What is Clubhouse?
It is an audio chat app only for iOS users launched in April 2020 by Paul Davison and Rohan Seth. Clubhouse app technology runs on Agora.io’s platform. Agora.io provides building blocks to add real-time voice and video communications through a simple and powerful SDK. Integrate with Agora SDK enable real-time communications in your own application quickly. - Agora.io
Clubhouse grew significantly in popularity after Elon Musk was interviewed by the GOOD TIME club in January 2021. Good Time is a conversation hosted by Sriram Krishnan and Aarthi Ramamurthy. In addition to Elon Musk, they have also invited other famous people to participate in their conversations such as Mark Zuckerberg, Vlad Tenev and more. - TechCrunch
With Clubhouse, you can join conversation created by others in variety of topics and even voice your own opinion if any. It’s also the time for you to listen to famous people or celebrity conversation and even speak with them directly.
Does it available for Android users?
It’s currently available for iOS so android users has to wait as the developer claiming that the android version is coming soon.
How to join Clubhouse?
You can only get into clubhouse with an invite from existing users. After sign up you can select your topic of interests. Based on your interest, clubhouse will follow some people for you, some of them might be celebrity. It might also recommend some conversation rooms for you to join.
How to share conversation?
When you tap on the suggested rooms on top of the main screen, you can see who’s the speaker of the discussion. Here you can share it to social media, tweet it, copy links to other social media platforms or add the conversation to the calendar.
How to invite other to Clubhouse?
If you let Clubhouse to access your contact it will suggest contact that already join Clubhouse or even invite someone in your contact to join Clubhouse.
What can you do when joining a conversation?
When you join the conversation, the top part would be showing the speakers in the room. Some speaker might have the muted microphone beside their name as they had mute their voice. The people underneath is the people followed by the speakers.
The last part would be the people in the room. From the bottom toolbar, the ‘+’ sign indicate that you can ping or add someone into the room. The hand button indicate that you can raise your questions during the conversation. The speakers will then decide whether to allow you to speak and move you to the speaker section. You can also leave the room if you are occupied by tapping on the leave quietly on the left bottom corner.
How to start your own conversation?
Tap on ‘Start a room’ on center of the main screen. There would be 3 options to choose where it can be open to everyone, to people you follow only, or to specific individual in Clubhouse. After setting the accessibility of the conversation, you can start to add the topic of the conversation. It can be any topic as you like. Last, add the participant of your choice to the room if it’s a private room.
Grey round circle around profile picture means that you are talking in the room. You can also open your room to everyone later if you change your mind. You can check who have raised their hand by tapping on the hand icon. Tapping on ‘+’ sign indicate you can ping or add someone to the room. You can also mute your voice by tapping on the microphone. Close your room by tapping on leave quietly and end the room.
The privacy issue of Clubhouse
The application creates shadow profiles of people who have never used the application before but are in the contacts of people using it. Shadow profile means profile for non-users which not yet sign up in Clubhouse.
In addition Clubhouse records conversations in private rooms. It claims that it is a temporary recordings and use for incident investigation purpose if any. If there is no incident, the recording will get deleted once the room end. - India Today
So in conclusion, it really depends on you whether want to use Clubhouse as I trust that most of the app has its own security issues. I just hope that Clubhouse can improve their users privacy level. It’s important for users to felt secure and comfortable while joining the conversation.
