We’re having a birthday party for Audra IRL at our house this Saturday, but I realize that that might be a hell of a road trip for many of you – especially those of you in Europe and Asia. So for those of you who can’t make the IRL party, GWC tech guru (and kick-ass friend) Juan Drew is hosting an online party at that same time.
Here’s the info:
When:
Saturday, December 5th starting at 7:00 p.m. CT (GMT-6) It’ll likely run until late.
Where:
You have two options for participating online.
Talkshoe
Here’s the call link.
Juan is hosting a live Talkshoe call during the party via which you can open-mic audio and text chat. We’ll have a computer in the kitchen near the food at the party where Audra, me, Sean, and other party attendees (including Sean’s parents) can participate via text chat. Juan will be video-conferenced into the party on a separate computer as well, and he’ll be able to patch audio from the party into the call from time to time as well as pass on messages or other information.
How to Participate Via Talkshoe
If you just want to listen, simply click the direct TalkShoe link above and you can listen in real time via your computer. You can also call TalkShoe’s number above, enter the call ID when requested, and listen to the call on your cell phone or land line.
If you’d like to participate, you’ll need to set up a free TalkShoe account. Just navigate to TalkShoe.com and click the “Sign-Up” link, then follow their instructions. After you have your account set up, you’ll have two options for joining the call:
- You can connect via TalkShoe Pro using your computer.
To use TalkShoe Pro, you’ll need to download the software from TalkShoe and install it on your computer. If you’re planning to connect via the computer – a great option if you’re in a country other than the US or don’t have a decent long-distance calling plan – please consider the following:
[ul]
[li]You’ll need to use a headphone/mic set. The built-in microphone on your computer will pick up echo of the other participants coming out your computer speakers making your audio sound very bad. Headphone mics are cheap and easy to find online and in stores. A good one can be had for around $50, but a you can find perfectly fine models as cheap as $15.[/li][li]Be sure to test your rig before the event. You don’t want to be fiddling around with your audio on the night of the party.[/li][/ul]
2. You can connect via TalkShoe Pro for text chat and call in for audio.
This is probably the easiest way to participate. Simply call the number and enter the information as given to you by TalkShoe when you set up your account. TalkShoe will recognize your phone audio and match it up with your logged-in user in TalkShoe Pro. You’ll be able to chat and talk with everyone during the party.
- You can just call in.
If you call in, you’ll be listed as “Guest 12” or somesuch in the text chat, but you’ll be able to participate fully in the audio section of the party. You won’t be able to text chat and some people won’t know who you are 'till you speak. But it works.
If you’re stuck at work or elsewhere and can’t call in (or even if you do call in and just want to contribute to the live party in another fashion), Juan and I are putting together a system which will capture and display on the wall during the party all Tweets containing the #gwcaudraparty hashtag.
[u]Locals
[/u]If you’re in the local DFW area, I’ve met you before at a meetup, and you didn’t receive an invitation to the physical party, drop me a DM to get one.
