The Webinar Is Dead, Long Live The 21st Century Conference Call

Webinars are so 1998

Webinars are so 1998. We are in the second decade of the 21st century, so why would we be using something from way back then? Isn't it likely there are better options after all this time? Hasn't the Internet and your access to it evolved somewhat in the last dozen or more years?

Back when the webinar was a new, cool, cutting edge solution we were listening to audio cassettes and the miracle of VHS tapes allowed us to watch movies on our very own television sets. When was the last time you bought music on a cassette, and can you still actually purchase new video recordings on VHS?

At the same time, the benefits of connecting for business without leaving your desk have never been more important than they are today. You know what these critical advantages are or you would not be iterested in an online solution to your business challanges and you would not be reading this.

So, why are webinars dead? It's simple really, the cost and availability of technology has plummeted in the last decade, long distance calling is virtually free, and high speed Internet is available in every home and office.

Historically webinars were first and foremost manipulative. They required us to download and install some connectivity related software so that we could hear/see their material. While the download and installation process only takes a minute or two if it works as planned, does this make sense in today's online environment?

And is it even necessary? Why should we have to open up our computers to possible intrusions when we ought be able to get access to the information being presented by simply going to a regular web site like we do every day?

The old age webinars required us to register so we could get a unique password. That's really 1990's thinking. When we registered they had our contact information so they could do what? If the password was really unique we could not send it to a few of our colleagues who might also find the subject valuable.

No, they wanted everybody to register so they would have their private information. If you ever forwarded a unique password to an associate only to find out that it was not unique after all, you've learned that the webinar sponsors were liars. If they lied about something like that, are they the sort of people you'd trust to do business with or not?

Naturally if you lost the password or could not successfully download and install the software you were screwed. No matter how important the subject might be, you'd be locked out.

While these old time webinars, when everything worked as planned, offered the benefits of connecting you to vital information in real time - there were always costs, even for the free ones. In fact it was the free webinars that cost the most. They cost you your privacy, putting you on the email list of yet one more vendor.

by: Wayne Messick

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