Episode 67: Reimagining Online Events with Em Lazer-Walker - a podcast by The Enjoy the Vue Team

from 2021-06-28T06:00

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Key Points From This Episode:




  • Memories of the last conferences before the pandemic and thoughts on virtual events.

  • Em's experiences running Roguelike Celebration, and some history of the related games and community.

  • The event's transition to online-only in response to the pandemic and how they weathered the storm.

  • The considerations that go into planning an event with a focus on community and meaningful conversations.

  • How Em went about building the infrastructure that matched the strengths of online games.

  • Video chat versus text-chat; the two camps that exist and accommodating both groups.

  • Ways that Em and his team are simulating the social environment and cues of in-person gatherings.

  • How accessibility concerns were addressed for Roguelike Celebration; text, color, chat, and more!

  • Thoughts on the future of the online event and how it might change and grow.

  • Challenges with the interface; dealing with concerns around confusion and similarities to other platforms.

  • The question of chat histories and digital hoarding, and why Em decided against newer chat trends.

  • Scheduling and timing issues for the conference and the big request for more free time from attendees.

  • The approach to post-event interaction and conversation and the impromptu way things played out.

  • Possibilities for the growth of the video chat feature for the event in the future.

  • How listeners can get involved and check out the open-source space.

  • This week's picks! TV series, movies, audiobooks, games, and more!



Tweetables:




  • “I think trying to have a digital-physical hybrid event is inherently a flawed strategy. I don't think it is possible to do it in a way that the people who are attending one of the two events don't feel like they are getting the sub-par experience.” — @lazerwalker [0:26:22]

  • “Providing a novel space itself is inherently valuable, because you are giving people the chance to escape and this feels like something new in a way that a physical event space feels like something new.” — @lazerwalker [0:27:31]



Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:



Special Guest: Em Lazer-Walker.


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