Scribblar

[[image:scribblar.jpg link="@http://www.scribblar.com/"]]
Scribblar is a free online interactive whiteboard tool that lends itself well to collaboration.

**Strengths**

 * Super easy to sign up for a free account (literally takes seconds to do so)
 * Synchronous tool
 * Can upload images to the whiteboard
 * Can save an image of the white board for notes or future use
 * Text Chat
 * Live audio
 * Basic, so fairly easy to use.
 * No downloading
 * Can invite anyone to your room
 * Anyone can be a participant (or guest) in your room, but they must create a name before they enter (they do not have to create an account to do this)
 * You can create as many rooms as you like.
 * You can allow users to download what you upload.
 * Works in all browsers.
 * Scribblar can take a screen shot of a website for you to use in a presentation.
 * You can embed a room you create into a website, such as a blog.
 * You can lock images so that they cannot be modified (or moved).
 * No private chat (participants cannot have side conversations within Scribblar)
 * You can create and draw various shapes.
 * You can control if you want the room published onto the Scribblar website or not.
 * There is a demo room for you to try: SCRIBBLAR DEMO ROOM
 * You can create multiple pages (or whiteboards) within one room.
 * Participants can also text chat and audio chat to the rest of the room.
 * You can insert backgrounds to your pages.
 * You can promote guests to have drawing privileges.

**Weaknesses**

 * Professional account costs money ($99/month)
 * In the Pro-account you can personalize your room with a logo and color scheme.
 * When drawing it seems "laggy" or slow
 * No support or FAQ on the website (yet)
 * Must have the images you want to upload saves to your computer first
 * Uploaded material must be: *.jpg *.gif *.png *.pdf *.smb
 * When you upload a pdf file only the first 5 pages will be converted and uploaded within the room on various "pages"
 * If you do not allow everyone to come in as a moderator (or participant with greater privileges) you can't changes your setting while in the room.
 * When a participant is only granted limited participant privileges they can't draw, change pages, or react with the content presented.
 * Audio isn't limited to one person at a time. So anyone can talk at anytime, even simultaneously.
 * You cannot undo a background, when it is applied to a page.
 * "Locking" a room doesn't seem to do anything, but you can't undo it while the room is in session.

**Opportunities**

 * This can be used as a tutoring tool.
 * Brainstorming Online
 * Good for evaluations of materials.
 * Could be a nonthreatening way to conference with students, parents, or hold portfolio evaluations.
 * The website has a feedback section, so you can review it and you can see what the creators of Scribblar are working on or are developing in order to make the resource better.

**Threats**

 * It is the room creator's responsibility to ensure that all content uploaded is lawful.
 * Anyone can also invite anyone to the room.
 * Participants can manipulate the assets (the documents and materials that are uploaded), meaning they can delete or create background images for various pages. This could mean that while a teacher is teaching, a student could delete the images the instructor plans to upload (permanently) and the student could also change the presentation for everyone else by inserting background images (that are undo-able).

Feel free to explore the tool and add your own!