STATISTICS:
Duration: 13 hours (7am - 8pm Eastern Standard Time)
# of Events: 57
30 presentations
11 Then and Now memories
3 vendor presentations
Countries presenting (3 Australia, 2 Canada, 1 China, 2 Croatia, 2 Finland, 1 India, 1 Netherlands, 8 Slovenia, 1 Sweden, 2 Taiwan, 1 Wales, 28 USA
Technologies used in presentations: videos, PowerPoint, Second Life (18 attendees), Vidyo (14 attendees), Skype, green screen, electron microscope, streaming (Arnes streaming servers (Starbak VCG and Codian IPVCR) had up to 30 concurrent streaming clients), blog
# Registrations: 188 (Note: because some of the registrations were MCU's, we don't have an accurate count of the number of sites, or even the number of participants at each site. If we guess an average of 10 at each site, we would have close to 2000 participants.
PRIZES:
The prize winners were notified during the roll calls, and will be listed in the Prizes section of the web site. You do not have to do anything to get your prize. It will be sent to you directly from its donor.The Grand Prize winner is Jay Moody of Canton Local -Five R's Academy.
Special plaques will be sent to all those who have participated in all 10 Megaconferences.
CERTIFICATES:
Certificates of thanks will be sent to all those who helped make the event a success. This includes for example the presenters, the MCU operators, the MCs, the planning team etc.
RECORDINGS:
The event was recorded at several locations. See the web site for locations and instructions for playing the recording.
Bob
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Change of Megaconference Leadership
This was the 10th year for the Megaconference.
In the beginning, there was no such thing as H.323. A few of us got started with H.320 encapsulated in IP packets, using huge PC cards made by Zydacron. Mary Fran Yafchek of NYSERNET and Avi Moyal of RADVision organized a small group of us to get started with Internet video conferencing.
Eventually H.323 was created, and we all moved to that.The Internet2 Digital Video special interest group was formed, chaired by Larry Amiot of Northwestern. The group was looking for something to do that would popularize and spread the use of Internet video conferencing. I suggested that we sponsor a video conference, and invite the whole world, and let's call it the Megaconference. There was significant resistance to this wild idea, and it was even called "crazy". But this just made me even more determined, so I went off and organized it mostly by myself, and it was a big success. After the first one, everyone clammored to get on the bandwagon and said we had to do it every year.
During the 10 years of the Megaconference, the technology has grown from infancy to maturity.We helped make that happen. The Megaconference has been such a high profile event, that several vendors have actively participated in making sure they did not look bad, by sending engineers here to baby sit their equipment during the event. They told us we pushed them ahead of their development schedule, and we provided them with a more realistic testing ground than they could ever create themselves.
Through the years, many people have helped organize the Megaconferences. The current crew of wonderful and talented organizers includes:
Sandy Sprafka, now retired from North Dakota State University
Judson Eliott, of Baldwin-Wallace College
Jennifer Oxenford, of MAGPI
Arif Khan, of OARnet
Darayus Mehta, of Reliance ADA, in India
Megan Troyer of Ohio State University
Gabe Moulton, of Ohio State University
Nick Thompson, of Ohio State University
Robbie Noble, of Ohio State University
I have decided that this is the last year I will chair the Megaconference. New people and ideas are needed to guide the Megaconference into the future. I am getting older and have less energy than I once did. If you would like the Megaconference to continue, then you need to stand up and offer to help organize it, or to chair it. I can help out with some aspects, but not be chair. PLEASE write to me about this.
Bob
In the beginning, there was no such thing as H.323. A few of us got started with H.320 encapsulated in IP packets, using huge PC cards made by Zydacron. Mary Fran Yafchek of NYSERNET and Avi Moyal of RADVision organized a small group of us to get started with Internet video conferencing.
Eventually H.323 was created, and we all moved to that.The Internet2 Digital Video special interest group was formed, chaired by Larry Amiot of Northwestern. The group was looking for something to do that would popularize and spread the use of Internet video conferencing. I suggested that we sponsor a video conference, and invite the whole world, and let's call it the Megaconference. There was significant resistance to this wild idea, and it was even called "crazy". But this just made me even more determined, so I went off and organized it mostly by myself, and it was a big success. After the first one, everyone clammored to get on the bandwagon and said we had to do it every year.
During the 10 years of the Megaconference, the technology has grown from infancy to maturity.We helped make that happen. The Megaconference has been such a high profile event, that several vendors have actively participated in making sure they did not look bad, by sending engineers here to baby sit their equipment during the event. They told us we pushed them ahead of their development schedule, and we provided them with a more realistic testing ground than they could ever create themselves.
Through the years, many people have helped organize the Megaconferences. The current crew of wonderful and talented organizers includes:
Sandy Sprafka, now retired from North Dakota State University
Judson Eliott, of Baldwin-Wallace College
Jennifer Oxenford, of MAGPI
Arif Khan, of OARnet
Darayus Mehta, of Reliance ADA, in India
Megan Troyer of Ohio State University
Gabe Moulton, of Ohio State University
Nick Thompson, of Ohio State University
Robbie Noble, of Ohio State University
I have decided that this is the last year I will chair the Megaconference. New people and ideas are needed to guide the Megaconference into the future. I am getting older and have less energy than I once did. If you would like the Megaconference to continue, then you need to stand up and offer to help organize it, or to chair it. I can help out with some aspects, but not be chair. PLEASE write to me about this.
Bob
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Final Megaconference Update
Be sure to go to the web site and read all the announcements, in case you missed any.http://www.megaconference.org
Some of the pages on the web site require you to scan down to see all the information.
If you are not registered, you can still view the conference via streaming video and Second Life.See the web pages for instructions.
Thise who have High Definition capability will be able to take advantage of it. You have already been assigned to an HD MCU.
Note the Chat facility available to you, so you can ask text questions and make comments as the event proceeds. See the main web page for instructions.
There may be minor real-time adjustments to the program shown on the web pages (for example, if a speaker is ill and cannot present). These will be announced only on the Chat facility.
Before you connect to the conference, MUTE your microphone, and then leave it muted unless youspecifically want to make a comment or ask a question, and then BE SURE to mute it again.The BIGGEST PROBLEM we have in the Megaconference is people who do not mute their microphone.
See you tomorrow!
Bob
Some of the pages on the web site require you to scan down to see all the information.
If you are not registered, you can still view the conference via streaming video and Second Life.See the web pages for instructions.
Thise who have High Definition capability will be able to take advantage of it. You have already been assigned to an HD MCU.
Note the Chat facility available to you, so you can ask text questions and make comments as the event proceeds. See the main web page for instructions.
There may be minor real-time adjustments to the program shown on the web pages (for example, if a speaker is ill and cannot present). These will be announced only on the Chat facility.
Before you connect to the conference, MUTE your microphone, and then leave it muted unless youspecifically want to make a comment or ask a question, and then BE SURE to mute it again.The BIGGEST PROBLEM we have in the Megaconference is people who do not mute their microphone.
See you tomorrow!
Bob
All Ten Megaconferences Award
There will be special awards for those organizations and people who have participated inALL TEN Megaconferences.
This is the list we currently have:
CSC Finnish IT Centre for Science
Michigan Technological University
North Dakota State University
OARnet
Ohio State University
Syracuse University
Tim Poe
Dept of Surgery, Ohioi State University
If you believe you or your organization has been in all 10, and you are not listed above, send me email asap.
If your organization or name is listed, please send me:List of names to be on the award (not too many, as we will run out of room)Official name of your organization, as you would like it on the award.
Thanks!
Bob
This is the list we currently have:
CSC Finnish IT Centre for Science
Michigan Technological University
North Dakota State University
OARnet
Ohio State University
Syracuse University
Tim Poe
Dept of Surgery, Ohioi State University
If you believe you or your organization has been in all 10, and you are not listed above, send me email asap.
If your organization or name is listed, please send me:List of names to be on the award (not too many, as we will run out of room)Official name of your organization, as you would like it on the award.
Thanks!
Bob
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Two Days to Go
ROLL CALLS AND DOOR PRIZES
Everyone gets to choose which of the 3 rolls calls they want to be in, when they test with their assigned MCU manager. Lists of the people in each roll call will be published on the web site.I will call on each person in the order shown, so follow along the list and be ready when you are called.
When you are called, you get a minute to say hello to the world. Say anything you wish. Sing a song, play a video, be creative!
During the roll calls, the door prizes will be awarded randomly. The prizes are described on the web site. If you don't respond when called, you lose your opportunity to receive a prize. If you don't select a roll call, you will not be in any roll call.
FLAG OF EARTH
The Flag of Earth is symbolic of the theme of world togetherness that the Megaconference promotes. Everyone is encouraged to display the Flag of Earth at their location, so it can be seen by all. You can learn more about the Flag of Earth, and get your own Flag, by going to its web site http://www.flagofearth.org/. They are available there for purchase (non-profit), and also for free printing at your location. If you would like to order one, please do so asap, so it can arrive in time for you.
ALTERNATIVE WAYS OF VIEWING THE CONFERENCE
If you are not registered, you cannot participate interactively. But you can still watch the conference via streaming video and via Second Life and via Vidyo. See the web site for instructions.
SPECIAL USA ELECTION COVERAGE
The USA presidential election occurs just 2 days before the Megaconference.Well-known political scientist Herb Asher will lead a panel discussion of the election, which will be an interesting alternative to the information provided by network news pundits.
http://www.megaconference.org/
Bob
Everyone gets to choose which of the 3 rolls calls they want to be in, when they test with their assigned MCU manager. Lists of the people in each roll call will be published on the web site.I will call on each person in the order shown, so follow along the list and be ready when you are called.
When you are called, you get a minute to say hello to the world. Say anything you wish. Sing a song, play a video, be creative!
During the roll calls, the door prizes will be awarded randomly. The prizes are described on the web site. If you don't respond when called, you lose your opportunity to receive a prize. If you don't select a roll call, you will not be in any roll call.
FLAG OF EARTH
The Flag of Earth is symbolic of the theme of world togetherness that the Megaconference promotes. Everyone is encouraged to display the Flag of Earth at their location, so it can be seen by all. You can learn more about the Flag of Earth, and get your own Flag, by going to its web site http://www.flagofearth.org/. They are available there for purchase (non-profit), and also for free printing at your location. If you would like to order one, please do so asap, so it can arrive in time for you.
ALTERNATIVE WAYS OF VIEWING THE CONFERENCE
If you are not registered, you cannot participate interactively. But you can still watch the conference via streaming video and via Second Life and via Vidyo. See the web site for instructions.
SPECIAL USA ELECTION COVERAGE
The USA presidential election occurs just 2 days before the Megaconference.Well-known political scientist Herb Asher will lead a panel discussion of the election, which will be an interesting alternative to the information provided by network news pundits.
http://www.megaconference.org/
Bob
Monday, November 3, 2008
Participant Count
We know that there are many people who will be watching the Megaconference (using H.323) who are not registered, but instead are connected to various MCUs around the world. We need a count of how many sites and people there are in this category. Please send me that information, either before or soon after the Megaconference. Thanks!
Bob
Bob
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