Google Voice
A while back, I brought a Grand Stream 201. I set it up to work with Google Voice, according to the article at germinalcenter….. Now this was before Google Voice acquired Gizmo5.
Then it worked for a while…Then it didn’t work. Then it worked for a while…then it didn’t work. Then it worked for a while…then it didn’t work.
See the pattern here? Here’s what I do know.
- I can call the Gizmo5 test call center at 1-747-474-3246.
- I can call my home phone from Grand Stream and it rings fine
- Sometimes I can use it with Google Voice…sometimes I can’t. Perhaps when the Google Voice – Gizmo integration is finally over?
One thing I believe in is open source. Not just any open source, but open source that has been around for a few years, and has a sizable developmental base. I think that it reduces costs and enhances quality. So WordPress and Joomla are examples of Open Source we use. PHP and MySQL are the open source engines that drive our Content Management Systems. More on Open Source is found at en.wikipedia.or….
Now I had a problem with a Drupal application. I won’t blame it on Drupal. You see, I installed Ubercart and its corresponding modules. But then the PHP code broke. Bad day. I couldn’t find a fix in Drupal forums.
On the other hand, I set up Joomla Virtue Mart and Disqus comment system. But went I entered a test comment, I got a 404 component not found error. What? But forum answers tell me to set a menu default member. It didn’t work! Not until I turned debugging on and off.
Now to my electrical engineering friend testing video streaming programs
Working with both systems the basic technology is the same for both systems. The secret is in the implementation.
I recorded a small example in Ustream. The capabilities of swapping the video inputs and doing picture in picture is impressive. To use this capability the composite shots need to be planned and setup before the event. I was able to embed a video in the picture in picture The way it works you will have to control the video with the PC in front of you while in camera or have someone off screen do the controls. They focus on the video aspect to the point that there is no way to embed a application screen in the or power point into the output. I’m not sure how much of an issue this is.
- Ustream has the ability to do online polling and input mixing from a remote video feed into the output. Very good if you want a mixer.
- I’m now going over to Livestream and I’ll record a session there.
- Recorded a video in Ustream that you can see. Take a look.
Livestream
- Live Stream has an easy method of showing the active PC screen but their controls for the video stream via the Procaster
- Linkage to Twitter for immediate broadcast announcement. Good for making a live time connections.
- Ability to embed a viewer into the outgoing Emails. Good to develop
- Going to the professional center has a lot of options.
- The ability to see the number of viewers immediately on the broadcast is handy.
Results depends on how fancy you want to control things. So it depends on which interface you are more comfortable with. Livestream mixes the PC screen with the video easily. Ustream has easy video embedding but doesn’t have PC screen mixing capabilities. That is the main difference between the two systems.
In either case I recommend a large amount of time upfront to using the interface to set up the program before broadcasting.
“If we knew what we were doing it would not be called research”
Albert Einstein
How important is voice in copywriting?
I’m current working with someone to get a product off the ground. He has spend a considerable amount of money in the past. In one failed attempt, it was 250K.
We’re now taking a different approach, involving Internet, affiliate and viral marketing. We use well know content management systems, that are open source, and have stood the test of time.
Then I noticed something. When we started a blog, the three main bloggers have a different voice. This is important in literary styles and I’ll share a definition at a Wiki definition at en.wikipedia.or….
“Writer’s voice is the literary term used to describe the individual writing style of an author. Voice was generally considered to be a combination of a writer’s use of syntax, diction, punctuation, character development, dialogue, etc., within a given body of text (or across several works). Voice can be thought of in terms of the uniqueness of a musical voice. As a trumpet has a different voice than a tuba or a violin has a different voice than a cello, so the words of one author have a different sound than the words of another. One author may have a voice that is light and fast paced while another may have a dark voice.’
One thing I noticed is voice also applies to copywriters. If I look at “celebrity” copywriters, since as Ben Hart, Clayton Makepeace, Daniel Lewis, Bryan Keith Voiles, or Johnny Carlton – guess what? Each has a distinctive voice. Remember – one big difference between a celebrity copywriter and everyone else is the celebrity is “known”.
So I throw out this question. How important is developing a “distinctive” voice to copywriting?
Well? Is it hogwash? Very important? Or barely helpful?
