Wikimedia Wikimeet India 2021/Request for Comments/Platform for online event

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GRFC

Requests for comment (RFC for short) are processes by which broader input can be requested. This is typically required for policy changes that are broad in scope. It may also be useful to gain wider input regarding conflicts or unresolved issues on other Wikimedia projects with the hopes of obtaining resolution. Add a link to the proposal page or disputed page or create a new subpage requesting comments here (please use {{Rfc subpage}}). Anyone is welcome to give his or her opinion on the requests listed below. See also: all RfC pages and more Wiki-wide elections and votings.

Request for Comments is a discussion place where we are starting a few discussions and inviting you to share comments/views.

Why RFC?: These are a few questions, where we do not know the exact answer, and we believe your comments/inputs will help in planning Wikimedia Wikimeet India 2021 or any other similar event. Let's learn from each other.

Every RFC will have these components–

Question: Narrates the RfC topic in brief, in 1–2 sentences.
Opening Remarks: Explains the question in detail, narrates the things we already know, provides links to resources, and helps to prepare for the discussion.
Discussion: Main part of the RFC, where you will participate and share their comment/opinion/view. Although English might be the common language, feel free to write in any language.
Conclusion/Closing remark: (optional) draws conclusion, if applicable, at the end of the discussion.

Guidelines
Here are the basic guidelines to follow.

Everyone is welcome: Everyone is welcome to comment, from all communities, and all Wikimedia projects.
Topic: All the topics will be directly related to WMWM or conducting the online events and remote participation in general.
In search of an answer: An RFC will ask those questions where there is no clear/perfect answer yet, and a collective or group discussion may help in finding a solution/answer.
Duration: An RFC will be open for at least 14 days (or more than that) unless a perfect answer is unanimously found and concluded before that.
Detailed comment: Please write in details, and avoid brief comments without explanations.
Friendly discussion: Keep the discussion friendly, avoid personal remarks and personal attacks.

Question[edit]

Which online platform should we choose for Wikimedia Wikimeet India 2021 or similar events?

Opening remarks[edit]

There are several online platforms for online training and meeting. The most frequently used platforms are possibly Google Meet, or Zoom. There are other options like Hopin (used in Creative Commons Global summit). Please share your comment on online platforms which you would recommend others. You may also suggest features which you would like to see in an online event platform.

Some of the features which might make a platform interesting are (but not limited to)– type (open-source, free, paid, trial-only), features (number of parallel rooms, record videos, streaming, presenting screen etc.), trust (is the service provider trusted? is there any privacy or other concern?)

Please share your knowledge with us. Let's learn!

Possible resources

WikiProject remote event participation#Table overview
Virtual Event Platform Comparison: The Best for 2020 at Event Manager Blog

Discussion[edit]

zoom works fine, hangout takes less data I guess. we can use any platform with proper care of keeping video/audio streaming off when it's not needed for everyone. basically managing data overload could work for us. I think how we do it is important than on which platform we are doing it. thanks QueerEcofeminist [they/them/their] 18:14, 21 November 2020 (UTC)
Hangout is goos as it consumes fewer data and works very well with mobile devices -- Suyash Dwivedi (talk) 17:35, 4 December 2020 (UTC)[reply]
Zoom or Google meet as many peoples using these platforms already. Anything new needs to install & learn which requires the extra energy of voluntaries.--Jayprakash >>> Talk 06:11, 7 December 2020 (UTC)[reply]
Several platforms for hosting online events have gained popularity during the course of the year. They are: Zoom, Google Meet, Hopin and BigBlueButton. BigBlueButton is the only completely free but the other three are not very expensive either. I have experience in organising events in Zoom and Google Meet as well as attending an event hosted with Hopin. Hopin is a bit different and it requires some preparatory work so that people get familiar with it. And between Zoom and Google Meet, my personal preference for an online conference is the former because of the following reasons. Firstly, it provides better management of the event because the host can assign co-hosts in order to delegate some useful functions to speakers/facilitators/moderators. Secondly, there is a feature called "Raise Hand" that allows participants to indicate when they want to join the discussion and this helps speakers/facilitators/moderators find out who should be called in. Thirdly, there is a integrated tool that allows for language interpretation. Fourthly, the recording can be easily done and it offers a choice between recording on the PC or Zoom Cloud. Fifthly, there is a feature called "Breakout Rooms" that can be particularly useful for workshops because it splits the session into multiple discussion rooms. Yet all these advantages that Zoom has, there are some drawbacks to be noted. Firstly, it is not possible to host parallel sessions using one licenced Zoom account. Secondly, the broadcast of the event can be severely interrupted by low bandwith. Additionally, we have also a record of online conferences in the Wikimedia movement that were hosted successfully using Zoom (e.g. Wikimedia CEE Online Meeting 2020, Global Conversations).--Kiril Simeonovski (talk) 13:49, 9 December 2020 (UTC)[reply]
There is also Cisco WebEx, LogMeIn GoToWebinar or GoToMeeting, Microsoft Teams or Skype, Adobe Connect, and others. Whatever you choose, you will need to check whether the free tier is personal-use-only, and whether there is any specific licensing for non-profit organisations. Plan for funds to pay for a sufficient number of licenses for multiple presenters/hosts. Also many vendors will have different products or price tiers for use with large numbers of attendees, with a distinction between "meetings" and "webinars". You might find a vendor or reseller who is willing to assist with a proof-of-concept for this event if they're keen to get some publicity in the Indian market, but your timeframe to organise that is getting a bit short. Best of luck, Pelagic (talk) 02:26, 30 December 2020 (UTC)[reply]
The install-and-run experience for attendees is similar for many of these, you might find that ease-of-use for the organiser is a more important consideration, after cost. Pelagic (talk) 03:33, 30 December 2020 (UTC)[reply]
What 'bout Google meet.SHISHIR DUA (talk) 19:37, 8 January 2021 (UTC)[reply]
I agree with Jayprakash, Google Meet or Zoom. -- CptViraj (talk) 07:44, 17 January 2021 (UTC)[reply]
I am against Zoom. 1. It is not a secure platform. A lot of Zoombombing happened already. It is very unlikely to have some hacker dropped some rubbish in the middle of a serious meeting. Second it is not a free software. Not in sync with the idea wikimedia foundation promote. There is are lot of other options like Wikimedia Meet (https://meet.wmcloud.org/) (https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Wikimedia_Meet). Also Google meet is somewhat usable option. Debian team had done their [debconf] Using self hosted platform. Also hosting [Bigbluebutton] is not a tough thing. Data and privacy of participants is very important in online meetings. --Ranjithsiji (talk) 12:43, 9 February 2021 (UTC)[reply]