What is Online Presence and How Does It Apply To Traditional and Virtual Live Conferences?

THE CONCEPT:

• Conferences provide shared presence. 
• When shared physical presence is constrained, shared online presence is the alternative.
• Shared online presence is tested and proven.
  
  

Traditional Live Conferences

• Speakers and Listeners are physically present as their physical avatars.
• Speakers and Listeners are in one physical location – Shared Physical World Venue.
• Perceptually, Listeners and Speakers are fully physically present to each other.

Virtual Live Conferences

• Speakers and Listeners are in multiple physical locations – Separated Physical World Venues.
• Speakers and Listeners are online present as their online avatars – Shared Virtual World Venue.
• Perceptually, Listeners and Speakers are audibly (voice), textually (chat), or visually () present to each other.

Virtual Option – Web 2.0: 

• Speakers and Listeners are online present as their Web 2.0 avatars (e.g. Teams, Skype, FaceBook, LinkedIn)
• Teleconference w. voice only OR Videoconference w. voice and image
• One-Way w. Speaker-> Listener only OR Two-way w. Speaker ⇔ Listener
• Perceptually, Listeners and Speakers are audibly and textually present to each other. 
• If face cameras are used, participants will also be 2D visually present (a flat mosaic view as seen in, for example, the Hollywood Squares television game show).

Virtual Option – Web 3D: 

• Speakers and Listeners are online present as their Web 3D avatars (e.g., Second Life, VirBELA).
• Speakers and Listeners are present in one virtual world online region – Shared Virtual World Venue.
• Perceptually, Listeners and Speakers are audibly, textually, and visually present to each other.
• In particular, they will be 3D visually present to each other. This includes
  • 360 degree world view,
  • freedom to move around, change point of view,
  • live camera control of what they look at, see, hear, say to others.
    
    

What Are Mixed-Mode Live Conferences?

• Mixed-Mode Conferences blend traditional and virtual live conference delivery to meet the goals, constraints, and needs of conference organizers and participants.
• In particular, they provide both Web 2.0 and Web 3D options tailored to Listeners’ and Speakers’
  • equipment on hand, 
  • internet capabilities,
  • interest and comfort levels with using the technology.
• Mixed-Mode Conferences are tested and proven. Common examples include:
  • Send conference main auditorium feed to overflow rooms – Speakers & Listeners are Physically Present in one room, Overflow Listeners are Online Present in another room down the hall.
  • Do the same virtually where Overflow Listeners are Online Present at their individual offices or homes in other cities and countries.
  • Do the same where Speakers are Online Present at their individual offices or homes in other cities and countries.
  • Do the same where some organizations might offer a small shared physical venue to simulcast the remote main conference feed to a local physically-present group of Listeners.

jn: 16-mar-2020