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3 Things the 3rd G+ Healthcare Hangout Taught Me

Yesterday marked the third installment of the Google+ Healthcare Hangout Bobby Rettew, Ed Bennett, and myself have hosted. This is also the first one that included several new people who really helped us test how this would work in the short term. Here  is what I figured out:

  1. I need to get better at moderating – If you plan to host on of these you have to approach it as a show, someone has to be the moderator. I realized just how important an agenda is (thanks Bobby for setting up) and how a moderator has to help guide the group though it.
  2. Be careful who and how you promote the hangout – At this point there are no moderation tools. You can not kick someone out of the hangout for instance. This became clear as we had a spammer join us yesterday and proceed to broadcast inappropriate content (you get the picture.) Google has to do a better job of regulating this and providing tools to help, but in the short term be careful who you broadcast your hangout to. I have now created a Healthcare Hangout circle to promote to and not provide this as “public.” Now sure how much this will help, but it can not hurt.
  3. It is still just a new technology – In the end this is new and we will get better. I am sure new features are coming and with the introduction of business accounts I am sure enterprise features will follow.

I am interested to hear lessons learned from others who have spent time “hanging out.”

The next G+ Healthcare Hangout will be August 8th @ 4pm/EST. Looking forward to seeing you there.

– Reed

Author Info

Reed Smith

7 Responses

  1. Twitted by stales says:
    August 2, 2011 at 6:24 pm

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  2. Dan says:
    August 3, 2011 at 4:15 pm

    Thanks for leading out to figure out the wrinkles on this, Reed. Keep up the great posts!

    • Reed Smith says:
      August 3, 2011 at 5:28 pm

      Thanks Dan! It has been fun to play with. We will see where it goes from here. We are keeping them on a regular basis and planning on each Monday at 4pm/EST, hope you can join us.

  3. Diana Lee says:
    August 4, 2011 at 4:34 pm

    Is this open to anyone who wants to participate?

  4. My current workspace recommendations | iamreedsmith says:
    September 7, 2011 at 6:33 pm

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