| Can You See Me Now? |
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| Monday, 12 January 2009 05:20 | |
 Twitter: Been there, done that. It's awesome, (as I think I've mentioned before), but do you ever want more than 140 characters and that little picture of your friend in your Twitter reader? Enter Seesmic: "twitter-like," but with video!
Like it or not, we live in a video world. Many of us have our lives recorded on video already, whether we realize it or not. YouTube is a staple in many of our lives. Video chat is as easy as picking up the phone. Though many of us are uncomfortable being videotaped (yours truly included), in many ways, Seesmic makes much more sense than Twitter. The added benefit of recording a longer message, seeing people's expressions, hearing an actual voice has the potential of bringing clarity and depth to microblogging. Accounts are free and browser-based. Just like Twitter, you can follow other users, and they can follow you. Start a discussion on any topic and choose whether you want it available in the Public Time line or kept private for only those who know the web address. Other Seesmic users can then come along and add to the conversation with their own video recordings. Your conversations ---as wells as other people's--- can be embedded in any Web page or blog for viewing and contributing on your own site. Alternatively, you can send folks the link of the video or direct them to your Seesmic home page. On your home page, you can easily view the public time line with the latest postings, view videos sent directly to you, or view the videos from those you're following. On the home page, people can view the profile you've set up about yourself, which of course, can be in video form. You can view your own video conversations and delete them from here if you so choose. Seesmic is in its beginning development and I'm sure many other features are in store. At present, there doesn't seem to be a way to moderate responses to your discussions. This would certainly be beneficial in an education setting, but perhaps Seesmic wants the conversations to be unfettered, much like Twitter discussions are. You can, however, flag inappropriate videos, which moderators at Seesmic will follow up on and Seesmic has a list of community guidelines that you agree to follow when signing up for an account. Seesmic is appealing for educators as it allows us to tap into a larger community. It could be used for professional learning circle discussions, surveying other educators for ideas, or sharing best practice. For students, Seesmic would be outstanding for book talks, reaching out to a global community, engaging discussions with professionals in a field of study (such as scientists), or keeping a daily record of classroom work that parents and others in the community could respond to. Take a tour of the public time line, and you will see that there are many ways people are using the tool. Here's one where someone is asking for advice whether to buy a Mac or PC laptop; here's one that is a baby announcement; and here is the first Seesmic wedding! One of my favorite users to follow is Howard Rheingold, who keeps me thinking and learning. If you're camera shy, you might want to start out by adding on to an established conversation before starting your own. Recording can easily be done right in your browser if you have an attached camera and you can make as many takes as you want before hitting publish. Video can also be uploaded so you can shoot your commentary out "in the field" rather than strapped to your computer. You can also enter a YouTube link for your video. Seesmic integrates with Twitter so your tweet friends can be notified of your video discussions. So fire up the camera, put your best sweater on, clean the office clutter behind you, and have your say with Seesmic!
POSTED ON HOTCHALK.COM
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