We really enjoyed last Mobile Monday, where our community got the opportunity to present! We’ve talked snowboarding, exploding websites, implants and the future of music, just to name a few :-)
Backchannel on the right (photo by @vanardenne)
As usual during our presentations we have a backchannel, showing a live stream of tweets tagged with #momo. From the beginning backchannels have been the source of discussion (see e.g. these posts from 2008). BCs can be adding to the discussion and generate interesting questions during or after a presentation, but they also can show off-topic or even offensive messages. Several visitors wrote about this on their blogs: here, here and here. Although we try to moderate the tweets, it seems that we’ve reached a tipping point.
MoMo wants to pioneer new ideas an possibilities, where the backchannel is definitely one. Now we think that it’s time to pick up the pioneering task again and start thinking about a new way of integrating interaction into our event. We want to ask you what your suggestion would be. No backchannel? Stronger moderation? Only allow tweets with specific speaker questions? Or should we replace the backchannel with a new form of interaction entirely?
We look for your suggestions and ideas on this. Through the shared knowledge and ideas in our community we’re sure that we can improve the live experience for our next event! So leave your ideas and suggestions in the comments or Tweet us (@vangeest, @claireboo, @sgfwarnaars, @marcfonteijn, @panman or @mdbraber).
posted by Maarten Lens-Fitzgerald | tags: Backchannel, ethics, event, momo, pioneering |
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I don’t think ‘No Backchannel’ is the way to go simply because some of the 1800+ tweets with the #momo tag were offensive! Maybe a bigger time delay in the feed could suffice so the moderation can be more effective; maybe some form of registration (i.e. with the meetup-account) so you have the possibility to (temporarily) ban a MoMo-member who’s misbehaving on the backchannel. I personally appreciated the backchannel very much because it supplied the keynotes with some insightful, complementary ànd funny commentaries. Would hate to see the backchannel disappear…
– @billywanzi
I would suggest using the crowd for moderation. Maybe some tools need to be developed to ease that process. For example: 3 times ‘thumbs down’ for a twitter user and he will be blocked on the BC.
This ofcourse won’t block all offensive tweets and needs some more thinking ;-)
– @ralfvdz
Although i’m no fan of Censorship, i do like the idea of social moderation and (temporary) banning/blocking, which is both ‘open’ as well as (technically) feasible.
Je zou ook alleen retweets kunnen plaatsen op de backchannel. Zodoende bepaald het publiek of bepaalde vraag of opmerking goed genoeg is om de backchannel op het scherm te halen.
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Mijn mening wordt eigenlijk het best verwoord in dit artikel van Whizpr (http://whizpr.blogspot.com/2009/03/backchannel-of-backstabberstabber.html). Ik had het al aangegeven in Twitter: van mij mag er veel zwaardere moderatie op het backchannel plaatsvinden, temeer omdat kleuters van “buiten” nu ook ontdekt hebben dat je met een simpele #momo tag meteen op het backchannel verschijnt. Of vonden jullie de opmerkingen over ‘anaal squirten’ iets bijdragen aan de discussie?
Nog een toevoeging: is het niet veel handiger om een tool als CoverItLive in te zetten? Die werkt tegenwoordig ook met Twitter, is te modereren, heeft interactieve/live polls en nog een aantal andere handige mogelijkheden, waaronder de optie om aanvullende multimedia toe te voegen. Volgens mij werkt dat veel beter.
Use hand picked (and briefed about the guidelines) elevated users that are in the crowd to moderate the channel.
This is similair to what user fora do. tweakers.net etc.
If this is not possible, than just ask the speeker if he/she wan’t it available weeks before.
Also use a speeker to address the specific questions to the speaker to get more interaction. Ask people with many tweets/querys to the channel to stand-up and ask the questions in person at the event.
@Kjeld I disagree! The power of the backchannel is to give the audience a way to participate directly. If you close off that option by selecting some ‘elevated’ users, the dynamic interaction becomes a ‘walled garden’ which is accessible by only the chosen few. I do agree with Kjeld about the fact a speaker should have the option to choose if the backchannel is available during his or her keynote (although I can’t imagine anyone saying no ;-))
@MoMo Please don’t the actions of the few spoil it for the rest of us. This way they win in the end…
– @billywanzi
Helemaal eens. Het is een backstabbing channel geworden. Oplossing: moderator bekijkt welke tweets (vragen?) met #momo interessant zijn en plaatst ze (via retweet)gedoseerd op het backchannel.
Het kan ook zonder backchannel; dagvoorzitter kan dan na afloop van preso DE (beste) vraag stellen die via twitter is binnengekomen. Voorkomt ook dat niemand een vraag durft te stellen als er door de dagvoorzitter gevraagd wordt om slechts 1 vraag zoals gisteren meerdere malen gebeurde.Helemaal eens. Het is een backstabbing channel geworden. Oplossing: moderator bekijkt welke tweets (vragen?) met #momo interessant zijn en plaatst ze (via retweet)gedoseerd op het backchannel.
Het kan ook zonder backchannel; dagvoorzitter kan dan na afloop van preso DE (beste) vraag stellen die via twitter is binnengekomen. Voorkomt ook dat niemand een vraag durft te stellen als er door de dagvoorzitter gevraagd wordt om slechts 1 vraag zoals de laatste momo meerdere malen gebeurde.
ps: deze reactie eerder al geplaatst op wizpr.nl
I think it’s clear where I stand on the subject, but Chrizzieman makes a valid point where it comes to using the input of the backchannel. I would love to see more integration of the input within the sessions. That way MoMo also can give people who can’t attend and are following the livestream the chance to ask the speakers questions or participate in future polls! In any case use the input of the backchannel in a productive and constructive way ;-)
– @billywanzi
i’m with billy on this one
Basically as a speaker I tried to ignore the backchannel to keep concentration, as a listener / viewer I get distracted from the speaker unwillingly. As the backchannel is to innovate interaction with the audiance its content should be used by the speaker, this is not at all the fact so …… its useless I would say. Rethink audience interaction using a mobile phone but then really involve it in the speech or leave it.
Seeing the response on the 30 second elevator pitch, I would say the crowd should rethink its backchannel banter and step up when they have the chance to tell their story.
@billywanzi User can’t handle this kind of “power” and it leads to miss use..
I think it would be a shame if the backchannel would be subject to moderation. As Gerd Leonhard said, control is out.
The backchannel is currently functioning as sort of collective hive. It’s awesome because it helps in getting a view of the audience’s thoughts in realtime. So don’t change it (yet) in favour of censorship I’m inclined to say.
In case of moderating the backchannel I’d suggest to only ban those who seriously misuse the backchannel (i.e. marketing/commercials, anal squirts etc.) and leave criticism and real comments (useful or not, who is to say) intact as long as they appear genuine.
Furthermore I think it’s up to every speaker him/herself whether or not they’d like to see the realtime feed during their speech. If so this possibility should be made available.
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