On February 4, I received an SMS: “Hey Blaise, I have an invite to Clubhouse and want you to join…”, accompanied by a note: “It’s a 100% audio network, you should like it.”
When it is a journalist friend for the French-speaking Swiss radio station who sends him, moreover a media specialist and one of the most beautiful voices in the house, it can only titillate my curiosity.
Clubhouse, what is it?
Imagine radio shows broadcast live on the internet (and therefore the whole world). On your iPhone (exclusively for the moment), you can consult the program and join those which are being broadcast (nothing is recorded). It is then possible to add future programming to your diary so as not to miss the one that interests you.
The big thing here is being able to participate in the discussion. As in a public conference, we politely raise our hand (with a click) to ask to go up on the “stage” (a space located at the front of the room). As soon as one of the organizers validates his request, we will take a seat alongside the speakers. The dialogue can start as soon as its microphone is activated (with another click).
Strictly speaking, it is more of a round table format than a conference. Note that there is no obligation to participate; one can very well remain silent at the back of the class.
So that’s what Clubhouse is: a kind of free radio in the internet age, a podcast live and participatory.
Adrenaline
From their sofa, some will feel the adrenaline rush of speaking in front of an audience of a hundred people. While others will prefer to vibrate by smashing zombies on their PlayStation. During confinement, everyone chooses their way of shivering.
Let’s face it, it’s quite exhilarating to come and compare your ideas with other specialists in your favorite fields. Even if some come to bring back their strawberries in all the rooms, like those toutologues that we see on all the TV shows. Fortunately, they usually don’t last long; impostors are quickly confronted with opponents here, which is not the case on a one-sided media like Youtube. On Clubhouse, it is better to know what you are talking about and know your subject well, otherwise you will quickly pass for a charlot.
Those who master eloquence and who have repartee will navigate the Clubhouse like fish in water. But for us Swiss, it’s a bit complicated culturally.
What about overflows? The network is self-managing in a rather miraculous way thanks to mechanisms of co-option and notification of abuse by members. Verbal slippages are suddenly infrequent. The word boat on the network is benevolence; let’s hope she survives the opening of the Clubhouse doors (which is currently a closed app, accessible by invitation only).
Curiosity
To spot value in Clubhouse, I had to show a little curiosity; starting by finding the right people to follow, those capable of stimulating me intellectually. Some are honey for the ears, and ultimately whatever they may cause.
I appreciate people who have the ability to take me away from my usual centers of interest, to get out of my bubble. It is often better to ignore your circle of acquaintances, because most of the time (still) will be inactive on the network. Better to go in search of new sources of inspiration. To start well, I recommend to also follow “clubs”, groups of users around a given topic.
In a few weeks on Clubhouse, I learned a lot of new things and discovered some extraordinary personalities. Is it a time consuming activity? Not necessarily, because like the radio you can do other activities at the same time. It is often with a distracted ear at first that I enter the network, giving way to the charm of serendipity; when the best can suddenly happen.
Slow down
The use of speech as the only mode of communication forces us to slow down. Thus, it is impossible to listen and interact in time-lapse, as we have too often become accustomed to reading, diagonally. Clubhouse is a network that goes against the grain, favoring slowness, even length (some conferences stretch over several hours).
I recommend that newcomers come and discover the platform at the ends of the day and during the lunch break. As on the radio, these are the hours when there is the most activity.
So, of course, there are gray areas such as the endless question of the use of our data. According to the rumor which circulates between its walls, all that is told there would be transcribed for a possible use for purposes of advertising targeting. But who is really fooled? We know very well that when it’s free … our word is worth gold, no lessone billion.
Some examples of conferences (rooms) on Clubhouse:
8,000 people present in this room to listen to Mark Zuckerberg:
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