XPost: comp.databases, comp.lang.c++, comp.lang   
   From: bret@infowest.com   
      
   How about a forum where the initial author of a thread is the moderator for   
   that thread?   
      
   Seems to me that would be the single-most useful way to control (in-thread)   
   flame wars, and massive divergance from the original topic and other (very   
   common) nonsense.   
      
   Matt wrote:   
   >   
   > Any progammers looking for a killer app to develop? How about a voice   
   > enabled forum?   
   >   
   > One of the most powerful, exciting, and engrossing experiences on the   
   > Internet is the Forum.  The first great Internet forums were the   
   > Usenet newsgroups.  Usenet is still a powerful force, but many   
   > different types of forums are also very popular (such as message   
   > boards like Vbulliten and XMBforum).   
   >   
   > I love forums.  Love em love em love em.  My web site has a great one.   
   > But I think the time has come for an important and breakthrough   
   > evolutionary advance in Internet Forums.  I will describe the idea to   
   > you, and I hope you will take the idea and run with it.  Create this   
   > product.  Develop it.  Make millions of dollars.  I offer this idea to   
   > you-because I am not a programmer-and I want this to be made.   
   >   
   > The idea is pretty simple.  Any fairly savvy application developer   
   > with some skills in MySQL should be able to do this.  Whoever does it   
   > right will make a lot of money.   
   >   
   > I want someone to simply improve upon the Internet forum technology.   
   >   
   > The amazing power of a forum is that you can walk into a forum and   
   > have a conversation.  You can ask a question and get insightful,   
   > funny, and interesting answers.  You can then reply and have a   
   > dialogue.  You can do all this at your own pace, your own convenience.   
   > You can ignore people who don't interest you and you can be as patient   
   > as you want in replying.  It is a wonderful thing.  And the time has   
   > come to liberate this experience from the necessity of a keyboard and   
   > full powered computer.  The technology is here, we just need to take   
   > advantage of it.   
   >   
   > This is what I want.   
   >   
   > I want to be able at any time of day, whether driving my car, or doing   
   > dishes, or hiking through the woods -to ask a question of the world.   
   > I don't want to have to find a computer, go to the website or   
   > newsreader, and type up my question.  I want to just be able to say   
   > outloud, "What is the fastest any human has ever travelled?" or "What   
   > the heck does a county commisioner do?"...and I want my question, an   
   > mp3 recording of my actual voice, immediately posted in a forum.  And   
   > then I want to receive responses-but not responses i have to go sit   
   > down and read.  I want to hear the responses, in the voices of those   
   > listening to my question.   
   >   
   > Imagine, you could be driving in your car...and you have a question.   
   > You simply say out loud, "Post this question:  Can anyone give me more   
   > details about the Xbox2?  Or "Can anyone tell me real quick how to   
   > make tomatoe soup?"  Or while reading a history book...you could say   
   > outloud, "Post this question:  "Was Wyatt Earp a real person?"   
   > Whatever you are interested in.  For whatever reason you communicate   
   > with people in Forums, you could do it-but simply with your voice-at   
   > any time anywhere.   
   >   
   > After you post a question, you might hear a little beep in a few   
   > minutes letting you know you have responses.  Then you could just say   
   > out loud "Play replies" and the replies would start to play-not in a   
   > computer voice but in the actual voice of the people answering   
   > you-because they would be using the same technology.   
   >   
   > With this type of voice message board-you could have engaging,   
   > interesting, convenient, and fairly natural conversations over the   
   > Internet.  The experience could be liberated from sitting at a   
   > computer-and it would be enhanced by being able to hear human   
   > voices-rather than reading text.  You could have all the fun and   
   > convenience of natural conversation-but enhanced through the reach and   
   > expertise and convenience available over the Internet.   
   >   
   > That is the concept.  It may seem daunting, but the technology already   
   > exists and is available.  All this idea requires is a MySQL based   
   > message board (such as the XMB Forum) and a pretty basic client side   
   > application.  The SQL database could store all the voice messages in   
   > mp3 format.  The client side application would run on a pocketpc phone   
   > or palm phone.All this application would need to do is   
   >   
   > 1) interface with the MySQL database (the message board).  Be able to   
   > upload and download the mp3 files in the appropriate thread-and play   
   > them on demand.   
   >   
   > 2) encode into mp3 format as people recorded their posts.   
   >   
   > 3) This part is optional, but would be the ultimate addition:  be able   
   > to recognize some simple voice commands such as "Record"  "Post"   
   > "Replay" "Skip" "Next" "Back".   
   >   
   > Thats it.  If you can program or hack MySQL and make pocketpc Apps,   
   > then you can make this amazing voice enabled internet forum.   
   >   
   > Limitations:   
   > Bandwidth for moble internet access is an obvious limitation.  But   
   > remember, voice forums will be just as fun and convenient on desktop   
   > computers and where high bandwidth is available.   
   >   
   > Webstorage.  Voice messages will be much bigger.  The MySQL database   
   > will grow fast.  But hey, it will be so fun, I think users will be   
   > willing to pay the message board host a little to help cover storage   
   > costs.  Another alternative is to delete or archive all messages after   
   > 3 days-limiting discussions to fairly current threads.   
   >   
   > Ok thats it.  I know this will arrive someday.  But why not sooner   
   > rather than later?  Any programmers out there interested in a little   
   > project like this?  If so, go for it.  Make millions.  I maintain no   
   > copywrites on this idea.  But if you are going to run with this idea,   
   > please just let me know so I can use the forum  on my website.   
   >   
   > The best way for this to be developed is through an open source   
   > project.  Anyone who wants to collaborate on this project with other   
   > programmers feel free to post on my website to make contacts.  Or just   
   > go for it if you already know how to do something like this.  Good   
   > luck.  I look forward to hearing all about it!   
   >   
   > Go here to find other people to help collaborate on this project:   
   > http://www.thesearchforwisdom.com/community/boards/viewthread.php?tid=104   
   >   
   > Submitted by Matt Ready   
   > http://www.wisdomproject.net   
      
   --   
   Bret Pehrson   
   mailto:bret@infowest.com   
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