Hey everyone welcome back seems like you are really ready to jump into open source video
conferencing and we've got a ton of we've got articles case studies even some like futuristic
ideas about where virtual interaction is headed.
You know it's really interesting to me like the common thread I see in what you've given
us is this real like need for control and transparency you know it's almost as if you're
saying I want to know how my tools work and I want to be able to change them if I need
to.
Yeah it's like choosing to build your own furniture instead of buying something pre
made it might take a little more work a little more effort but the end you've got something
that's uniquely yours that you know is really perfect for what you need so let's unpack
this whole open source advantage a little bit especially when we're talking about something
as important as you know video conferencing.
Imagine using video conferencing where anybody can just look at the code they can change
it they can even share it that is open source and that transparency is really important
when we're thinking about things like privacy and security because it means that you know
there's this constant review like having a thousand security experts constantly checking
for back doors checking for vulnerabilities.
Yeah it makes me think about that GZEVD case study that we saw you know they switched over
to big blue button and the main reason data privacy they wanted to know exactly where
their data was who had access to it to be in complete control yeah and it's not just
about you know keeping things safe and secure but open source allows you to customize things
in a way that you just can't with some of their platforms you need a very specific feature
well someone can build it or you could build it and you can integrate it it's like yeah
constantly being able to reshape your digital workspace and we see that with a lot of platforms
especially big blue button ah big blue button what's fascinating about big blue button is
that it started in education and that's really important right because it's baked into how
it works classrooms need engagement right they thrive on participation and big blue button
really reflects that okay so it's more than just video and chat then I'm intrigued way
more this isn't about just taking a physical class when putting it online we're talking
about taking those dynamics that energy and enhancing it so yeah we've got interactive
whiteboards we've got breakout rooms for those smaller group discussions tools that are really
meant to keep students engaged and you know make learning active and it's clearly something
that works beyond the classroom too I mean did you see that stat about big blue button
usage in Germany during the pandemic over a million daily users it seems like when people
needed a platform that was you know reliable that had all the features they needed they
turn to this it really shows you that people are looking for solutions that put them first
not profit so we're not just talking about recreating a classroom online we're talking
about bringing those same ideas of participation and engagement into a digital space but how
about we get a little practical we've talked about the open source advantage and how big
blue button is doing things a bit differently but you also pointed out a lot of other platforms
too it's like we've got this I don't know a buffet of options here it is a lot and just
like a buffet the key is to choose what works best for you you know what you've gathered
really lays out a clear way to think about this it's like a decision tree to help you
choose the right platform all right so what's the first branch we should be looking at on
this tree first thing to ask is what are you really using this for how big are these meetings
and what are you actually doing if it's just a quick chat something small and casual then
platforms like Jitsi meet or Copano meet even next cloud talk those are great they're all
about being easy to use and they often work right alongside your chat apps right it's
like okay we need to talk about this face to face and boom you're right there video chatting
without any hassle exactly but then you start thinking about things that are a bit more
structured like imagine you're running a workshop online or you need to do some training or
you need to be in control of how it all flows that's where big blue button with its features
starts to shine right like having a whole toolbox ready to go to make sure everyone
is engaged and you know that things are actually productive you know I really liked that big
blue button has this whole role-based system it's not just a free-for-all chat it's clear
who's in charge who's a participant and that's really important that clarity especially when
you're trying to get things done whether it's in a classroom or a business meeting the moderator
can mute people if they need to control who's sharing their screen even split everyone up
into smaller groups for more focused discussions it just brings a level of organization that
a lot of those other tools don't have it's like i don't know the difference between having
a casual conversation in a coffee shop and a serious board meeting sometimes you need
that structure right okay so you know me i love to get a little technical and something
i kept seeing throughout all of this research was this html5 what's so special about that
especially with big blue button oh great question big blue button going to html5 was huge not
just for them but for how we do video conferencing on the web before you used to need all these
plugins and downloads and it was a pain not to mention the security risks html5 meant
that all of a sudden you could just use your browser no downloads no extra stuff just pure
simple connection so it's not just the features themselves it's the tech underneath that makes
them possible it's like building a house on solid ground versus you know something much
less stable but i want to look ahead a bit your research takes us into some pretty futuristic
stuff about where video conferencing might be going and what a future we see more and
more signs that we're moving beyond these flat screens into actual virtual environments
imagine instead of just seeing your co-workers through a webcam you're right there with them
in a virtual space wait we're talking full-on vr meetings now like i put on a headset and
suddenly i'm in a meeting room with people from all over the world yeah and there are
already platforms pushing the boundaries with this stuff like vr chat and alt space vr instead
of a crowded auditorium you're attending a product launch in a massive virtual space
overlooking an ocean you can walk around brainstorm with your team in 3d it's a whole different
ball game okay a part of me still thinks this is like straight out of some sci-fi movie but
i've got to admit it's pretty cool but how realistic is this are we anywhere close to
vr meetings becoming the norm that's the big question right and while vr tech is definitely
getting better all the time there are still challenges like those good headsets they're
still really expensive for a lot of people and not everyone loves the idea of wearing
a screen on their face plus there's a whole learning curve there right like figuring out
how to move around in virtual spaces how to interact with these avatars it's a whole new
way of communicating that not everyone might be ready for yet but i think the big takeaway
here even if vr is still a bit off is that there are so many more options than just those big
platforms everyone knows about your research showed us that there is this whole world of
open source solutions out there each with its own pros and cons and best uses it's really amazing
to see how many different paths there are and with open source you're not limited to just one you can
really create a setup that's perfect for you and you know what you believe in absolutely yeah you
know something else that really caught my eye especially when we start thinking about bigger
events like webinars conferences things like that i mean it's one thing to have a video call with a
few people but when you're talking about hundreds thousands that's got to be a whole different ball
game right oh yeah for sure when you've got a big audience like that you need a totally different
approach and that's where that rtmp streaming comes in it's what makes those really smooth
live broadcasts possible the kind you see on youtube or twitch okay so remind me what exactly
is rtmp streaming and why is it so important here so let's say you're doing a live webinar
people watching from all over rtmp which stands for real-time messaging protocol basically takes
that live video and audio from your computer sends it to a server and then that server makes
sure everyone watching gets it without any lag or interruptions even with a ton of people watching
it's smooth so it's like you're running your own tv station right from your computer but what's
really cool is that you don't need some fancy expensive software for this you mentioned obs
which is what completely open source right exactly obs or open broadcaster software it's amazing
it's like a professional level tool for streaming and recording and anyone can use it for free you
can add your camera record your screen you can even switch between different scenes and stuff just
like a pro it's mind-blowing when you think about it the same tools that these big broadcasters use
are available to anyone but it's bigger than just the tools isn't it it's about what open source
represents breaking down those barriers you know giving people the power to do these things
themselves and encouraging everyone to work together that's what's so exciting about it
it's not just about finding something that works it's about joining this whole community seeing
what's possible and shaping how we connect with each other in the future so to wrap things up for
our listeners who are as fascinated by this world of open source video conferencing as we are
it seems like you're not just looking for a quick fix you want something better something you can
control and there are so many options out there from something as simple as jitsi meat to the
power of big blue button and education to even vr and rtmp streaming the future of how we connect
is up to all of us and as we've seen that future is all about flexibility adapting to new technology
and a real push for transparency security and putting users first it's exciting to think about
what we might come up with next i completely agree we'll leave you all to think about that whether
you're just starting with open source or you're ready to dive head first into vr it's all there
waiting for you until next time keep exploring keep asking those questions and keep diving deep