Voicethread is an extremely interesting development in social media. It’s at the stage where it’s a great idea, but it’s only as good as the participants in the site. It has plenty of possibilities, but given that it’s a bit more difficult to understand and use than, say, a blog it may not become an overnight success.
OK, so what is it? Voicethread is a kind of online interview platform. There could be a picture in the middle displaying a proposed design for an upcoming novel. Participants in the Voicethread can then record an audio comment. So the author could say, “I wrote this because…” or a designer could say, “I chose to use these images because…” These voice comments, along with the commenters icon, appear around the image of the bookcover. There are a number of different ways to use the service and not all promotional – but at heart it’s a kind of audio blog with people all talking about one subject.
The example given on the site is an entire family giving their separate perspectives about a family photo and this is a great way for family’s connect – especially if they live in different places. The promotional possibilities, though, is what makes a social media application become truly popular – this is what happened with Facebook and Twitter, so if this is how Voicethread comes to be used it could become another household word. The educational/classroom possibilities are also great and could revolutionize how computers are used in the classroom.
Practical Uses:
- Create a discussion group about a work of art with each person offering their own audio commentary and interpretation
- Promote a product by getting real people’s reaction and talking about unique ways that they would like to use the product
- Integrate a Voicethread into the classroom to spur discussion about coursework and research assignments
- Connect your family together by having everyone talk about old vacation photos
Insider Tips:
- Get people involved in using the service – this may be the hardest part. Providing detailed instructions for how to use the service may be necessary, especially for those who aren’t experienced using computers
- Though voice is the most common usage – you can also record a video response, or text message, for people who might be shy about providing audio
- Moderate comments because a large thread can get out of hand – and could even lead to offensive material
- The doodling feature is a fun addition and helpful for annotating design work
- Try embedding your Voicethread pages on other websites to spread the word
What we liked:
- Totally unique and interesting service
- Great variety of methods for adding new content – audio, text, and video
- Easy to use and navigate, which is saying a lot given the number of different features the service has to juggle
What we didn’t like:
- Advanced packages are fairly expensive for the everyday user, unlike free social networking platforms
- Pricing structure is geared towards business and educational institutions, rather than casual users
- Not necessarily easy setup for novice computer users
Alternatives:
Company Info:
- Launched: 2007
- Privately Held
- Headquarters: Boca Raton, FL
- Founded by: Ben Papell and Steve Muth
- Web site: http://www.voicethread.com
Costs:
- Free for educators with limited storage up to $60/year, depending on the type of use – educational institution or business
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