BigBlueButton is a Free and Open Source video chat platform. As a chat server, it integrates with other platforms like WordPress and Canvas LMS as well as other software. BBB is a server that provides the chat functions and WordPress is the tool that allows editing of your room, but the editing is very limited.

Yes, BigBlueButton is encrypted and protects your privacy.

When the BigBlueButton client (window) loads, it makes data connections back to the BigBlueButton server using a web socket connection using encrypted HTTPS.

When BigBlueButton shares your audio, video, or screen, the browser uses the built-in web real-time communication (WebRTC) libraries that transmit real-time protocol packets (RTP) over user datagram protocol (UDP) via Datagram Transport Layer Security (see DTLS). Furthermore, to provide communications privacy for datagram protocols the media packets are encrypted using the Secure Real-Time Protocol. If you think you have found a security issue with BigBlueButton, we ask that you do a responsible disclosure and e-mail the BBB developers directly at: security .at. bigbluebutton .dot. org

They will respond to you quickly, work with you to examine the scope of the issue, and give priority to fixing it as soon as possible.

You will need to register, using an email address, to create a video chat room. Log in to CommunityBridge.com and create your room: You should see a black toolbar at the top of the screen with a link to +New - click to create your room. Add your Room name/title on the top and add your preferred description below the title. Your description may include images and media. BBB auto-generates the access codes for the moderator and viewer, however, you have the option to change the access codes NOTE* When setting the access codes/passwords to your room, use ONLY alphanumeric numbers, and letters, do not use any odd characters or punctuation. If you want to enable recording for the room, then select the Recordable checkbox. Your recordings will appear on your room entry page below the "Join" button. If you want the participants to wait until the moderator joins the Room, then check the Wait for Moderator box. Click *Publish, review the changes and then click Publish again, if things look good. *There is a two-step process to Publish your room. Once you have added a Title (Room name) you may optionally add text below the room name, as a descriptor for the room or for an event. You will be able to edit this text at anytime. You can open a new tab and edit while you are in a meeting in the other tab.Some find it helpful to post the event agenda on the room entry page. Thank you for choosing to protect your right to privacy and thereby protecting us all. More about Privacy and how fun it is to protect our friends and colleagues! Please see the FAQ for short answers on using the features of CommunityBridge and BigBlueButton. If you need help with setting up your room, please send a note to: realperson@communitybridge.com

Note: There are 2 access codes for your room, one for Moderators and one for Visitors. A Moderator has access to become a Presenter. The following three roles can be held in BigBlueButton: Visitor, Moderator or Presenter. The rights of these roles are hierarchically ordered and can be assigned dynamically in the meeting. by a Moderator clicking on a participant name in the list on the right. As the creator of a meeting, you are automatically assigned the role of Moderator. If no other people with Presenter rights are present, you are automatically assigned the role of Presenter. If you do not change the default settings of a room, other people will enter the room as Visitors - unless you specifically give them the Moderator access code/password. When setting the access codes/passwords to you room, use alphanumeric numbers and letters, do not use any odd characters or punctuation when setting your room access codes. The Presenter role is accessible to Moderators by clicking on the Plus sign + in the blue circle on the bottom left of screen.

Yes, there is an integrated Whiteboard that allows multiple people to draw and write. This is helpful for Math equations, drawing charts and diagrams as well as fun collaborative art! BBB allows the Moderator to assign or revoke individuals access to drawing on the board.

There is a Shared Live Notes/Etherpad for interactive group editing. The tab is to the left of the presentation window on the "Messages" tab. Everyone can help with the notes! There are multiple formats for saving the notes as text or PDF or a document - even HTML so you can easily post on a website.

Yes, the code is freely available on GitHub in the BigBlueButton Project

Yes, Shared Live Notes and Public Chat messages posted BEFORE you entered are available upon entry, unless an Admin has cleared the pad

Yes, if you are a site Admin or have the Presenter role, you can share and play a video that is hosted on Youtube, Vimeo, Twitch and Instructure media. You can also share a media file from a URL like this - https://example.com/joy.mp4 You can share media from your device's hard drive using the share screen button below the presentation window.. More sources are being added as development on BigBlueButton continues.

The Shared Live Notes/Etherpad and Public Chat messages will persist if you reload the browser.

Yes, BigBlueButton has integrated Live Polls with Interactive Polling options for voting. You can chose from a list of pre-configured Poll options, or you can create a custom Poll.

For a short time, uploaded Presentations, Shared Live Notes/Etherpad and Public Chat messages will persist if you choose “Leave Meeting” and the room will be cleared if you “End Meeting for All”

Yes, BBB allows multiple rooms open in multiple tabs. This is how the BreakOut rooms work also. Each BreakOut room you are in will be opened in a new browser tab.

Yes, you will find the Status selection when you click on YOUR name in the viewer list and you will see the status of others on their name square in the user list. If you are the Moderator, you will find the Status selection when you click on any name in the viewer list, even your own name . There are multiple options for Status: ‘Away’, ‘Hand Raised’, ‘Confused’, ‘Happy’, .etc This feature is good for taking a mood poll of attendees that is visible to all.

Yes, You can easily share the Presenter and Moderator roles with multiple people.

To share Moderator and Presenter roles, give people the room Moderator access code, or click on their name in the list of users on the left and select 'make moderator'.
To take the role of Presenter, click on the blue circle with the plus sign + below the presentation window on the left and select "Take Presenter".

No, BigBlueButton is Free Software that works in a browser on a computer or mobile phone. The BBB platform runs on a server and you will have to find a hosted instance of it if you want to run your own site like CommunityBridge.
To enter a room on the CommunityBridge server, all you need is the link to the room and you can enter and start chatting, there is nothing to download or install. BBB works on your phone or in a browser – no APP. You can download the code from GitHub and install an instance on your own webserver, but you do not need to do this to visit a chatroom. BigBlueButton Project

Yes, you can download the code from GitHub and install an instance on your own webserver. You can give the URL to your server for people to log in and chat - they will not need to download or install anything. It will work on their computer and phone in a browser. BigBlueButton Project

Your room has a permanent link defined by the room name. You can also choose to change that on the room edit page by typing in the option for a "permalink" in the sidebar on the right when you are in edit mode. Send this link to your friends along with the access code - you can find and change the access code when you are editing the room. *note each room has 2 access codes, one for Moderators and one for visitors. You can click on any participant name when in a room and set their access level right there!

Yes, There are settings for notifications and alerts when someone enters the room, or when someone posts in the Public Chat messages. You will also see their name show up on the left in the list of viewers.

You will see the name of the person talking at the top left of the presentation window and if they are using a webcam and it is turned on, their image will be highlighted.

Yes, you can change the overall font size for the interface in the settings menu, located on the top right of the presentation window, shown as three dots. This setting will only affect your view.

Yes, you can change the language for the interface in the settings menu, located on the top right of the presentation window, shown as three dots. This setting will only affect your view.

Yes, you can download Shared Notes and the Public Chat or export the text to several different formats including HTML for use on your website.

FREEDOM – BigBlueButton is Free and Open Source software. It respects your privacy.

Yes, you can create BreakOut Rooms by clicking on the little 'gear' above the list of viewers on the left. You can assign people to rooms by dragging their names, assign people to random rooms or let people choose a room. You will see Breakout rooms listed on the Messages tab under Shard Notes.

Yes!
You can use the breakout rooms for live Interpretation.

Using simultaneous interpretation across four languages. Interpreters will need headphones.

1. Open/enter a main ‘live room’ as the Admin and create three breakout rooms, one for each of the other three languages.
2. Each interpreter will need to have two browser tabs open - one in the live main room and one in the relevant interpretation breakout room.
3. Turn your microphone OFF in the main room and turn the headphones ON in the main room (source-language room)
4. Turn the microphone ON in the breakout room where participants will hear the interpretation.

* You will not be able to hear the participants in the breakout room when you are in the main room, but they can communicate by typing in the Public Chat or Shared Notes tabs. Participants in the breakout rooms can also post Public Chat messages to the main room to ask questions or make comments.

The first person in the list of names inside of the BreakOut room has the Admin privileges and they may share the role with others by clicking on the person's name in the list of viewers on the left.

If you are logged in as an Admin, you can allow viewers to use the Whiteboard together, select the icon on the Whiteboard toolbar that is under the trash can - When you do this, other viewers will see the toolbar appear on the right side of the presentation window.

Yes, if the room admin has enabled the 'Record' option, you will see a button at the top of the presentation window to start recording. You can start recording and it will continue until everyone leaves the room, or until you pause it. ***There is no Stop button, just pause. The recordings will be saved and will appear in a list of Presentations on the entry page of the chatroom. The text in the Public Chat will be displayed as part of the recorded presentation and the Shared Live Notes will also be displayed in the video as a tab so you can toggle between Shared Live Notes and the Public Chat. If you only want to record the webcams, you will have to change the room layout, see info below. Step by step instructions on recording: 1. Enter the room with the Moderator access code Be sure to select your microphone during the login process. 2. Start your webcam by clicking on the camera icon, below the presentation window. You can select or upload a background image and adjust the lighting if needed. 3. Click on the icon with the plus sign +, below the presentation window. 4. Choose Layout Settings Modal 5. Select Focus on video (webcams) 6. Turn on "Push Layout to all" 7. Click Confirm Ready to start recording? 8. Click the "Start Recording" button at top of the presentation window. The button should turn red and show a counter. 9. When done talking, or if you want to pause at anytime, click on the red button to PAUSE the recording. Click again to unpause and start recording from where you left off. 10. To save the recording, use the 3 dots on the top left of the presentation window and choose End Meeting. The video will take a while to compile. If your recording is 10 minutes long it may take 10-15 minutes or longer to compile and appear. The video compiles when you end meeting. It will appear as a link on the entry page of the room you recorded in, above the Join button. To save the video, right click on it while it is playing and choose to save.

This is a problem with how Apple hides camera permissions waaay inside the settings. See the fix - https://support.blindsidenetworks.com/hc/en-us/articles/360034998951-Mac-OS-Updates-BigBlueButton-Media-Permissions

The recordings will be saved on the server and will appear in a list of Presentations on the entry page of the chatroom they were recorded in.

People with video cameras turned on will be in the recording and any text in the Public Chat will be shown as part of the recorded presentation. Closed Captions will be displayed in the recording also. The text in the Public Chat will be displayed as part of the recorded presentation and the Shared Live Notes will also be displayed in the video as a tab so you can toggle between Shared Live Notes and the Public Chat.

Yes, you will find Closed Captions by clicking on the little gear above the viewer list on the left. Closed Captions can also be translated into several languages by using the inteface to choose the output language. Translated text will appear in another tab or an EtherPad on the left, above the viewer list.

Yes, if the room Admin has set the room to have the 'Wait for Moderator' option, you can access this feature by clicking on the little gear above the viewer list on the left.

Yes, you can go to the presentation link found on the room entry page and start viewing. Right click on the video to choose the download options.

You can go to the BigBlueButton issue queue and request a feature you would like to see. Be aware of the issue queue ettiquite and be sure to thoroughly search to make sure your suggestion has not already been posted! Also - be sure to add a thumps up on existing requests people have made, if you like them! This helps developers know what people want most. It does not guarantee it will be built. BigBlueButton Issue Queue

Yes, you can click on the blue circle with the plus sign + on the lower left of the presentation window to access the Upload Presentation feature. You can upload multiple presentations and the active one will have the green checkmark next to the filename in the list. You can upload documents, slides, images and .PDF files.

Navigate to the room where the recording was made and choose the one you wish to save. Play the recording and right click on it while it is playing. Choose to download and save to your hard drive.

Yes

CommunityBridge hosts a different BBB server that includes LiveStreaming to YouTube, FaceBook and a few other sites using Real-Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP)

Contact me if you are interested in this feature. micky at CommunityBridge.com

Yes. Open a folder on your hard drive where your images are located and select one to view in whatever image viewer that you normally use. Navigate back to the chatroom and choose "share screen" below the presentation window (you will need Admin privileges, or an Admin can give you privileges to share your screen) Then, select "Window" to share. Share the image viewer. You will now see that picture inside the chat room. Use your image viewer to cycle through or select images to share in the chatroom.

There are two ways to use audio with shared screen feature - 1. Disconnect from audio and choose Block - Do not allow, then reconnect audio and choose your INTERNAL microphone (usually called the Monitor mic) - NOTE* - You will not be able to speak in the room until you repeat the process and choose your EXTERNAL mic. 2. You can add an extension to your browser that will allow you to play a local video in a browser tab, and then share that browser tab with participants in the room. Without this extension, some devices may not play the audio and will only show the video. You can download the browser extension. When sharing audio, mute everyone for best results, or an echo may be present.

When you select the camera below the presentation window, you will see the image options to add a background that will appear behind you, You can change the background by selecting the camera again and choosing a different image. After your selection you will have the option to "Stop Sharing" by clicking the button, or to set the new background by closing the window using the X symbol.

Notes can be written on the Shared Notes pad on the left tab or pinned to the whiteboard, or converted to a presentation so you do not have to leave the chat. Access the Shared Notes pad by clicking on the small head and shoulders icon at top left of the presentation window. You can also post a document into the presentation window using the 3 dots on top of the shared notes pad.

Mac OS users will note, after updating to Catalina version 10.15 (or later), they will be prompted to allow all media permissions and in some cases set specific system preferences to make use of sharing microphone, webcam, or screen. Full details - https://support.bigbluebutton.org/hc/en-us/articles/1500005215781-Mac-OS-Updates-BigBlueButton-Media-Permissions

One nice feature of BBB is your room will be at a permanent URL. When you create a room, the link to your chat room will be sent to you in an email. The link is created from the website domain, communityBridge.com and the room name, with an added /bbb-room/ in the URL. A shorter link can be easily made by removing /bbb-room/ from the link you will send out. So the URL/link to your room would be changed from: http://communitybridge.com/bbb-room/your-room-name to become a shorter link: http://communitybridge.com/your-room-name Shorter links are much easier for people to remember. *NOTE: The Title/Room Name will automatically become part of the URL/address of your room. The "Room Name or Title" option will allow you to change your Room Name at any time, without changing the URL or link to your room. Under "settings" on the sidebar on the right choose permanent URL and set the permanent link to your room and then the TITLE (room name) can be changed independently of the URL/link..

Yes! If you want to give people a dial in number before a meeting starts, you must log into the room before the meeting to get the dial-in number. A phone number is assigned when the room is first entered. For security, a new number is generated each time the room is used. I usually log in an hour or so before a meeting, and then you can send the number in a meeting-reminder message. Of course, people can also easily get the dial-in number in the pop-up where they set their microphone preferences when they log into the chat. No need to do anything unless you want to give dial in number in advance.

CommunityBridge is hosted by Mayfirst.org and we are using WordPress as a front-end to allow you to create and edit your chat room. BBB is a server that provides the chat functions and WordPress is the tool that allows editing of your room, but the editing is very limited. When you login at http://communitybridge.com/login - you will be in our WordPress interface that allows you to create and edit your room.  When you are logged in, you will see the WordPress navigation toolbars on the top and on the right side of the page.  You should see a black toolbar at the top with a link to +New - click to create your rooms. If you have created multiple rooms, you can click on the link titled: "Rooms" in the sidebar on the right to see them all in a list.