Will Video and Audio Help Clean Up the Web?

The web, we've been told, is a place where all of the normal real-world signs to let you know that someone is sketchy or creepy don't exist. On the web, you can't see their facial expressions to know if they're fibbing, you can't see how they're dressed, and you don't get the gestures and body language that might say, "Now this is a person I can trust."

But the web is changing really fast. Many parents and educators worry about the new technologies like video and audio because they're afraid the web will become an even more compelling place for the wrong type of people than it is already. But think about it! These new technologies will bring a new accountability and honesty to the web. Video and audio will provide two more sensory clues to help you authenticate your conversation. They will let you go beyond just trusting a person's keystrokes. You'll be able to see and hear. And that's a big deal.

Take eBay as an example. It bought Skype, a technology that lets you place a voice call over the Internet, and is working on a plan to incorporate Skype into the auction process. Now imagine you're about to bid on something but can't really decide if the transaction is on the up and up. Until now about all you had to go on was the seller's rating by other buyers. Or, at best, you could send a few email questions. It was something, but not much. With Skype integration, you'll be able to dial a number and have an immediate conversation as a part of the auction process. You can ask a few questions, verify a land address, and, with a webcam, see the person you're about to buy something from. I think it will inject a serious amount of confidence into the process.

The other day I spent some time on Paltalk—a chat room where hundreds of people gather at once. Despite the fact that they came to chat, because there was video and audio and you could see the people talking, the conversation seemed less offensive and less filled with sexual content and overtures than other chat rooms where all you do is type. (Paltalk does have an adult-rated area as well as the chat rooms I visited.)

Some people won't like a web that's filled with sight and sound. One of the amazing things about the Internet in its infancy was that you weren't encumbered by the way you looked or the way you sounded. All that mattered were your keystrokes—a look at the inner you. Many found this very liberating. Kids I know talk about how great it is not to be judged by how they look, only by what they say.

And some people will say, and not wrongly so, that there are just as many ways to fake and deceive with video and audio as there are with keystrokes. Me, I'm not naïve enough to think adding sound and video will eliminate problems, but things like identity fraud will be tougher to pull off on a web with audio and video.

The Internet has grown into a pretty big world, and one way for people to be more comfortable with the person they're sharing information with is to be able to see and hear them. I'm looking forward to seeing and hearing all of you (at least I think I am).

What about you? Do you think video and audio over the Internet will make things safer?