PRP: Artefact4_online chat room

My previous artefact looked into the communication that occurs between people with varying knowledge of one another in a face-to-face scenario.

For Artefact 4 I am interested in how people are much more likely to talk to strangers online compared to face-to-face. Online communication provides a safer, more familiar environment, which can evoking more honesty and also interaction between people that may not know one another.

Currently meetings and an online forum have been set up to facilitate discussion concerning our course exhibition and limited involvement from many of the course members has proved to be an issue.

Combining both of these factors I am curious to see whether staging a exhibition meeting online would help this problem. I found Campfire through participating in a Chat Room set up by Erskine Design.

WHAT IS CAMPFIRE?
Campfire is a web-based group chat tool that lets you set up password-protected chat rooms in just seconds. Invite a client, colleague, or vendor to chat, collaborate, and make decisions. Link to a room on your intranet for internal communications.

Live image previews
Upload a GIF, JPG, or PNG, and it shows up right in the chat room.
(Quite handy when discussing catalogue and website designs)

Jump back in time
Read past chat transcripts anytime you want. Campfire keeps a history.
(This will allow me to analyse the communications that occur)

Basecamp integration
Use Campfire with Basecamp, the leading web-based project collaboration tool.

(If we were to Use BaseCamp this could encourage more participation)