The Broadband Question

[STUPID BOB]

I've been in discussions with LR about supersizing the S8 site to include live video feeds in a community setting. So, the first step is determing the number of S8 users that have a broadband connection.

Other factors will then be polled like:

Do you have a camera?
Do you have a microphone?
Do even want something like this? (which really might be the first question but I think the net is going this way fast)

[judih]

i have a shitty camera and it screws up my puter,
but i can get a mic and i agree - this is the way things are going and this is where we will be
might as well start starting


judih

[mtmynd]

sounds futuristic... i hope i can play.

[Lightning Rod]

I'm not trying to sound like a politician here but,

yes and no

the puter I use is broadband and the one doreen uses is dial up

so I'm fast and she's slow

wait, that doesn't sound right

we switch sometimes

[STUPID BOB]

we switch sometimes

That's good to know . . . 'least I think it is . . .

[Doreen Peri]

Hey StupidBob -

This sounds like a great idea .... on the surface. I agree that this type of thing is the way the internet is going. As it should be! The glory of the internet is immediate connection and interaction. Multi-media is where it's at.

But we are *going* there, but we are not there yet. Why? Because there are technical considerations such as ...

1- Where do the users upload their files? Audio and video files are huge. Peer-to-peer mini-cams have been working for some time, but that works through a server that hosts the visual chat. The files have to reside somewhere.

2- If we were to set up ample storage space to handle the upload of files, how do you incorporate something like this on the phpbb discussion board? This is open source software and there may be developers out there who are writing scripts to accomplish this, but to date, I don't think anything like this is available as a modification to the phpbb software.

3- We could use an outside host, perhaps a host which hosts video conferencing. That's an idea. But I suspect it costs $.

Other questions cross my mind, but these are 3 of the most important. If you could figure out how to resolve the above issues, that would be excellent!

One of the goals for the Studio Eight main site is to get the Content Management System set up. This will give people their own areas of the site to add writings or artwork whenever they want and get public comment. (I'm calling this the Artlog section. We also want to have digital video performances of spoken word poetry and music available on the site. We're working hard to try to accomplish this. We're still at a stage of trying to get VHS tapes transferred to DVD so we can pull clips from them. Then, there's the problem of compressing them for the web so they are not TOO compressed and the quality is lost, plus streaming them, which is another process entirely where technical knowledge and appropriate software is necessary.

Alll of this is a process and takes time and work.

What you have suggested goes steps farther and I'm not even close to being there.

Again, if you want to help by figuring out how to accomplish this, that would be wonderful.

There is a help board at http://phpbb.com where developers and users discuss modifications and improvements. We could start there, perhaps.

[Doreen Peri]

I've been in discussions with LR about supersizing the S8 site to include live video feeds in a community setting.

Are you saying you'd like to *supervise* this endeavor?

[STUPID BOB]

To save my delicate fingers, I've placed bold formatting on my thoughts inside your quote.

Hey StupidBob -

This sounds like a great idea .... on the surface. I agree that this type of thing is the way the internet is going. As it should be! The glory of the internet is immediate connection and interaction. Multi-media is where it's at.

But we are *going* there, but we are not there yet. Why? Because there are technical considerations such as ...

1- Where do the users upload their files? Audio and video files are huge. Peer-to-peer mini-cams have been working for some time, but that works through a server that hosts the visual chat. The files have to reside somewhere.

AV files don't need to be included in this setup until Tbyte sized storage costs come down. The live feed does not require storage per se. It must simply have enough bandwidth to accommodate the various streams. Not a big deal. The key here is that the Community will be operating in real time with no real drain on a central location. Each users site is streamed it's own feed and feeds the central site. That's a bit oversimplified, but accurate.

2- If we were to set up ample storage space to handle the upload of files, how do you incorporate something like this on the phpbb discussion board? This is open source software and there may be developers out there who are writing scripts to accomplish this, but to date, I don't think anything like this is available as a modification to the phpbb software.

The neat thing here is that you don't need the phpbb board to do this. Links can occur and the board itself can still operate but the AV system is it's own entity.

3- We could use an outside host, perhaps a host which hosts video conferencing. That's an idea. But I suspect it costs $.

I might be able to host the beast here if it came down to that. The software is inexpensive and a sever class machine could reside at your location.

Other questions cross my mind, but these are 3 of the most important. If you could figure out how to resolve the above issues, that would be excellent!

One of the goals for the Studio Eight main site is to get the Content Management System set up. This will give people their own areas of the site to add writings or artwork whenever they want and get public comment. (I'm calling this the Artlog section. We also want to have digital video performances of spoken word poetry and music available on the site. We're working hard to try to accomplish this. We're still at a stage of trying to get VHS tapes transferred to DVD so we can pull clips from them. Then, there's the problem of compressing them for the web so they are not TOO compressed and the quality is lost, plus streaming them, which is another process entirely where technical knowledge and appropriate software is necessary.

Alll of this is a process and takes time and work.

What you have suggested goes steps farther and I'm not even close to being there.

Again, if you want to help by figuring out how to accomplish this, that would be wonderful.

Ah, I've kinda started that already . . . (BIG GRIN)

There is a help board at http://phpbb.com where developers and users discuss modifications and improvements. We could start there, perhaps.

I'll check it out.

[Doreen Peri]

Clearly, you know more about this than me, SB.

I didn't understand even what you described as "oversimplified."

If you know how to do this and want to host it from there, we'd be honored to accept.

love,

doe-doe

[stilltrucking]

Bob I can't figure out that poll thingy, it has a radio box for no, but where do I put the dot for "yes"

let me know if I can help

[STUPID BOB]

Clearly, you know more about this than me, SB.

I didn't understand even what you described as "oversimplified."

If you know how to do this and want to host it from there, we'd be honored to accept.

love,

doe-doe

I'm considering the possibility. My main thought is to gather user base information first and see if an inexpensive solution exists that will fill the bill. I believe there are several 100 user solutions that are essentially free. My concern is the 100 user limit. A Community with this type of impetus would need growth space.

The original thought arose from the netrad I play in and I suggested it to Pop as a way to install a sort of inertial guidance system. Everyone connected would be able to see anyone who wished to be seen and the communication isn't limited strictly to visuals.

[STUPID BOB]

Bob I can't figure out that poll thingy, it has a radio box for no, but where do I put the dot for "yes"

let me know if I can help

The radio box for yes is there -- it just looks like a reeeeely theen cigaro. Put a check mark there.

[Doreen Peri]

You mean like video conferencing?

http://noeld.com/programs.asp?cat=video

http://www.exinfm.com/virtual/netmeethelp.html

http://www.winplanet.com/article/2228-3055.htm

[STUPID BOB]

I just talked to Pop about Netmeeting. A free service but subject to the Gates TOS. It is an immediate though narrow solution with no S8 identity per se.

I'm looking for a private system that is under the control of S8 and it's crew. I could run a small application right here off my laptop but it would be limited to 5 or 6 users. I have an idle box on the floor here with 1 Tbyte of storage and 5 gigs of main memory. What I lack is a bigger pipe. I believe a T1 would fill the bill. I've got half of that but I'd need to split it with my other applications. I'm looking for a distributed solution so I can do it with much less overhead.

And no, I sure as hell don't wanna moderate something like this. Pop was lipping about jack-offs and such. The nice thing is that the individual users can simply turn off anyone they don't wish to see, or hear or both.

[STUPID BOB]

You mean like video conferencing?

http://noeld.com/programs.asp?cat=video

http://www.exinfm.com/virtual/netmeethelp.html

http://www.winplanet.com/article/2228-3055.htm

Ah, more like http://users.tellas.gr/%7Eturboirc/not