The most important website for the future of the Internet over the next 5 years

samonsoftware.com

10 points·samh··10 comments

Remember when video conferencing was the future? The new future is video conferencing without the video, just the audio!

Well maybe. But I don't see a lot of hype about voice communication on the web. I am really surprised it's so poorly supported by browsers.

Even voice chat had privacy and umm appropriateness issues, but video chat, fuuurgedaboutit.

It's because they already have that technology. It's called the telephone.

Disagree. Sorry, but I rather like keeping random strangers on the Internet at arms length, despite our shared interest in "grilled salmon recipes" or whatever I'm googling at the moment. In terms of intimacy, I view communications like this:

Email -> Chat -> Voice -> Video -> In-person

Chat is already a stretch for the most part, in terms of stretching my comfort level. Have you participated in the live chat on justin.tv? Yeah, now imagine if that were voice. No thanks.

I agree, sounds scary.

Yes. Because transforming the web into a conference call is not only revolutionary, but what everyone really, truly wants.

Or not.

I haven't seen many predictions that are as off the mark as this one.

We can already talk over the internet, putting it in a website isn't really that revolutionary.

> the future of the domestic Internet over the next 5 years

FTFY

Not every Internet user speaks the same language. Unless Google's realtime audio translator works at amazing accuracy.

we've all seen how well voice chat works on say multiplayer console games...no thanks.

tinychat.com - been there done that

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