Blab is a public broadcasting system.

Comparing it to Skype (a private tool) is just lazy.

How are the two even comparable? Because they both have video?

Skype is for private communication. You use it to call your aunt overseas.

Blab is a public broadcasting system. You use it to broadcast your opinions to the masses.

Skype gives you a digital phone. Blab gives you a digital stage.

That’s like comparing a tiger to a carpet because they both have fur.

Two different tools, two different purposes.

So what is Blab’s purpose?

To give everyone the power to push a button & broadcast their opinions.

Over the past 10 years, the world has moved from “mass media”, to “media of the masses”.

Before, we had professionals (TV, Radio, Newspapers) broadcast to the mass public.

Now, everyone can broadcast to each other. With no central authority deciding who gets a voice.

Blogs did it with Text. Podcasts did it with Audio. Blab & Periscope going to do it with Video.

For an example, look no further than what you did here! You came to medium, and could voice your opinion about Blab! Medium is ablogging platform that let’s anyone share their 2c.

Is Medium the first blogging platform? Is it totally revolutionary?

No of course not. Ev Williams borrowed pieces that worked from Twitter (eg. Tagging), Blogger (turnkey publishing), and more modern platforms in order to create a new, and better overall experience.

The counter-intuitive part about building products is that you don’t need to re-invent everything. Small tweaks can make a huge difference.

So let’s be specific

What are some examples of small changes that make a big difference?

Periscope/Youtube is you, talking to a camera. Blab is you, talking to other people. People are much more comfortable talking to other people, than they are talking to a camera. Having multiple seats as the default turned it into a dialogue, not a monologue. A conversation, not a selfie.

Twitch is focused on gaming. I would not go to Twitch to share my opinions about politics, sports, news etc…The community is 95%+ gamers.

Skype/Hangouts are private. Blab is public. Big difference

Hangouts on Air has no discovery. Like most Google products, it isn’t social. I can’t go into a “cooking” section and find great broadcasts about cooking. It’s a tool, without a network. That means that you have to already have a big following to succeed. Most people don’t have a big following already.

-shaan