For several years now I've wanted to implement a real-time conference on the Internet for film/TV educators, scholars, and students. Something like SCREEN-L, but *live* and *immediate*. Just recently I came across some new software that may help facilitate that: Conference Room. Without getting too deeply into the nuts and bolts of it, let me explain that this software allows users to enter into live chats (typing messages back-and-forth) using either 1. Their Web browsers (though they must be Java-capable) or 2. IRC (Internet Relay Chat) clients. (And these browsers/clients operate on all manner of computers: Mac, Windows, Unix, mainframe, etc.) Kate Bowles (U of Wollongong, Australia) and others with an interest in the potential of real-time conferences have been using CR's capabilities to chat about chat--to discuss what sort of discussions might spin off from SCREEN-L into what we've dubbed: SCREENchat If you're interested in exploring this with us, you are invited to join the discussion next week: 8:00 p.m., Monday, July 15, Central Daylight Time 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, July 16, Wollongong, Australia, Time We'd like to make SCREENchat as international a gathering as possible, though time differences may make this difficult. If you're unable to join us at the above time, but have comments to make about real-time film/TV conferences, please e-mail me personally and I'll include your comments in our chat next week. To join us, or to test out SCREENchat at any time: 1. Point your Java-capable Web browser (e.g., Netscape Navigator 2.0) to: http://www.tcf.ua.edu/SCREENchat.htm 2. Point your IRC client (e.g., mIRC--which is freeware) to irc.tcf.ua.edu then enter the #SCREENchat channel. "Talk" to you next week. ---- Jeremy Butler SCREEN-L/SCREENsite coordinator mailto:[log in to unmask] SCREENsite: http://www.sa.ua.edu/SCREENsite/ Telecommunication & Film/University of Alabama/Tuscaloosa ---- To signoff SCREEN-L, e-mail [log in to unmask] and put SIGNOFF SCREEN-L in the message. Problems? Contact [log in to unmask]