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Radical Solution for remote participants

2013-08-12 20:00:54

On Aug 12, 2013, at 1:06 PM, John Leslie <john(_at_)jlc(_dot_)net> wrote:

Janet P Gunn <jgunn6(_at_)csc(_dot_)com> wrote:

Again, it strengthens the case to get it done right. This part has been
working well though.

Not necessarily.  There was one WG where I had to send an email to the WG 
mailing list asking for someone to provide slide numbers on jabber.

  ... and Janet was merely the one who _did_ so. Others did their best
to guess at the slide numbers.

  At least one-third of the sessions I listened to failed to provide
all we are told to expect in the way of jabber support. :^(

  OTOH, we _do_ get what we pay for; so I don't mean to complain.

Dear John,

You are right about getting your money's worth.  In the case of remote 
participants, they are charged nothing and receive no credit for having done 
so.  Often their input is ignored as well. 

A radical solution for meaningful remote participation is to change how A/V in 
meeting rooms operate.  This change will require a small amount of additional 
equipment and slightly different room configurations.

1) Ensure exact digital interfaces driving projectors are fully available 
remotely.  

2) Ensure Audio access requires an identified request via XMPP prior to 
enabling either a remote or local audio feed.

3) RFI tags could facilitate enabling local audio feed instead of an identified 
request via XMPP.

4) In the event of the local venue loosing Internet access, the device 
regulating A/V presentations must be able to operate in a virtual mode where 
only remote participants are permitted to continue the meeting proceedings.

5) Important participants should plan for alternative modes of Internet access 
to remain part of the proceedings.

6) Develop a simple syntax used on XMPP sessions to:
 1) signify a request to speak on X 
 2) withdraw a request to speak on X
 3) signify support of Y
 4) signify non-support of Y
 5) signal when a request has been granted or revoked.  For local participants 
this could be in the form of a red or green light at their microphone. 

7) Develop a control panel managed by chairs or their proxies that consolidate 
and sequence requests and log support and nonsupport indications and the 
granting of requests.

8) Chairs should be able to act as proxies for local participants lacking 
access to XMPP. 

9) Chairs should have alternative Internet access independent of that of the 
venue's.
 
10) Establish a reasonable fee to facilitate remote participants who receive 
credit for their participation equal to that of being local.

11) The device regulating A/V presentations must drive both the video and audio 
portions of the presentations.  A web camera in a room is a very poor 
replacement.

12) All video information in the form of slides and text must be available from 
the Internet prior to the beginning of the meeting.

Regards,
Douglas Otis