Website Review: Seesmic.com
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What Parents Should Know
Parents need to know that Seesmic lets users record and
upload videos via webcam or cell phone so they can have "video
conversations" (blog-style -- not in real time). Users can post
videos publicly or send them to friends and can delete their
own videos. Most users are adults, and the community is
friendly. However, the site is in its early stages and is still
figuring out how to deal with the occasional rude or obscene
video -- the topic is up for discussion in the community -- so
users may stumble upon some unsavory stuff. The terms of
service prohibit nudity and harassment, but there are no
guidelines about other sexual content or profanity. The vast
majority of videos are clean, though.
Families can talk about potential drawbacks of posting videos online. Would teens feel uncomfortable knowing that thousands of people can see them? How do you know what's OK to post and what's not? Families can also talk about online communities. How do you know if you can trust someone enough to make them your "friend"? How would you deal with someone who's rude or offensive?
Common Sense Media Review
People who want to be seen as well as heard online are
heading over to SEESMIC.COM, a new Web site/application
dedicated to "video conversations." Users can record short
videos on Seesmic or a cell phone and upload them to the site,
either starting their own thread of discussion or responding to
an existing thread. Videos are posted to a public timeline that
constantly refreshes, with the most active threads singled out.
Users can befriend other users, send them private videos, and
follow their posts on a "friends" timeline. Seesmic can also
broadcast videos to blogs and social sites like
Twitter,
and is available in English, French, Chinese, Japanese, and
Spanish.
Seesmic is a neat twist on the microblogging trend -- video gives the added dimension of showing a diverse array of faces and personalities. There's plenty of idle chatter, but there are also serious discussions about topics like green living and gay marriage, many of which are sparked by Seesmic-produced video segments. The site has a simple, user-friendly design, and a helpful introductory video walks new visitors through the basics. Like many of its microblogging contemporaries, Seesmic is a great place to visit -- but just maybe not for kids.
Other microblogging sites include Twitter.com and Plurk.com.
Common Sense Media is a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing information to help parents make media and entertainment choices for their families.
