Virtual HWC
Virtual HWC is an online Homebrew Website Club for IndieWebbers who either can’t make a regular meeting or don’t yet have critical mass to host one in their area.
The first virtual meet-up was organised by 
Chris Aldrich and 
David Shanske on December 14, 2016 on Pacific Time. On May 31, 2017, another virtual meet-up was organised by 
Jeena Paradies, 
Martijn van der Ven, and Peter Molnar for people on Central European Time.
The virtual meet-up on Central European Time is trying to become regular.
Platforms
Below are some online platforms and software solutions that have been used (or are considered) for virtual meet-ups. Please contribute if you have positive or negative experiences with any of these!
Google Hangouts
Hangouts was used for the virtual meet-ups on Pacific Time.
Pros
- Hangouts On Air allows streaming the meet-up to YouTube, creating an archive.
Cons
- Requires the use of Google Accounts.
Talky
Talky was used for the virtual meet-ups on Central European Time.
Pros
- Works directly from modern browsers without set-up (through WebRTC).
- Ability to share your screen for demos.
Cons
- P2P technology means relatively high data usage.
Mumble
Mumble is being looked into as a viable platform for future virtual meet-ups.
Pros
- Native clients available for most systems.
- Very low data usage.
- Third-party browser client available.
Cons
- Audio only. No webcam or stream sharing.
- Requires a server hosted or rented by the organiser.
Notes
- Jonas Herzig’s open-source mumble-web can be used in a browser, taking away the need for native clients. It requires a custom proxy in front of the mumble server set-up and will thus not work with all servers out-of-the-box.
- GuildBit offers free temporary servers on demand, with a choice of region, and might be a good option for impromptu meet-ups.
Discord
Discord is being looked into as a viable platform for future virtual meet-ups.
Pros
- Both native and web clients available.
- Useable without registering an account beforehand.
Cons
- Audio only. No webcam or screen sharing.
- Creates a Slack like environment with multiple text and audio rooms that need navigating.
See Also
