Lecture me, please
New video site encourages informed debate
Where to find it: FORA.tv
– http://fora.tv/
Who runs the site: The site was founded by Brian Gruber, who now
serves as the CEO. Gruber worked as a marketing executive for a
variety of media outlets, including C-SPAN, before he decided to
launch FORA.tv with the help of such agencies and universities as
the Aspen Institute, the World Affairs Council, the Chautauqua
Institution, the Commonwealth Club and American University.
Lecture me, please
New video site encourages informed debate
Where to find it: FORA.tv – http://fora.tv/
Who runs the site: The site was founded by Brian Gruber, who now serves as the CEO. Gruber worked as a marketing executive for a variety of media outlets, including C-SPAN, before he decided to launch FORA.tv with the help of such agencies and universities as the Aspen Institute, the World Affairs Council, the Chautauqua Institution, the Commonwealth Club and American University.
Who is likely to use the site: Anyone who wants to be in the know about some of the hottest of the hot button issues in the world – and who want the information unfiltered through other media outlets. This is YouTube for intellectuals.
Pros: Anyone who has spent any time on a college campus knows how many guest lecturers come to even the smallest of campuses each year. And it would be nearly impossible to hear all the great speakers at the colleges just in the greater Bay Area, let alone around the world.
FORA.tv collects many of these lectures – produced by freelancers – and posts them on the site where people can view them and then have discussions with other viewers. Topics range from politics to business and culture, and there is probably something for everyone. A quick look through the site offered videos from the 2008 presidential campaign trail, a funny outtake from a book signing by comedian Ian Michael Black, and a university lecture by neuroscientist Oliver Sacks on his latest book about the brain and music. The cool thing is users can post comments and start a dialogue with others interested in the topic.
The longer lectures are broken down into chapters, so it is easy to skip other things, like a really boring introduction by a college dean. The site also has tabs along the top with many topics that make it easy to find what users are looking for.
Cons: For those who didn’t like lecture classes in college, this site is very academic. In addition, since the videos are produced by different outlets and freelance producers the sound and video quality varies a bit. Most are okay, if a bit amateurish.
