Dabbling with Periscope

This week, many of our readings have discussed mobile technologies in conjunction with libraries. In the spirit of innovation, I decided to embark on an exploration of one of the new, trendy social media apps getting a decent amount of buzz these days—Periscope. 

This app allows users to cast live feeds of video to followers and the world. Viewers of the cast can interact simultaneously with the broadcaster in two ways. First, there is a "heart" icon that can be tapped that works as real-time applause, showering the broadcaster with digital love on both broadcaster and viewer ends. Moreover, there is a chat box at the bottom of the screen that allows viewers to communicate with the broadcaster. The messages scroll up from the bottom of the cast, can be seen by all viewers and the broadcaster, and fade within seconds of being posted allowing for a constant flow and contemporaneous interaction. 

I was intrigued, so I decided to dive in as a viewer. The first feed I viewed was of a balcony sunset in some non-descript beach location. A vacationing couple was sharing their outlook of beautiful mountains, beach, and surf. I tapped the "heart" icon a few times and moved on. The next feed took me to approximately third row of a Chicago White Sox game. The video was during play and was close enough I could see the action at home plate. I commented for the broadcaster to "Heckle Jose Abreu for me." The broadcaster read my comment, laughed, and said "no way"—seems she was a White Sox fan. The final feed I viewed was from a concert of The Pixies. The feed was bounced and jostled from within the crowd, but I could make out Black Franics' unique vocals and silhouette on stage. 

Ultimately, these experiences were pretty surreal. But it's undeniable that this could be a very powerful medium moving forward. Clearly, there are copyright issues involved with some of these feeds (I'm looking at you unauthorized broadcast of Major League Baseball). In the library world, Periscope could be used to broadcast lectures, programs, or any manner of activities—all live and throughout the world. That’s serious connectivity. It will be interesting to see how this technology develops.