Participate

About 100 people from around the world participated in the CyPosium, with as many as 70 online at a time. All that was needed was a standard web browser with the Flash player plugin and broadband internet connection (and perhaps also an alarm clock!). On the day – 12 October 2012 – the public went to the schedule page and clicked “ENTER” at the cor­rect time to enter the presentation they wanted to attend.

Important information was sent to a mailing list before and during the CyPosium, and this list was also the location for discussions that continue beyond the event.

how did it work?

Most of the presentations and all of the end-of-block discussions took place in an online platform called Waterwheel Tap. This was accessed using a web browser by following these steps:

  • go to the CyPosium schedule page
  • click “ENTER” at the cor­rect time to enter the presentation you want to attend (use the time con­verter link to find your local time)
  • an introduction page for the Tap interface will load in your browser window
  • click “ENTER” at the top right of this page
  • you can enter a name – your own name or a nickname
  • ensure you have your computer’s volume turned up (you may wish to use headphones).

A few of the presentations used platforms other than the Tap, specifically UpStage, Icecast and Second Life; these were all accessible via a web browser, with links from the schedule page. The CyPosium organisers helped people to move between platforms.

how can I ask a question?

There were short Q&A (question and answer) sessions at the end of each presentation, and a discussion at the end of each block of three presentations. To comment or ask a question, the public typed into the text input field below the chat window; members of the CyPosium organising team facilitated and moderated the discussion between presenters and participants to ensure that everyone’s voice was heard. The stage manager answered technical questions in the chat.

technical tips

The following tips were given in case of technical difficulties:

  • reload the web page
  • if that doesn’t work, quit and restart your browser
  • for more assistance, there was be a live chat monitored throughout the CyPosium
  • the Tap did not work on iPads or tablets as it required Flash, which they do not support
  • if you are behind a firewall, the port 1935 has to be open for the Tap to work.

UpStage also requires the Flash Player plugin, and if you are connecting from an institutional network there may be a firewall that will block access. Click here for more information about firewall ports.