Thomas Tales

As the traditional models of journalism fall apart, a new era of social media is seeing a surge in the number of tools available to publish and broadcast one's own news and views.

But just how reliable are the tools, and do they really allow a story or an opinion to be aired to an acceptable standard?

Following my introduction to Qik during the lecture on social media, I began experimenting straight away. The service gripped me immediately, but I was also quick to notice how the technology is definitely at the early stages of its life.

I decided to put the service to a test, and planned to stream Kate Adie as she arrived to discuss her new book this evening.

Here's the result:



It's certainly brief. In fact, I'm not sure Kate Adie even makes it into the shot.

The problem with Qik is that it's a creature ahead of its time. Unless you are in a stable mobile data environment (and when were you last in one of those?) or you're connected via WiFi, you're never going to be able to successfully stream from your mobile device to Qik.

It is inevitable that all areas of technology will not progress at the same rate, but Qik demands so much from a mobile phone that, in the end, the phone just can't cope and the streaming cuts out.

Let's put it in context: Qik is a genuinely useful and liberating service. But it's not something every mobile phone user can get on with easily (or even a few mobile phone users, for that matter). However, the major TV networks are already broadcasting via broadband, and using internet connections to link correspondents with presenters when a satellite truck is unavailable or impractical.

The power of broadcasting online is now available to everyone with the right hardware and mobile phone tariff, but meeting the demands that the technology places on one's personal resources means their true usefulness cannot yet be exploited by everyone who wants their own live stream.

Just incase I'm getting a reputation as a Doubting Thomas, here's a Qik stream from the pub that worked from start to finish. Why is it always the test that works, and never the big story?!