Hi.
First, in case anyone doesn't know, at least from Yokohama to
Cambridge, MA, USA, Meetecho announced problems and forced
logging in again three times so far during the plenary. I just
got an "Internal Server Error" box during Brian Trammel's talk
and then the video froze and audio dropped, so that is probably
a fourth. These were in addition to the audio going out for
some time during Harald's talk. After that fourth time, I seem
to be unable to log back in -- two freeze-ups in the login
process and now waiting to connect (little rotating icon for an
extended period. Finally got another "Internet server error"
and have just given up on Meetecho for the plenary. Not good.
This version of Meetecho with two-way capability also poses a
huge privacy problem. If I enable active, rather than passive,
participation, I apparently have to agree to give Meetecho
control of both my microphone and webcam in order to get into
the session. Audio is fine, but I need to be able to mute it
and need onscreen control and verification that it is muted (for
me to have to un-mute _and_ the Meetecho program or controller
to un-mute/authorize me to talk from that end would be fine, but
to have the mic completely under remote control with no
indication to me as to whether it is transmitting or not is
not).
Video is much worse because, having forced me to enable it if I
may want to make comments, Meetecho insists in turning on my
camera and broadcasting whatever it sees. That is a nasty
invasion of privacy, especially in the context of participants
in many different time zones. Based on what one participant
broadcast for a while, apparently before realizing the camera is
on, I'm not the only person who doesn't normally feel a need for
formal dress when participating in a meeting at 3AM my time.
Based on the accumulation of essentially black video frames,
several (or most) remote participants basically put a sock on
the webcam, but that can be hard for laptops with built-in
cameras. Allowing the Meetecho application to find and enable
the camera is fine, but having it on has got to be under the
control of the user-participant and, IMO, that setting should
start out set off by default.
YMMD, but I consider this so important that I believe the IETF
should insist that Meetecho disable remote live group video
participation in meetings (not remote presentations, assuming
that is a separate function) until this is straightened up. To
the extent to which the current generation of remote
participation tools is capable of taking over the remote
participant's machine, I also think that IAOC should insist in a
privacy audit of whatever tools are being used before each IETF
meeting.
john