About 10 weeks ago I received an invitation to open a Helpout space in this new service Google says it is launching.  The other day, I finally followed the links and here is what`s happening.

Google is creating a marketplace connecting consumers to providers of the kinds of help that can be delivered over video conference.  Screen and file sharing are built in.   Apparently it will function as an adjunct to our presence in Google+.

The Helpout offer I built I called `Hi Tec Reality Check` and I offered it for free, feeling like this is an interesting alternative to going out and buying coffee for a prospective client.  The `ad` if you want to call it that, included the ability to record a short video self introduction.

Not all Helpouts will be free, and I expect that the economics of this will be enhanced by access to Google Wallet.

Finally worth noting, because I asked — the Helpout control panel will enable marking blocks of time into your Google calendar where clients can `book` a meeting. 

I hope the adoption rate among those invited is high enough for this product to make it to launch.