The Lotus DevCon Webcasts introduced the option of listening to just the audio of different sessions, which is pretty cool. I would love to be able to record the audio portion of the Webcasts in MP3 format so I could download it to my Diamond Rio 500 digital audio player. That way, I could listen to sessions on the way to or from work or while exercising. Yes, I know that's extremely geeky. Let me know if any of you have any ideas about how to do this.

You can record the audio from Webcast sessions to a cassette tape or MiniDisc recorder if you hook up a cable from the headphone jack of your computer to the microphone jack of the recorder. RadioShack has a decent cable for this at http://www.radioshack.com/ProductCatalog/ProductDetail/Index/1,2098,CTLG_1_4202420,00.html. If you want more information about how to record other Web audio (besides Webcasts) onto portable devices, check out a company called Voquette at http://www.voquette.com.

Continuing my wish list, I'd absolutely love the option to make the video bigger. As I mentioned earlier, it's very frustrating when trying to see some of the live demos because the video is simply too small. If it were possible to connect at an even higher bandwidth and then be able to resize the video it would be great. Or maybe, as I mentioned earlier, there could be attached ScreenCams that would help people viewing through the Webcasts to understand what's going on.

I'd also like the option of using RealPlayer instead of having to use Microsoft Media Player embedded in a Web page.

Some things to be sure and check out
Once you subscribe to the Webcasts, I would definitely suggest you check out sessions about the following topics:

• QuickPlace: This is one of the hottest products going. My mind was racing with ideas after I saw the improvements that have been incorporated in version 2.0.

• Domino Workflow: My first reaction when seeing this was, "Duh, why haven't I been using this product?" I know how to code workflow processes manually, but why do I need to?

• Sametime: The day when real-time audio and video is an everyday part of our lives is definitely coming. Don't let the revolution pass you by.

• Raven: No, don't think about Edgar Allan Poe. Think about a deeper-level of knowledge sharing than anything you now know.

You've also definitely got to watch the opening session. A few of the highlights are described elsewhere in this issue of DominoPower in John Roling's report from DevCon 2000.

Conclusion
You can get more information about the Webcasts by going straight to the Lotus Webcast site at http://registration.lotusphere.com. There you can sign up to view the opening session for free, as well.

It all comes down to whether or not you think you're worth it. I don't think there's much question about the value of the sessions if you're a Lotus professional or you want to become one. There's more to learn now than ever, and you need to use whatever tools you can to help you get a leg up on the competition, or even just to help keep your head above water. The knowledge is out there for the taking: Will you sink or swim?

Senior Technical Editor Dan Velasco is a Web Developer at IDG Global Communications in San Mateo, CA. He is also an R4 and R5 CLP Principal Application Developer and an R5 CLP System Administrator. You can reach him via email at dvelasco@dominopower.com or on the Web at http://dan.velasco.com.