
Video conferencing without the video - calchris42
https://medium.com/@chris_82106/video-conferencing-without-the-video-6330ee1b1e3e#.8kjep0set
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zamfi
One thing I'd add to this: being able to pretend you're someone else.

This concept brings the old "on the internet, nobody knows you're a dog" idea
[1] to video conferencing too, which could be extremely useful in some
situations.

For example, imagine the target of harassment or persecution being able to
express emotions visually without revealing identity. Or someone in witness
protection. Or an undercover journalist in a compromising situation.

Of course, on the flip side, this tech could be used for evil too.

[1]:
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_the_Internet,_nobody_knows_...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_the_Internet,_nobody_knows_you're_a_dog)

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cdvonstinkpot
This idea was touched upon in 'Black Mirror':

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifteen_Million_Merits](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fifteen_Million_Merits)

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calchris42
Cool. Looks like that is on Netflix, so will have to check it out.

Do they make the idea look promising? Or really dumb?

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cdvonstinkpot
Neither. People take it for granted that every interaction is an avatar.

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zamfi
Interesting. I wonder to what extent people already do that online with text
communication.

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calchris42
Author here. This post is about an idea we're considering implementing. Would
greatly appreciate the feedback of HN community. Thanks!

I'll be around for any questions or discussion.

