For my friends and colleagues, I have a full tutorial on how to set this up. Contact me if you are interested.

Google Hangout can be used for a public panel discussion, and be streamed live to YouTube. It is called, "Hangouts On Air." When done, the event is available as a YouTube movie. Until very recently, this privilege was granted only to very popular Google+ (G+) users. That restriction seems to be removed. I've been following the development of 'Hangouts On Air'... this is my first experience with the service. I think it has great utility for impromptu and timely pubic events. If the participants are equipped, this can be set up very quickly. Google provides its sites for free (with ads).

Panel participants require their own Google+ account (free as part of a gmail account). Google+ is similar to FaceBook, but has much better features. It lacks only the user-base.

• Here is what gear works (essential prep for any video conference participation, not just Hangout)
- everyone requires a good web cam (most laptop built-in cams are not satisfactory). Used here is a Logitech C910.
- everyone on the panel has a good headset. This is really important. One person using poor built-in laptop gear will mess up the whole event. The headset must have a good boom microphone and an earpiece that will allow hearing the conversation without causing echo. Used here is a Plantronics (probably Blackwire).
- good connection to the Internet.

I see that, while the event is public, it is possible to use one of these privacy settings:
- Public (I'm leaving this one 'public'
- Unlisted
- Private

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