Welcome to this week's edition of "Grassroots.org Tool of the Week": our growing list of tech tool reviews from Mike Mann's Web Development Best Practices. Check the archives for our previous reviews, and come back next week for more insight on the web’s best tools for nonprofits.
What kind of service is Dimdim?
Started in 2006, Dimdim is a free, open source tool for real-time Web meetings and conferences. Dimdim allows presenters to show rich media: pictures, powerpoints, PDFs, screens, and video to audiences over the internet. Neither Dimdim presenters nor presentees are required to install software on their computers to attend and host web meetings. Attending a meeting is as easy as clicking a link at a scheduled time and waiting for the session to begin. The free version of Dimdim allows 20 participants per meeting. Meeting participants can see live video and the presenter's desktop while hearing multiple voices over IP. Dimdim also includes a free teleconference service, a whiteboard for participants to draw and collaborate, and an instant message chat feature. Both presenter and attendee can share audio and video.
How have we used Dimdim at Grassroots.org?
Grassroots.org staff has used Dimdim to conduct our live Webinar series for our members. During these online seminars we make frequent use of the chat feature, allowing participants to ask questions without interrupting the presentation.
Why should nonprofits use Dimdim?
Because it's free, easy to use and easy to customize. If nonprofits use Dimdim, they have no need for a complicated desktop client and meeting participants do not need to download software. Dimdim has very reliable customer service which includes forums, bug reporting, tracking and 24/7 crisis support.
How can my organization sign up for Dimdim?
The standard version of Dimdim is available for free. You can sign up here. The updated Dimdim Pro allows 50 users and is available for $19/month. Webinar hosting for up to 100 users is available for $75/month.
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