Okay, so the idea is taking off… and I think we’re doing something different enough (video calls, not just audio calls, distributed across a variety of online video networks). The interactivity of it is what’s compelling to me – finding ways to make it easier for people to ask questions by webcam and become a part of the program. This doesn’t and shouldn’t replace anything that anybody else happens to be doing, mind you – but there’s a reason I started this on YouTube. We’re trying to prove that online video can be more than a string of insipid pixels, trying to prove that the power of video doesn’t stop after the encoding process.

The geeks already know what’s going on – but the vast majority of YouTubers have never heard of TechTV or G4 or TechCrunch (for that matter) or anything of the like. That’s the audience that needs our help the most. So, if you have a question, suggestion, tip, trick, etc. – I’m going to try using this EyeJot widget to receive your video. You only have 60 seconds to say something. Just press the Reply button in this widget.

If that works, I should receive your video recording as an MP4 attachment in iTunes (or whatever news aggregator I choose to use). The kicker is that no registration is required to give ‘er a whirl! Please, if you have a webcam, give ‘er a whirl. Even if you don’t have a video recording device connected to your computer at the moment, I do have a few questions for the general community:

1. What is this thing called?
2. Where should we upload it?
3. How frequent is too frequent?
4. What else should we do?

I think we’re limited (because of YouTube’s time restrictions) to 10 minutes per upload – so, realistically, that’s about 4 questions every time – not too shabby. With the right workflow and setup, I bet we could turn around three (or so) per week. Maybe we do an extended version through UndoTV when that launches? Let’s play – it’s our chance to (re)create it.

Oh, and… I think I can get Cat to play along…

Video Voicemail – Help?

I can’t wait to see UndoTV spring to life in a few months. Every few days, I’ll get an IM from a PikSpot team member (Scott) asking me for feedback. I’ve seen their next-gen design and it looks amazing – though I’m not sure it’s going to make it into v1.0 of the product. Still, beta testers like long-time Gnomie Mike Chandler are using it already. In preparing for our upcoming launch, I came up with a wacky idea that might not have worked a few years ago.

Let’s take the idea of “Call for Help” online?

When I was hosting the show (after and before the god-like Leo Laporte), we received our fair share of both accolades and admonishments. We seldom took more than three calls per show, aired live in the afternoon when most users were at school or work, and were constrained to a traditional television production and schedule.

Now, before I go any further – yes, this is exactly what we plan on undoing on UndoTV. The goal there is to mix your favorite personalities with the new community personalities that deserve just as much of our attention. But, there’s a lot to be said about getting the idea out there sooner – and YouTube certainly has the world’s attention (I bet every single person reading this entry has a YouTube account, or will at some point in the future). Here’s the idea:

When UndoTV launches, that’ll be the primary distribution point for new segments (and promoted as such). Until then, does anybody care to record a video response for the above clip?

TV Didn’t Want Call for Help: Do You?