>TIP (thanks to Mark Coniglio) for cuseeme performance people -- a 'new'
>online video conferencing tool *IVIST* which does not require a reflector to
>work as a multi-party video/ chat application -- http://www.ivisit.com/ -- I
>haven't tried it yet, but it might proof more functional than cuseeme... if
>anyone out there has used it please let us know.
--Enjoying this list already for a while lurking, I would like to jump on
in on this one --
Engaged in the exploration of the dramatic tention in telepresence, I've
been doing performances using videoconferencing programs like CU-Seeme or
Picturetel. (A recent dance experiment, 'soft mirror', was announced on
this list before.)
When preparing however, I've tried various other programs that are
available for free or as demo downloads, like 'ivisit', which I found
interesting concerning the possibility of getting a full size 640x480 video
image, not saying the image quality is improving by that, and its
realtively decent interface --but unpleasant because of what the company
calls "strong sense of community": in the "white pages" you can check out
any user's nickname and who's online, and by doubleclicking joining him or
her! Despite my obviously male nickname (not my first time in an online
community...) I immediately got people calling me, strangers appearing on
my desktop! This was very different from the open public space of the
CU-Seeme reflector, and the shock comparable to the situaton when somebody
checks out your IP adress on a reflector and then tries to DC! This
incident made very clear to me how these seemingly safe situations are
fragile and therefore need the protection of privacy! It is possible to
create private conferences with 'ivisit' though and this might be an
interesting alternitive in case you want to limit your public to people you
know.
--I've also followed with interest the discussion around the project
"Imagine You Later" by Isabel Valverde, as, in collaboration with artist
Mike Tyler, I just finished the piece "Holoman, Digital Cadaver", that is
also based on the visible human project! Here I manipulate live the
beforehand downloaded images and movies or live video, which allows for a
close and fluid interaction between the actor and its digital
representation! HOLOMAN has a website on
http://www.media-gn.nl/mfa/isabelle/HOLOMAN --and Isabel, if you have a
website on your project, I would be curious to know more about it!
Best
Isabelle
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http://www.media-gn.nl/mfa/isabelle
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