… if I may refer to myself in the third person.
Anyway, I’m trying an experiment. I’m fiddling with doing a live video chat every week for an hour, and I want to give it a test run. At 7:00 p.m. Mountain time (02:00 Thursday morning Universal Time, 1.5 hours from the time I post this entry) I’ll be live on my new UStream channel. Here’s a handy countdown clock to help you know how much time is left until the chat:
When you go to that page, if it’s working (and I’m logged in), you’ll see a window with me sitting in my office, blabbering about something. There is a chat room embedded on that page, so you can chat with me and each other, and I’ll try to handle the load of the conversation! You are automatically put into the chat room with a name like user87950875 or some such; "type /nick [nickname]" (replace [nickname] with whatever nickname you want) to change your name.
As part of the experiment I am embedding the video stream here. If this works, you’ll see me on this blog page when I’m on!
Eventually I hope to do this on a regular basis, and make it fancier like Chris Pirillo does (and thanks go to him for his help in getting me to understand this fancy schmancy tech).
See you on the web! Actually, I won’t, but you’ll see me…
Update: I think that went pretty well! Lots of folks, fun comments, and good questions. I know there wasn’t much lead time, but this was an experiment. When I do this again I’ll give more notice. But I do want to make it a weekly event.
February 13th, 2008 at 5:32 pm
Don’t you find it strange to know that people are watching you as you sit there, doing your everyday stuff? Cool stuff. Hope to join you!
February 13th, 2008 at 5:36 pm
Hm… so that’s your real voice…
February 13th, 2008 at 5:45 pm
Wow, welcome to the 21st Century. Next thing you know, you’ll be able to get your deLorean hover-converted.
February 13th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
Will jokes about Uranus be permitted?
February 13th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
Excellent. *Standing by.*
February 13th, 2008 at 6:10 pm
Oh please reschedule next week. You’re clashing with Mythbusters!
(Yes, the world does revolve around my schedule.)
February 13th, 2008 at 6:42 pm
He makes a good point about Mythbusters, thank Jeebus for Tivo!
February 13th, 2008 at 7:03 pm
Gaaaa! If only you had said something sooner… like YESTERDAY!
I have plans with with my better half tonight (you know, the smart blond with the great smile you met at Iron Cactus in Austin, the one who owns every Dr. Who DVD currently available…) You can understand if I don’t partake in your intertubular event this evening.
Hopefully you’ll record the video and a transcript so we can watch and read about it later.
Have fun!
- Greg
February 13th, 2008 at 7:04 pm
It’s working!
February 13th, 2008 at 7:10 pm
I’m finding no way to send anything. What’s the trick?
February 13th, 2008 at 7:15 pm
I can’t seem to get into UStream — it keeps showing ioError reconnect.
Folks who are getting an echo, though — that’s from folks who have the video stream coming in on your web page and Ustream simultaneously.
February 13th, 2008 at 7:49 pm
That’s an interesting experience … Can you tell us what hardware, software and connecting speed it necessary on your side for such a one-way video chat? I’m wondering whether this system could be used to webcast from little astronomy conferences! Talked with Steve Maran recently about their system they use nowadays at AAS Meetings (and through which I could follow all the newsconferences from Austin!) – it’s not cheap …
February 13th, 2008 at 8:02 pm
REALLY COOL! Great to see and hear you BA! And I am the ORIGINAL Dumb Blonde!
February 13th, 2008 at 8:07 pm
WOOOT! What a rocking debut to this little video thaaang. I thoroughly enjoyed tuning in… Even if I DID get ‘the b4n’ on the chat..
See ya next week!!
-=Identity 4=-
February 13th, 2008 at 8:10 pm
This was great fun! Thanks!
February 13th, 2008 at 8:10 pm
I only caught the last ten minutes or so (about the time you started to talk about movies). Didn’t have time to join, so I’ll just let you know that “Teenagers from Outer Space” was on my original subject list for “The Saucer Fleet.” There just wasn’t enough “saucer” in the movie.
Also, I have a signed first edition of “Fahrenheit 451″. It was originally published in paperback and I brought it to a talk Bradbury talk about 30 years ago. Got my paperback of “Martian Chronicles” signed also.
- Jack
February 13th, 2008 at 8:47 pm
I agree with Greg.
Please give us 24 hour notice!
A little advance warning would be nice!
I came here from BAUT at about 8:30 (your time). Who knows when Feedblitz will get around to sending me an email!
This also happened when you were on C2C!
PS When will Q&BA return?
February 13th, 2008 at 9:56 pm
BA: I’m with CXB. I’m glued to the TV watching Mythbusters on Wednesday nights at that time. Any chance of your archiving this so we can watch it later? How about plugging it into your podcast series (which I’ve been hoping for ages to see more of!)?
February 13th, 2008 at 9:58 pm
Are you planning on archiving the chats? Unfortunately, I’m usually working during “prime time” hours, but it’d be nice to be able to watch them later.
February 13th, 2008 at 10:31 pm
blu-ray-ven formely know as chris
that was an interesting event. i anticipate the next episode
February 14th, 2008 at 12:59 am
I enjoyed it.
February 14th, 2008 at 1:22 am
As much as I enjoy Mythbusters, come on, this is a LIVE chat with BA! Live! Interactive! Unscripted! Unedited! And sadly Unannounced in time for me — but I will be there next week!
Get a TIVO (or XP Media Center or Vista Premium) and save yourselves some commercial viewing time with Mythbusters. Plus, you can watch the peak moments over and over instantaneously. Doesn’t Discover show Mythbusters about 15 times a week anyway?
February 14th, 2008 at 6:55 am
oy!
this embedded nonsense messed up FeedBlitz’ feed. i only got this entry, all the others were eaten.
sigh…
dani
February 14th, 2008 at 8:52 am
This seems like an excellent idea. I won’t be able to take part very often (2-3am on a weekday morning…) but I hope it goes well for you.
February 14th, 2008 at 10:23 am
Hey Phil, I caught your live act last night. Even posted a couple of comments but they scrolled off before you saw them.
So, I logged into your UStream site early on, then forgot it was on. Turned on my stereo and was doing some writing. Music ends and I think to myself, “where is that voice coming from? It sounds like… like… Phil Plait!”
then I remembered that your chat was going on…
We did a similar thing once a long time ago through the MIT Media lab with live folk talking “on the air” and those of us at home sending in questions and listening to answers… at that time it took huge resources; now we do it all with web cams and high speed internet access!
w00t!
February 14th, 2008 at 11:52 am
I was there. It was cool.
I maybe can answer a couple questions. I welcome corrections in case I misheard — or if I’m just making stuff up.
Q&BA: BA would like to get that going again. It’s not dead, Jim. When? I don’t recall a time given.
Archived?: This one wasn’t. The possibility exists, just needs to be figured out. Probably YouTube would be the place to show. Probably needs to Learn the Chris Pirillo trick of merging the text with the video, to make it meaningful.
Uranus jokes?: Probably allowed, but unneeded. Similar was allowed. Software does the censorable text.
No way to send?: If you were on the UStream page, under the text scolling by, there was a text-entry box accompanied by a big SEND button. Worked for me.
Equipment commitment?: I heard some talk, but didn’t pay attention. I think the camera was a marvelous deal of a Sony modelmumble at Target. Could be very wrong. Didn’t hear a bandwidth number. Software details (maybe hardware advice, too) might be had at the UStream site, http://www.ustream.tv . There’s a “broadcast now” button and within that a Help&Info section.
February 14th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
Caught your video chat. It was fun, just hard to get questions in and be noticed. Maybe you could make a request for some questions in a posting a few days prior next time?
Re: Uranus jokes – isn’t it about time to change the name to Urectum to get rid of that joke once and for all?