Virtual show

Given the ongoing Covid situation and potential for further issues during the autumn would a virtual show make sense.

This could be take the form of pre-recorded content available to download or stream or even a Zoom video type show or a combination?

I know it may be a lot of work but it does also have the potential to get to a bigger audience on line and perhaps even help with any kickstarter type funding?

Not sure…
Something like Corona live map?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YwhL98NiCcc

Edit: Was a joke, but not a good one ;-)

Interesting idea Doug … very much depend on the will and politics of it all as it would require prep work and people to produce content.

One of the best ones I saw was Co-Co Fest out of the states https://youtu.be/t4qkRI1JyqU which if you excuse the ‘very American’ nature of it was not a bad live presentation by any means.

Basically having a ZOOM call which is then live streamed out via screen sharing onto youtube so anyone could passively watch.

I took part in ‘RetroFair 2020’ which went ‘virtual’ http://www.retrofair2020.com/ They asked hobbiest to make and upload short video presentations to youtube and then send a link to the organiser whom collated it all on the site. So nothing here was live or real time but it also sort of worked but you do lack the live interaction.

So it all comes down to content as everything would have to be a live or pre-recorded video presentation, fine for the theater talks not sure about how well ‘stall’ or products would transfer over.

But if a general ‘bubble’ of interest and momentum was to generate then it would be something to look at. Zoom has shown us all how well it works for club meets etc so its not a bad idea its just how to step that up into a full ‘Virtual Show’

I’m surprised this hasn’t generated more discussion, and maybe, as we’re fast approaching October and things aren’t looking great, we should consider other options?

Tom’s references are worth a look and possible consideration, and maybe some kind of thing where exhibitors are online on Zoom and people can join in to ask questions/get info about products. It doesn’t matter if other people are listening in – it’s what happens on stands anyway!

Perhaps use a virtual ticket system like Eventbrite so that people can sign up, giving them access to links to each exhibitors Zoom feed, so they can join up to chat. I don’t know much about Zoom, so maybe there are better ways of doing that kind of thing.

Maybe a ‘show price weekend’ could be arranged between exhibitors, too?

I’m surprised this hasn’t generated more discussion, and maybe, as we’re fast approaching October and things aren’t looking great, we should consider other options?

I didn’t comment at the time, but wondered whether we were perhaps overcomplicating things a bit?

The idea of a “virtual show” is nice, but I wonder if there’s really any practical benefit in trying to cram everything into a day or weekend timeslot? Having a deadline to work to is potentially motivating for developers, but it’s also a nuisance for those who have other commitments away from the platform.

Given that we’re not awash with developers, and the rise of Zoom user group meetings, might we be better off just using group meetings to showcase one or two developers to the audience? ROUGOL and WROCC seem to be heading down the path of open-to-all virtual meetings, at least in the short term¹, so would it be a better idea to have a small number of exhibitors booked for a meeting, to show off their wares and answer questions? Those who can fill a couple of hours can take a full meeting; those with less to show could do a smaller “turn” alongside others, in a similar way to WROCC’s August “pot-pourri” meeting.

Even at the current rates of monthly and bi-monthly meetings, that’s up to a minimum of 18 presentations a year; more if you do double or triple bills, less if not all meetings are for topical stuff. There’s nothing to stop videos going online afterwards for those who couldn’t make it.

The only benefit of a “show weekend” is that you can do “show deals”. On the other hand, perhaps those presenting could do “meeting deals” (as often used to be the case physically at Wakefield) with the benefit that they don’t all hit punters’ wallets on the same day?

Perhaps use a virtual ticket system like Eventbrite so that people can sign up, giving them access to links to each exhibitors Zoom feed, so they can join up to chat.

Given that in effect, the costs of something like this are largely moot (there’s equipment, perhaps, and fees for Zoom or the like, but no hotel hire, liability insurance, or whatever), would it be chargeable or ticketed? We don’t charge speakers at usergroup meetings, and even if we went for a weekend virtual show, I’d expect the exhibitors to cover the costs for less than they currently pay for their stands at real events.

1. Speaking personally, I do wonder how sustainable that idea is in the long term, as you potentially dilute the idea of a “group” a bit, and risk reducing the pool of people with enough investment to volunteer to keep things running, but in the current climate it seems to be working well enough and it’s nice to see new faces at events. For a lot of WROCC members, meetings were always an unattainable thing anyway because of geography, so the membership is perhaps more about the monthly newsletter. I don’t know. As I said, my personal thoughts, etc.

as we’re fast approaching October

Here we are approaching October at no more than the normal speed.

I have found live-meeting via Zoom quite straightforward for the ROUGOL meetings, so would be happy with something based on that.

The thought of having to make pre-scripted youtube videos sounds much more daunting – I don’t even have a youtube account, don’t know how to edit video, and don’t really have a suitable “studio” to make “proper” videos, let alone figure out how best to upload them etc.

Here we are approaching October at no more than the normal speed.

Really? I thought it was only the 165th of March.

I don’t even have a youtube account,

Not hard to create.

don’t know how to edit video, and don’t really have a suitable “studio” to make “proper” videos, let alone figure out how best to upload them etc.

I don’t know about anybody else, but I’d prefer authentic to blingy.
The content is what is important. And I find an awful lot of fancy videos lacking in content. Or, worse, repeating the same few points over and over as if the viewers are complete morons.

If you have an older Samsung S7, S8, or S9 (Android 7 or 8), it will have a decent camera, and an app called “Movie Maker” built in. It’s what I use to make all of my videos that aren’t simple one shots.

Record it, paste it together (with fades, captions, titles, etc), then upload it to YouTube, all directly on the phone.

Apparently Movie Maker doesn’t work as of Android 9+. That’s why I never updated.

The important thing, if pre-scripted, is to sound natural and not like you’re reading off cue cards. Maybe you’re one of those people who can read some lines and repeat them to camera? I have a memory like a goldfish so I mostly make up what I’m saying. Not that it would sound any less retarded if it was scripted. ;-)

It’s no longer the era of expensive film. So don’t hesitate to say “oh bollocks” and do-over. As often as needed until you’re happy with the result.

Here we are approaching October at no more than the normal speed.

Ah yeah, but ‘normal speed’ is about 67000mph, so I reckon that’s fast…

‘normal speed’ is about 67000mph, so I reckon that’s fast…

Pah. That’s just because you’re comparing it to the sedate-to-the-point-of-dead speed that sapiens move at. “Oh squee! It’s going at the speed of sound! Wheee!”

The Earth moves at the speed you have given, which is a lumbersome 30km/sec. Venus moves at ~35km/sec. Mercury is even zippier, at ~50km/sec.
As we go further from the sun, the planets slow down, meaning that Pluto (a planet as far as I’m concerned) moves at a mere 4.7km/sec, taking forever to orbit the sun. This time last year (on Pluto), we were witnessing insurgent rebel factions of an all but lost colony throwing crates of perfectly decent tea into Boston harbour. Personally I would have kept the tea and thrown the tax collectors into the water, but that’s just me…

Amusingly, the Helios probes topped all of that, managing ~69km/sec.

All of this pales into the mediocre on a galactic scale. Andromeda is moving towards us at 110km/sec. Stuff in various parts of the Milky Way orbit at around 230km/sec (which is very approximate given the size, but 230 is the speed the Solar System itself orbits at), and the galaxy itself is moving at about 600km/sec.

Not so fast then. ;-)

As you may have noticed over on The Icon Bar the London Show will be going virtual this year. Exactly what form this will take has still to be decided – we will probably have a better idea after next week’s ROUGOL meeting. I will make a proper announcement once things are clearer.

They had a hobbyist make and upload short video presentations to YouTube and then send a link to the organizer, who put it all together on the site. So nothing here was live or real-time, but it kind of worked too, but you really miss the live interaction.

I think, manpower/time permitting, that might be a useful idea alongside the live presentations.
Certainly allows the camera shy providers to participate and “tour” the show at the same time.

All of this pales into the mediocre on a galactic scale. Andromeda is moving towards us at 110km/sec. Stuff in various parts of the Milky Way orbit at around 230km/sec (which is very approximate given the size, but 230 is the speed the Solar System itself orbits at), and the galaxy itself is moving at about 600km/sec.

And due to the universe expending, the space between to objects increases at a rate proportional to their distance, meaning that some parts of the universe are already “moving away” from us at speeds higher than the speed of light.

meaning that some parts of the universe are already “moving away” from us at speeds higher than the speed of light.

There’s a part of me that thinks that the part that is moving away the fastest is the part called “common sense”.

Common sense is made up of elusive subatomic particles called “Clueons”, which seem to be in rather short supply these days.

meaning that some parts of the universe are already “moving away” from us at speeds higher than the speed of light.

Former parts of the universe. We can still see them because they used to be moving away less rapidly, but whatever light they’re emitting now will never get to us – red shifted to zero. Wait – beyond zero. So what’s the 4 degree background glow from the Big Bang?

Hmmm. Shortage of clueons round here.

Common sense is made up of elusive subatomic particles called “Clueons”, which seem to be in rather short supply these days.

A good thing we are in Aldershot. Do you know about Vermoulian the Dream-walker and his wonderful peregrine palace?

Vermoulian consulted his celestial Almanac and made note of certain symbols; these he inscribed upon the carnelian mandate-wheel, which he set into rotation; the signs were spun off into the interflux, to elucidate a route across the universe. Vermoulian fired a taper and held it to the speed-incense; the palace departed …