# Video conferencing and webinar teardown: coding notes (codebook v2.0, collected September 26, 2026)

The published codes are reader codes (coded_v2/). The rules-based first pass in coded/ is kept for reference only.

## Collection

All 100 ChatGPT tasks and 100 Google tasks were posted and fetched through the DataForSEO standard queue between about 8:15 and 8:30 PM US Mountain time on September 26, 2026 (the raw files carry UTC timestamps, early September 27). Zero failed tasks, no retries. Raw responses are saved exactly as returned.

## Coding method and agreement

- Every answer was coded by two independent AI readers (Claude), each working blind from the published protocol (READER_PROTOCOL_v2.md): one code per brand per answer, picked, recommended, listed, passing, anchor or not a mention. Where the two disagreed, a third AI reader decided. No person coded or hand-checked these answers.
- The two readers coded 404 brand codes and agreed on 401 (99.3 percent) across the six codes, and on all 404 (100 percent) at the broad level, where picked and recommended count together.
- The third reader decided 3 codes, all picked versus recommended, and decided picked each time:
  - q009 "most popular video conferencing software", Zoom: first place in the answer's own popularity ranking.
  - q034 "zoom vs webex", Webex: "For Cisco-heavy enterprises: Webex can make more sense" read as the head-to-head's choice for that case. Zoom in the same answer is recommended (described for ordinary external meetings) but not picked, so this head-to-head picks one side.
  - q038 "google meet vs jitsi", Jitsi: "Open-source: Jitsi, decisively" read as the verdict for that case. Google Meet is described for work meetings, not picked.
- The rules-based first pass (codebook v1.5, coded/) matched the final broad code 67.3 percent of the time; a later rule set (v1.6) matched 93.3 percent. Source: gold2/CODED_V2_SUMMARY.md.

## Judgment calls that matter in this category

- **Suite fit lines.** Many answers carry lines like "Already on Microsoft 365 → Teams" or "Already on Google Workspace → Meet". Inside a "how I'd shortlist" or "which should you choose" section the readers code these as picks. The same fit written as a label in a catalog ("Microsoft Teams: best if you already use Microsoft 365") is recommended, not picked. That is why Microsoft Teams (53 recommended, 41 picked) and Google Meet (48, 35) have the largest recommended-minus-picked gaps: in all 12 Teams answers and 11 of the 13 Meet answers in that gap, the readers' stated reason is a Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace (Gmail, Classroom) fit.
- **Short names.** Answers name Microsoft Teams or Google Meet in full once and then pick with "Teams" or "Meet". The readers code the brand by its strongest use anywhere in the answer, so these short-name picks count.
- **"Teams" as an ordinary word.** Five table cells begin with the word "Teams" meaning groups of people (q006, q019, q037, q044, q069). Both readers coded these not a mention.
- **Integrations are passing.** In q036 "zoom vs goto meeting", Slack and Microsoft Teams appear only as integrations in one table cell; both readers coded them passing.
- **Suite components are passing.** Google Meet named as a part of Google Workspace or Google Chat (q062, q068, q074) or as the thing a self-hosted tool replaces (q006) is passing.
- **Price lines.** Lines such as "Cheapest paid: Microsoft Teams Essentials" or "For longer free meetings: Microsoft Teams Free" under a recommendations heading are coded picked; they account for several of the Teams picks whose line does not mention Microsoft 365.
- **No-verdict answers.** Eight answers pick nothing: q027, q029, q036, q040, q062, q064, q065, q097. Seven assign brands to cases without choosing; q097 (enterprise with 5,000 employees) is a single sentence naming three contenders, coded listed.
- **Alternatives.** On the 20 alternative questions the product named in the question is the anchor, whatever the answer says about it. Skype is therefore coded only as the anchor of q080.

## Reader-added brands

Six brand mentions were not matched by any alias and were added by both readers (12 codes, as counted in CODED_V2_SUMMARY.md):
- Google Meet named only as "Meet": q006 (as the thing a self-hosted tool replaces), q062, q068 (as part of Google Workspace), q074 (as part of Google Chat); all passing.
- GoTo Meeting: q002 ("GoTo meetings" table row, best fit for smaller businesses) and q076 (a goto.com table row, best for sales calls); both recommended.

## Dictionary notes that still apply

- One change after collection, before coding: Microsoft Teams gained the case-sensitive alias "Teams". Under reader coding the alias only decides which brands are put in front of the readers as candidates; the ordinary-word hits are coded not a mention (above). DICTIONARY_CHANGES.md records the change; brands_original.csv is the dictionary as drafted.
- A bare "Meet" alias was not added, because "Jitsi Meet" and "Webex Meet" would match it. The readers credit Google Meet where the answer means it.
- Case-sensitive aliases (capitalized only): Whereby, Slack, Discord, Teams.
- Folded product lines: Zoom (Workplace, Meetings, Webinars, Events, Rooms; Zoom for Healthcare is caught by the alias "zoom"); Microsoft Teams (Premium and Rooms; Teams Essentials is caught by "Teams"); Webex (Cisco Webex, Meetings, Webinars); Zoho Meeting includes Zoho Webinar. GoTo Meeting and GoTo Webinar are separate brands on one domain, goto.com.
- google.com, microsoft.com, apple.com and amazon.com count as first-party for Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, FaceTime and Amazon Chime, so every citation of those registrable domains (support.google.com, learn.microsoft.com and so on) is a first-party citation.
- Out-of-dictionary check: no outside brand is named in 5 or more answers (eWebinar 4; Signal, Element, LiveKit, TherapyNotes 3 each). Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 are suites, not meeting products, and stay out of the dictionary.
- Retired products kept in the dictionary (Skype, BlueJeans, Hopin, Amazon Chime) are never named, except Skype as the subject of "skype alternatives" (q080), where the answer notes its May 5, 2025 retirement.
- Citation figures do not depend on the coding and are unchanged from the first pass.