Ah David Pogue -- the tech oracle. What say you this week? Well, actually it was last week, but who's paying attention anyway. In his weekly column, on the heels of the release of Skype 4.0 for Windows, Pogue discussed the merits of video chat. While chronicling the history of the video chat, which actually started in 1964 when the first video phone was presented by AT&T at the world's fair (we snapped a photo of it, though not when it premiered in '64 -- we aren't that old!) Pogues points out why the video phone never really took off.
"What everyone forgot, of course, was a little factor called human nature. People don’t want to be watched on the phone. You don’t want to have to make yourself presentable, to perform or to give up the freedom of multitasking. In the absence of video, you can walk around cleaning, perform small acts of personal grooming, maybe roll your eyes at a stupid comment."
How very true. We've only tried video chatting a handful of times, and in the end the convos end up rather lame because we care more about what side is our "good" side when looked through a webcam than we do what we're talking about. So Unplggd readers...
We want to know more about your video chatting ways. Keep reading to answer some of our questions and help other readers find out how to make video chatting work for them...
My husband and I use iChat with my MacBookPro and his MacBook. When I am traveling or when he is at the fire station for 72 hours it is nice to see each others face. IChat is nice because it is so easy. It is great for showing someone something visuial.
However, I agree with Pogues. The video aspect isn't all that glam. Just talking can get boring. I end up web surfing and not looking at the screen.
We often just chat on the phone anyway because it is less hassle than plunking down in front of the computer for a quick chat. We never were big phone talkers with one another, anyway.
view slipperymarshmallow's profile
When I was stationed overseas Ichat helped me see my loved ones , for that I am grateful for this technology.
Can you imagine what it must've been like for soldiers in WWII waiting for snail mail? It must've been agonizing.
Face to face conversations, even if they are thousands of miles apart, are important in maintaining healthy relationships.
view EddiePages's profile
I live on another continent 15 hours away from my parents, but I talk to them every week via webcam. Before I got married, I talked to my husband the same way. Without the video aspect, my family and I would never see each other! It provides a sort of visual reassurance that the other person is still there. However, we're probably comfortable with it because we're family, and therefore not worried about making a video call in our pajamas on Saturday morning (which is actually what happens most of the time).
I agree that the real utility of video chatting, is, well, chatting. We do play solitaire or surf the web while talking... just not while my nephew is demonstrating his new verbal skills. To that end, I think having the correct sound equipment is the most important thing for web calling. Using built-in speakers and microphones at the same time invariably produces unpleasant echoes or digital feedback due to the inability to place them far enough apart on a small laptop frame. Just getting a cheap set of speakers to plug into your headphone or other sound output jack, and placing them next to or behind you instead of behind the computer, usually solves any sound problems. Nice mikes or headsets improve call quality, but aren't necessary. Likewise nicer video cams.
All of use windows computers with various brands of mid-range webcams and skype. We did use MSN video messenger until it became apparent that it was incompatible with a new webcam.
view Sekai's profile
It's great for our kids to see their grandparents and cousins. I used it to show my brother a recent guitar purchase, as well.
Other than that, it's usually phone, e-mail or nada.
view carter76's profile
Google's video chat is the program we use for work. Our group consists of content developers and writers who often work from home. We have always utilized an IM program to communicate, managing our various programs with Adium, but it is too easy to misinterpret or misunderstand another person's feelings or intentions when using an IM service.
With the video chat it's so much easier to interpret a person's intentions and mood because you can see facial expressions and some posture. This helps increase our understanding of each other, especially because we do not get to meet face-to-face as often as possible. Also, it lets us get to know our coworkers in India a bit better, to have an idea of who they are and what their experience is like.
We are using late 2008 MacBook Pros, and have had some difficulty with them initially. The cameras would stop working, and we would have to reset the power distribution, or something like that, before turning on the laptop. But since a software update two months ago, this has stopped being an issue. Google's video chat is our mode of choice because it is the service that we all have in common.
In terms of work experience, this is a wonderful tool. It is so much cheaper than a long-distance phone call, and more satisfying. I believe that it also makes people more accountable for their work because they must discuss/report their work to a person who can read their expression.
view morchella's profile