I was looking forward to watching my fellow Chicagoan Oprah Winfrey using Skype for communications on her ambitious Webcast. I signed up at Oprah.com. I was good to go.

Oprah's project features spiritual teacher and best-selling author Eckhart Tolle on an interactive classroom Oprah.com. The 10-week program discusses Tolle’s "A New Earth: Get Ready To Be Awakened." I was ready to be reawakened.

Skype, along with GM's Chevrolet division and Post-It Notes, is sponsoring the Webcast. With over 750,000 registrants, and about a half million who showed up, this well could be, to quote Oprah, the world's largest classroom.

Oprah explains it all at Skype Campaigns.

Oprah's star power attracted 750,000 registrants from 139 countries, from Albania to Zimbabwe, and all 50 states.

The Webcast was a big deal for Skype. It was an introduction to a mainstream Oprah audience to the wonders of Skype High Quality video call and instant messaging. Picture your Grandma or Aunt Nellie calling you on Skype.

On the Webcast, viewers could pose questions on a video call via Skype. And they would use Skype’s chat feature to discuss the book. Sounds like a plan.

It started off great. But then the image of a Skype videoconference froze on my screen. I heard that loads of other people were having the same problem. Ouch.

These things do happen. I saw Bill Gates introduce Windows 98 in Chicago in front of a huge audience at McCormick Place. Microsoft’s slogan was: “Windows 98 gets you where you want to be.” Only it didn’t. Bill was showing “the Blue Screen of Death.” Like I said, these things happen.

The Oprah people explained that internet congestion was causing some problems. Good news: They said we could come back and watch the Webcast on Oprah.com or download the podcast on Oprah.com or iTunes.

Let me know what you thought about Skype’s use on Oprah Webcast.

Meanwhile, I can’t wait to download the podcasts and find the path to enlightenment. My iPod touch awaits.