[liberationtech] So there is no good video-conferencing solution, but what is everyone at LT using? (LT Digest, Vol 53, Issue 1)

[Robert Mathews (OSIA)]

On 6/29/20 11:48 AM, Yosem Companys <yosem at techlantis.com> wrote:
> I do not know why it did not occur to me before, but Zak just told me,
> why don't we just ask you directly what you all use for video
> conferencing?
>
> We are all struggling here trying to find the best solution, a holy
> grail of sorts, perhaps one of you has already found it?
>
> Thank you,
> Yosem

*Dear Yosem:*   Since I am subscribed to the Digest Version of LT.,
therefore, I am only now able to get to this message and the question
you have placed forward for all to consider.

I believe that the questions I am about to pose to you and the members
of this list, will be beneficial to consider, as painful as such
consideration(s) may be.  After all, if the specific task before you/us
is to simply understand who is the "winner" of the Video-Conferencing
tool' popularity contest, a generic search might reveal such a listing,
as it evidently does at the following two sites.  They are: 
https://thedigitalprojectmanager.com/video-conferencing-software/  AND 
https://sourceforge.net/software/web-conferencing/

But, is the general desire to understand by popularity, what one's
'choice' tool should be, even among the list members here?    I have
been asked the very question you have posed -- so frequently in the past
2 months that I have lost count of the number of queries in total.  Yet,
in my mind, the answer has always been the same.

What is YOUR personal/organizational NEED (requirement(s) to be met),
and what is the budget associated with this requirement?  

Allow me to present the following thoughts.  My assessment is:

While reviewing options, even when firmly 'intentioned' & 'motivated'
toward making 'a' choice for personal or organizational use, the
fulfillment requirement(s) can,

1) extend beyond:
    1a) the (announced) "feature-set" (is the "feature" beneficial to me
and my org)
    1b) the popularity of 'a' tool
    1c) the popularity of 'a' vendor (beyond any successful marketing on
their sales or support prowess)

2) BE cost driven:
    2a) monthly costs
    2b) yearly costs
    2c) # of seats
    2d) support costs

3) BE driven by USER literacy & their technical competence
    3a) ease of use
    3b) user configurability
    3c) ease of technical integration & interoperability

4) OTHER operational considerations (too long to list.... too little time)
    4a) reliability
    4b) security ... etc ... etc... etc...

It is also a personal assessment, that, *the tool that I personally
DESIRE (technically and operationally), _DOES NOT exist_.*  In our
organization, we utilize a variety of tools to meet a variety of
communications needs.   *One TOOL, and one CONFIGURATION, has not
serviced all our needs.*  This is true at the personal level too.

Hopefully, this will help with careful considerations - one must allot
to this important question.

All the best.
-- 
/Dr. Robert Mathews, D.Phil.
Principal Technologist &
//Distinguished Senior Research Scholar//
//Office of Scientific Inquiry & Applications (OSIA)//
//University of Hawai'i/
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