GoToMeeting - pros & cons

Deb Wisniewski
Deb Wisniewski
@deb-wisniewski
10 years ago
140 posts

Hey all my techy pals -

Have any of you used GoToMeeting? An organization I'm affiliated with is considering using it. Pros & cons?

Any input is gratefully received...

Deb


updated by @deb-wisniewski: 10/24/16 06:19:00PM
Rodney Rutherford
Rodney Rutherford
@rodney-rutherford
10 years ago
2 posts

I haven't used GoToMeeting in ages, mostly because I use Google Hangouts instead (for work...plus my team at work runs the servers for it...!), so I don't know what the pros/cons of GoToMeeting might be...but I should probably take the time to check it out just to see what it looks like these days.

Dan Duncan
Dan Duncan
@dan-duncan
10 years ago
12 posts

Deb, I have used it a lot in the past and I think it works well. When I was CTK, I did webinar all of the time with it and there were never any problems. My only problem with it now is that it is a bit expensive for me, which is why I use Anymeeting.

Best,

Dan

Deb Wisniewski
Deb Wisniewski
@deb-wisniewski
10 years ago
140 posts

Can you record your hangout for later viewing/sharing?

Deb Wisniewski
Deb Wisniewski
@deb-wisniewski
10 years ago
140 posts

This organization is checking out the costs via TechSoup - seems like they can get a decent price on it... Do you like Anymeeting? any problems with it?

Dan Duncan
Dan Duncan
@dan-duncan
10 years ago
12 posts

Deb, if they can afford GTM I think is has more features and a better support base. But Anymeeting works fine for me. The free version has ads which is distracting, so you do have to buy a paid version.

Best,

Dan

Jim Moynihan
Jim Moynihan
@jim-moynihan
10 years ago
6 posts

Hi Deb ...

I have participated in many GoToMeeting meetings but have never hosted one. I suggest that you contact Tonya Nichols from Meet the Need for her opinion. She uses it often and may be able to guide you. Her email is:tnichols@meettheneed.org

Rodney Rutherford
Rodney Rutherford
@rodney-rutherford
10 years ago
2 posts

It's very easy to record it as part of a publicly viewable broadcast (calledHangouts On Air). Recording a private meeting at this point is a bit more convoluted.

Julie Filapek
Julie Filapek
@julie-filapek
10 years ago
0 posts

I have used it quite a bit to get help from fundraising software technical support. I find it very useful for that kind of thing.

Magdalena Valderrama Hurwitz
Magdalena Valderrama Hurwitz
@magdalena-valderrama-hurwitz
10 years ago
29 posts

I agree with what everyone's said so far about GoToMeeting being good enough and expensive and Google Hangouts working including recording. It depends on how big the meeting is, for one thing, and what the meeting is for.

Google and Skype can work fine for up to 10 people in terms of everyone being able to see and hear each other and share screens, too. After that number, you have to turn off the video. I have worked with folks on a remote island in Fiji, and I'm in California and in that case even with only 3 people we decided to turn off the video because it was hanging up the rest of the call.

StartMeeting is another option. People have the option to call or computer in, and it's much cheaper than GTM, plus even on a phone call you can have breakout discussions. Posting visuals is available with a paid account, but is limited to the main "room".

Sococo will allow you to share screens in any room and you get a sense of the intimacy that comes with being in an actual room, but I think this works best for organizations and not random community participants. I'd love to see if anyone can experiment with that idea though. For a different group I'm working with, we are toying with the idea of having a public comment section to our meetings and wondering how that might affect how our entire community uses the Sococo space.

Deb Wisniewski
Deb Wisniewski
@deb-wisniewski
10 years ago
140 posts

You folks are fabulous! thanks for all the feedback and insights you've shared...

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