Latest headlines: Joel Rollins on the many types of people who join a videoconferencing call, plus news from Sony, Extron, AVer and more
February 18, 2021 | Volume: 12 | Issue: 4
Y’all ever joined a Zoom call, only to forget that your background is incredibly a wreck — and you also forgot to put a virtual background on? This is your support group. I have accidentally joined calls with the following:
Me, with my hair still up in a towel.
My roommate in her pajamas in the background.
My hamper overflowing with dirty clothes in the background.
A box of wine on the counter behind me. (Yes, a box. They are usually a very fair price at Target.)
An MP4 of a scene from “Twilight” as my virtual background (that I had added as a joke with some friends and then forgot to take off before a work call the next day).
So, if you ever feel like you do not have it together in the videoconferencing space, join the club! On the bright side, working with me is never dull. And at least I haven’t accidentally joined anything as a cat — or a potato.
On that note, I implore you to check out the column from Joel Rollins. He eloquently names the many tropes of the people who join these calls. I’m a little scared of what he would call me.
Finally, check out new columnist on the block Michael Katz’s article about what he learned hosting over 30 virtual sessions with his friends and colleagues.
Oh, and there are plenty of new product releases and updates to keep you interested as well. Have a great rest of the week, and sign up for LAVNCH WEEK 4.0 — see you in May!
Every environment has its own homegrown bugs, and videoconferencing is no different. Whether you are running the meeting, or simply sitting still, hoping your RAF (Resting Attentive Face) has convinced the meeting organizer you are paying attention, it’s a good idea to know the creatures that are waiting for you in the virtual meeting biosphere.
I had 12 years of experience with videoconferencing, and had already set up my “global command center” (see attached photo) in my home office with dedicated FIOS 75/75 megabit-per-second bandwidth, along with my own Pexip VMR license and a global contact list. So, I thought a good use of time would be to set up weekly 30-minute VMR sessions. The purpose is to provide my contacts with valuable information including the logistics of working from home.