2019 WW: Voice problems with Vivox on your grid? Suggestions for plan B

Voice problems with Vivox on your grid? 
Suggestions for plan B

Vivox has demonstrated that it can be out for two weeks or longer.  For educational or most business uses that is a single point of failure.  An alternative is needed.  Some grids may offer fallback options.  Web-worlds can provide a fast fallback with no advance preparation.

ACRL Virtual World interest group

Possible voice emergency alternatives to Vivox

• Discord
• Skype

Web-worlds are alternatives

• 3DWebWorldz
• CybaLOUNGE
• You can visit either of these as a guest, without registering.
• No preparation needed.

• MUVE update 1/31/2019 Kitely Organizations, OpenSim Fest, G+exit

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Emergency voice alternatives

Discord

• Discord runs in a browser or an installed ap.  
• Discord (Wikipedia)
• Someone sets up a server for a group and creates sections as needed.
• Others in the group are invited to join.
• Some sections are for text; others are for voice.
• Community members can send messages to individuals or to the group.
• Discord offers easy communication without logging into the grid.
• Discord can run in a browser and support voice there.
• Discord easily runs along with an OpenSim viewer.
• So users can use Discord for voice while in OpenSim.
• A group might want to maintain a server for regular use by its members.
• The text chat feature would encourage more and faster communication.
• Educators might not like its promotion as a connection for gamers.
• Ask discord questions

Skype

• Most web-savvy people have Skype and are familiar with it.
• It is not designed for group meetings and is not easy to use for that purpose.
• I work with one group that has a board meeting in Skype.
• It works, but only because some participants keep track of Skype changes.
• I would not recommend Skype for larger groups.

Quick trip to a web-world

• You visit a web-world with a click on a web link.
• No download.  No install.  No registration.
• You can enter as a guest by entering a name and choosing an avatar.
• People who don't enter a destination will all go to the same place.
• People can talk by clicking on a mic graphic near the bottom of the page. 
• To move forward, you click on the screen and then use the up arrow key.
• In 3DWebWorldz everyone will come to the orientation center.  
• That center has displays to tell you how to go places and do things. 
• But you can stay and hold your meeting if no one else is there.
• In CybaLOUNGE people may want to get instructions from here:
• What guests can do in Cybalounge and how. Tutorial

Cybalounge login panel

• The login panel above shows how to find public rooms.
• Use any public room in Cybalounge. 
• Or get your own free room by registering.  No cost as yet.
• You can then equip the room with web links or other resources:  
• Cybalounge is ready for virtual worlders to use: Tutorials and suggestions

Plan B for grids

• Commercial grids may want  to set up a plan for backup voice.
• Voice alternatives may not offer lip movement and green waves.
• But they could offer connection to people not inworld.  
• Grid owner's viewpoint:  Marketing and product differentiation.

Discord in the viewer

• Could be offered as an independent option in a customized viewer.

FreeSWITCH

• FreeSWITCH:  "...a scalable open source cross-platform telephony platform..."
• FreeSWITCH has been used with OpenSim in the MOSES project.
• FreeSWITCH is currently used in CybaLOUNGE, a web-world.

Mumble

• Mumble "is an open source, low-latency, high quality voice chat software primarily intended for use while gaming."