So this person adds me as a contact on ooVoo of all places. I just figured ’she’ was another one of my Twitter contacts that found me there.  Today she started a text chat with me on ooVoo, introducing herself as Brena.  She said she worked for Unicef.

Well the chat progressed and we were making small talk about our jobs, where we live and how are days were.  Then she wants to go to IM since she has no camera.  I should have realized something was up then.  My Twitter buds are too smart to join something like ooVoo with no web cam.

Anyway, so we go to Yahoo chat. (i’ll shorten the story from here.) So then the next thing I know she’s sending me an email to my Yahoo account.  Which she insisted I check for it.  While I’m checking the mailbox, she starts telling me she’s really not in the US, but over seas in West Africa somewhere.  Working of course.  (I’d so figured it out this was a scam by this point.)

So I got the email and it’s four pictures of some blond woman.  Semi provocative but all were clothed though.  Safe for kids eyes.  But what the heck? Sending me those  types of pictures was certainly not invited.  Then it comes. She asked me about banking.  When I said that was none of her business, her come back was that I just didn’t understand her need.  She was in need and stuck in Africa.

While she chatted at me, I was busy blocking and removing her from my contacts.  The last one was on ooVoo, only because I’m slow, and after we got cut off otherwise, she sent one last message there.  Asking me why I dropped her.  Needless to say, blocked now there too.

I’m telling you because this is the first direct person to person scam I’ve had someone try on me over the internet.  Yeah, I was a scam virgin, but it was oddly voyeuristic on my part.  It was like watching some strange animal try to feed through some strange ritual.  I almost felt a pang at letting this critter go without poking and prodding it too see just what made it tick.

Well, perhaps another time.  But for you, watch for someone named Brena(something) and be wary of her ‘friendship’.  May all of your online friends at least be friendly.

So they gave us these fancy new toys and left us to play.  I’ve already highlighted a few of the cool things people have done so far, such as a live music jam on Yahoo! Live and myooVooday.com.  But those are just the tip of the iceberg.  Here are my top 10 suggestions for more fun and interesting things to do with multiuser video chat.

1.  Improv Comedy

2.  Sci-Fi Panel Discussion

3.  Small Class Teaching

4.  Book Club

5.  Writer’s Critique Group

6.  Family Time

7.  Limited Access Interviews

8.  PC Help

9.  Learn sign language

10. Reenact Monty Python Skits

So what’s your list of top suggestions for multiuser video chat?  Share one or two?

Or how to have a good time and never leave your chair.

Let’s see..one night was ooVoo night with @annOhio of Twitter fame. Let us just say that certain hijinks were had and much laughter was involved.

Then there was the evening with Yahoo Live Jam session with @spin, @technosailor and @geekgirltv, and more. That was held here.

Today there was even more ooVoo fun with Connie Reece and Susan Reynolds talking about social media and general silliness.

So you see, you can have a cheery good time without going very far. Oh, there were other chit chats and such, but video ruled the weekend online.

Check out ooVoo and Yahoo! Live for yourself. Let me know when you’re on and I’ll join you.

Topping offing my evening with ooVoo was worth it.  Chris Cree,  AnnOhio and I managed to get a quick chat together of the face to face sort.  ooVoo enabled us to not only hear each but see as well, allowing us to express ourselves not just by sound by physically as well.

ooVoo isn’t really breaking ground with the idea of video chat, that said, they are definitely making it straightforward.  It’s as easy as clicking the call button, and as easy as hitting invite to grow your chat.  The platform appears to work well across both Mac and PC, and supports a variety of cameras and microphones.

I’ll be putting it through it’s paces in the near future and you can too at the upcoming my ooVoo day with event.

I encourage you to visit ooVoo.com and give it a try.

My ooVoo Day With is a week-long experiment in blogger to fan interaction. Rock star bloggers from across the ’sphere will host interactive conversations on hot topics, facilitated by the multi-person video chat technology from our friends at ooVoo. Get face-to-face with your favorites and move beyond the post-comment-post world.

Check out ooVoo.com.