The CGSE Launch Event - Feedback!

Thanks to everyone who joined in the CGSE launch chat last night!! We saw lots of people from all over the world participate, which is great!

Here are our initial thoughts:

On the platform

Skype certainly has a high international penetration, which is great for a project like this; however, there are a few functionality issues that we’re going to speak with them about.

Would like to see a more dynamic search functionality on Skype – so that once you search for #CGSE, you can not only see who else is participating, but whether or not they are online/want to chat.  The search results also limit how much information you can see.  For example, the name box cuts off some users’ company name, so we’d like to see more room there.  You can click on the information icon (the blue circle with an “i”) to see participants’ full names (complete with city code and company name).

It would be great if you could create lists on Skype, to organize your friends – better yet, create a CGSE channel.  Will keep you posted on any progress with this!

On the experience

We were excited before the launch last night, but now we’re really excited!  It’s clear that the CGSE has huge potential and thanks again to everyone who signed in last night! 

The Creative Global Social Experiment

A few notes on the experience, based on our conversations and some initial user feedback.

The success of the CGSE will greatly depend on our members to take the initial step of connecting with other CGSE participants.

As the event organizer, I added everyone with a #CGSE name and messaged them.  While not everyone was online, I was really pleased with how many people have already updated their status!   I spoke with people from New York, Amsterdam, Marseilles, Los Angeles and Toronto within 40 minutes.

Video chatting with strangers was a little weird at first, but after a minute or so you realize it’s the same thing as meeting someone new in a meeting, group, etc. 

There was one recurring comparison between Chatroulette and the CGSE, with CGSE being “like Chatroulette, but minus the pen…”  Indeed, we see the CGSE as a much more targeted, professional communication tool than Chatroulette (but are wildly impressed with Andrey Ternovskiy, the 17-year-old student behind the project)!

If you had trouble changing your name or searching for other CGSE participants, make sure you're using the most current version of Skype (update)!

Next Steps

Next steps for the CGSE are to continue signing in and reaching out to other members of the creative community.  We’re receiving lots of messages everyday from people who have discovered the project and want to participate, which is great! 

We would also love your feedback on timings.  Right now, we’re thinking of having the CGSE be a continuous project with “events” every week, to encourage more targeted participation and discussion topics.

It has also been suggested that we have themed-chats (CP+B-styles), so stay tuned for that!

In the meantime, please do keep signing in and reaching out to other members, as well as sharing the project on your social networks.  And as always, suggestions, feedback and chocolate are welcome  J

Cheers,

Jackie @sosticky & @theCGSE



The Creative Global Social Experiment

Join CGSE Group on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter!

Do you ever wonder what other people in your industry are doing around the globe? I do...

I’ve been playing with this idea for a while now and have finally decided to write myself a mini brief for The Creative Global Social Experiment (#CGSE), a international creative community.

What is it?

CGSE is a simple way to connect people in creative industries across the globe. Different time zones will make this a continuous, live and organic experience.

The possibilities are endless for a project like this - the CGSE could include a working group that develops innovative concepts which redefine the way we engage with products, brands, the internet, and most immediately, each other!

Who will use it?

Professionals and students in creative industries worldwide.  Fields may include marketing, advertising, the arts, music, technology, fashion, photography, etc.

Why will they use it?

To connect and communicate with likeminded creative professionals around the world, to educate, inspire and collaborate with each other. And maybe make some new friends along the way ☺

How does it work?

Simply edit your “full name” in your Skype profile to include:

#CGSE_city airport code_company you work at.

For example, I’m: Jackie Prince #CGSE_LGA_LBi.

The #CGSE hashtag is necessary for searching users who participate in the community.

Then, search for other participants by entering #CGSE into Skype search and chat away!

It is recommended that users have short [3-5 minute] chats with one or two people initially and build relationships accordingly. Users can agree themselves whether they want to enable video chat.

Why Skype?

I’ve chosen Skype as the platform for this experiment because of it’s high global penetration and the increasing amount of VoIP and video calls that are being made. According to Techcrunchies.com, the volume of traffic on Skype in 2009 was 13% (54 billion minutes) of total international traffic. Additionally, 34% of Skype-to-Skype calls use video (Skype blog).

Launching The CGSE

Let’s kick off this community with a bang!

Please send this to all of your friends and contacts in creative industries worldwide.

We will have the first session next Tuesday, February 23th, 2010 at 10:30pm GMT [2:30pm PST; 5:30pm EST; 9:30am EDT]. For other cities, check the time here.

Ideally we'd like people to keep their hashtag name and search for connections whenever they wish. If you want to get started before next Tuesday, change your name now and start searching!

Remember to login to Skype and change your full name settings to the format above [name #CGSE_CITY AIRPORT CODE_COMPANY]

Share Your Experiences

Let me know what you think about the CGSE!! Comment on this post to begin a dialogue of your experiences and any constructive connections you've made.

Alternatively connect with people on Twitter or Facebook using #CGSE.

Future opportunities in this space?

I would eventually like to expand this idea to teenagers, with the goal of connecting children all over the world. The service would enable them to learn about various cultures and people, demonstrate their similarities and differences, and work toward a more tolerant and understanding global culture.

***Please note that this idea is not affiliated with Skype's business (I've tried to run it by them but have not been able to get in touch!)

Again, theCGSE is on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter.  Say hello!