not understand, we were all there together to actually learn how to use it and be able to ask questions.  I think we will see more and more of this in the future.  It even beats the pants off an old fashioned conference call with only audio. You can see and hear everyone involved, or one person can share a screen, but you all can still talk to each other.

We also use VoIP phones at work, meaning instead of our telephones being plugged in to the telephone company, we are plugged in to our computers.  It is a tradional phone with a receiver and push buttons, but it also comes up in a window on your desktop that you can dial and use all the phone features from that window. It has given us amazing capabilities, our entire company directory is embedded in the phone. You type in a last name and bam, you can transfer a call or conference them in.  The drawback of VoIP at work (at least in my experience) is that if you are not logged in to your system you cannot use the phone.  If you have a password (or any IT issue) that prevents you from logging on to your computer you have to call IT from another phone. The capabilities and benefits, far outweigh the negatives.