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Chris Ridgeon, a 2008 Graduate from Coventry University has started a new Internet venture business and website InternetShout.com. The idea is a new way of communicating online, nicknamed ‘Vocal Networking’. InternetShout.com is a fully voice based discussion forum for anyone to discuss any topic and chat with others.

Chris, aged 22, came up with the new concept of a voice based forum and community nearly three years ago and has been working on it in his spare time whilst completing a Software Engineering degree and running a part time website design business to fund himself. Internet Shout has been built completely from scratch and it is the world’s first ever purpose-built voice based forum. Users of this site can listen to existing conversations, start a new conversation or participate with an existing one by recording a sound clip directly on the website.

The project’s creator, Chris Ridgeon commented on the concept, “I sat down about 3 years ago and tried to think of ‘the next big thing online’. I realised voice has only been exploited for live chat and yet it is far more useful if we let conversations build up over time, with many participants from different backgrounds and locations”. The website is structured similarly to traditional online forums but all discussion is conducted in voice.

This new site boasts additional features such as private voice messaging, for chat and discussion with friends separate from the public forum, social networking features to meet new friends and a notification system to keep up with your favourite discussions.

When coming up with the idea, Chris recognised a responsibility to protect younger users. A comprehensive moderation system has been included where anyone on the site can report content they think could be potentially offensive. Once reported, the site’s moderators can choose to censor the post or discussion from younger listeners or delete it completely. Additionally, young users will automatically not receive private messages from other users unless they have first approved them as a ‘friend’.

InternetShout.com has also incorporated a dedicated ‘Music Arena’ section of the site where unsigned bands can upload their music tracks and get heard by anyone world wide.

InternetShout.com is completely free to use and Chris is looking to secure advertising deals with companies who wish to get exposure on this new and original Internet platform. “The site has fantastic advertising potential as there are an infinite number of subjects to discuss and I believe businesses will want to target this.”

Chris has teamed up with Derby based Internet Provider Node4 to enable the website to deliver high quality voice directly to its user’s computers. The site can run from any broadband Internet connection worldwide.

Commenting on the launch, founder Chris Ridgeon said: ‘I am delighted to finally see the site launched online and am eager to see people world-wide using and enjoying the site for discussion and entertainment. I have so much more planned for this site. A major step in development is features for the blind and visually impaired as I think this would enhance their Internet experience. This is just the beginning!’.

www.internetshout.com