Day 218: Facebook Video Chat Altering The Face Of Illness

                                                                           Me introducing friends at my Mad Hatter Tea Party

It’s HERE.  Have you seen it? Do you know?

If not, let me be the first to tell you: Facebook now offers the ability to do video calls online. 
Can you imagine how this might impact the world of chronic illness?

• Envision being able to talk to your favorite friends face to face...without separate, complicated setups, phone bills, or scrambling for numbers.

• Picture attending parties/virtual gatherings (like Wendy's doing above, only without the hassle--this was done via Skype, but it took A LOT of coordination).

• Up again with insomnia (Chronic Lyme or otherwise)?  Meet the people you’ve been laughing and joking with 'til 5:00am (Bonus: They're already in your address book).

• Sick, housebound, or bedbound?  Get connected with just the push of a button (perfect when fingers don’t cooperate, phones are hard to hold, you're technically challenged, or you want company, but can’t get up to clean the living room).
  
  
• Educate others on rashes, equipment, and other good stuff without posting 20 photos or leaving the comfort of your recliner.
  
  

AMAZING!!!


Best of all, creating a video call has NEVER been easier...

1.  First, enable chat on your Facebook page. To do this, scroll down to the bottom left side of your screen (below News, Messages, Events, Friends, Groups, Apps, Ads) until you see this icon:

2.  Then, click go online. This will open a separate chat window to show who’s available to talk (friends with a green square are available, friends with a grey square might be available, friends with no icon are unavailable).

3.  To call a friend, select their photo and click the video icon found on the top right of their chat window (Note: If you have not yet used video chat, this will prompt a one-time set up to connect you...just follow the prompts).

4.  When they answer, start talking.  Or, if nobody answers, leave a video message. To do this, look into the camera, click the record message button, click “allow FB to access your camera and microphone” and close.  Then push the red button to start and the white button to stop).

NOTE: For a list of Frequently Asked Questions (system requirements, set up, etc), go here.  Yes, you will need a microphone (built in to most lap tops) and preferably a webcam (although you can still talk with no video feed).




HAPPY CHATTING!!!

Altered Today: What shut-ins everywhere should be talking about.

Comments

[Laina]

That's pretty awesome, I might have to give it a try.

[Debbie Semarge]

So very cool!!