I blogged earlier today about Seesmic being the first web app (that I know of at least) to permit the sort of Twitter-style rapid micro-blogging but with video, yet one overriding thought occurred to me:
we are almost back where we started 10 years ago
But look what has happened. Before all this wonderful technology came around, people met and talked.
- Then they wrote and stopped talking (email)
- Then they wrote to each other (IM/email)
- Then they wrote something and hoped someone would read. (blog)
- Then they started to write to each other again (although with only 140 letters). (twitter)
- Then they started to talk to each other using video. (seesmic)
I am currently reading this, which presents new research to prove that as a species, we are wired to connect. We want to meet other people. The most subtle facial expressions can dramatically impact upon the perception of something we have said.
If this is the case, why are we only now finding ways to communicate visually online? Why have webcam networks never become as revolutionary as blogging networks for example, why has video telephony only recently taken off? Have technology restrictions meant that we have only just been able to communicate via video?
We have moved from face-to-face to text and email, are only now sending serial videos to each other.
Where is the real interaction? Is THAT the big opportunity in 2008?
What are your thoughts?
Tags: seesmic, twitter, email, sms, video, 2008, web app
3 responses so far ↓
1 Bud Caddell // Jan 2, 2008 at 6:44 pm
Paul,
I still feel like seesmic and other video communities out there have a few hurdles to overcome before the communication is really effective 2-way. But I think seesmic can succeed by focusing on scanning, sharing, and gaming. Read my post: http://www.passion2publish.com/2007/11/what-seesmic-is.html
2 Robin Blandford [ByteSurgery] » Text Rules OK. Video Lesser. - Digital Media Engineer // Jan 2, 2008 at 10:18 pm
[…] SUSSEX, UK (Team Geared Up) - Paul questions if visual online communication is the big opportunity in 2008, possibly in the form of Seesmic (being mooted as Video Twitter). Why are we only now finding ways to communicate visually online? Why have webcam networks never become as revolutionary as blogging networks for example. We have moved from face-to-face to text and email, are only now sending serial videos to each other. Where is the real interaction? Is THAT the big opportunity in 2008? […]
3 Dave Kinsella // Jan 3, 2008 at 8:49 am
Things I need to see in Seesmic before I’m really motivated to use it:
Social grouping, find my friends and sort them into neat categories (work, personal, people to worship, people to taunt etc.)
Categorisation of videos and conversations to find relevant content.
Restricted conversations that are not visible to everybody.
BTW: When I say “Categorisation” I probably mean “tagging” but I feel like a no-brain marketing arsehole using buzzwords like that, These days I prefer to refer to the function rather than the method used to achieve it.
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