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Post by Hari Seldon on Mar 20, 2020 17:52:48 GMT
They forgot the snacker and the person with a cat that walks on the keyboard, but...
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Post by haxemon on Mar 20, 2020 18:40:21 GMT
WFH105 - Video Meetings WFH101 is not a perquisite to this course, but is recommended for those new to the WFH world. These are some tips for anyone who is new to video meetings or just virtual meetings in general. Again, these are general observations/ideas that won't apply to everyone. 1. Look at your own image. If you're planning (or required) to turn on your camera, it's worth looking at your own image. Not only do you want to check for spinach in your teeth etc. but depending on your camera set up you may want to adjust so you're not looking like one big forehead or giving everyone a view of your nose hairs. Keep in mind the lighting too. If you're working by the glow of your laptop then you might look like you're in a cave to people on the call. If you have your back to a window you might be backlit so nobody can really see you (and maybe that's just fine by you). 2. Speaking of backgrounds, don't forget anything else that's on camera. A blank wall is safe. Most apps will let you use a virtual background as well – though those are like green screens and can be worse than a blank wall. You might decide to set up a (real) background that humble brags about your high school track award or the books you've read. You can have a lot of fun with this actually depending on how much personality is appropriate for your job/role. Just be aware that people can see it. Probably best not to have dirty laundry or your vintage porn collection on camera though. Also keep in mind any open doors where your SO may walk by in their bathrobe (or worse). 3. Mute your line, please. Background noise is super painful and potentially embarrassing. I've heard it all from "angry typing" (you'd be amazed how loud typing sounds if you're using your laptop mic and keyboard) to people talking smack about other people on the call. Especially in the current situation, nobody's going to get upset over the odd barking dog or kid asking when lunch will be ready, but again the key here is awareness. Best to put yourself on mute when you're not actively talking or at least be aware when the mic is open. And if you’re hosting the call, you should be able to mute individuals directly if needed, which is better than interrupting with “can everyone please mute your lines?” 4. Test your microphone. The flipside of background noise is a microphone that doesn't work well. If you're new to WFH you might be relying on earbuds with a built in mic or you may have hastily been issued a headset. They all vary but it's worth testing it out with a 1:1 call with a colleague to make sure you'll be heard. And add “heavy breathing” to the list of undesirable background noises to avoid. 5. Don't be a Blair Witch. Even if you're not the person talking, someone might be watching your camera. If you're sitting on your couch with your laptop, not only is everyone probably getting flashbacks to an aunt or uncle reading them a story, but your camera is probably bouncing around every time you shift a little. That's probably fine for some meetings but not all. Even heavy typing at a desk can have your camera wobbling making it look like you're going through turbulence. And if you're going to move from the kitchen table to the counter (those kitchen chairs can be brutal) just know that anyone watching your camera is going along for the ride (and maybe getting a panoramic tour of your kitchen that you didn't intend). 6. Don't forget the camera is on. If you're going to multitask during a call, consider turning your camera off. Otherwise it can be all too obvious to the person presenting that you're not paying attention (or you can get caught rolling your eyes). Similarly, if you're eating lunch or need to blow your nose, it's generally acceptable to turn your camera off (and make sure you're on mute). Pro Tip: It can be fun to scroll through all the cameras to see what people are doing when they forget their camera is on. 7. Screen "over" sharing. If you will be presenting on a call or sharing your screen in any way, try to practice first. Some video conference software is better than others in this regard. But further to that, you may not want your entire audience to see your bookmarks, your desktop background, that folder labelled "NSFW" etc. Again it's about awareness. Take a look at what everyone will be seeing and maybe (temporarily of course) close the shieldinexile.freeforums.net tab in your browser - until after the presentation at least. Again, everyone and every job is different. I'm sure there are other good tips I didn't think of. |
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Post by DoTheMath on Mar 21, 2020 0:35:31 GMT
WFH105 - Video Meetings WFH101 is not a perquisite to this course, but is recommended for those new to the WFH world. These are some tips for anyone who is new to video meetings or just virtual meetings in general. Again, these are general observations/ideas that won't apply to everyone. 1. Look at your own image. If you're planning (or required) to turn on your camera, it's worth looking at your own image. Not only do you want to check for spinach in your teeth etc. but depending on your camera set up you may want to adjust so you're not looking like one big forehead or giving everyone a view of your nose hairs. Keep in mind the lighting too. If you're working by the glow of your laptop then you might look like you're in a cave to people on the call. If you have your back to a window you might be backlit so nobody can really see you (and maybe that's just fine by you). 2. Speaking of backgrounds, don't forget anything else that's on camera. A blank wall is safe. Most apps will let you use a virtual background as well – though those are like green screens and can be worse than a blank wall. You might decide to set up a (real) background that humble brags about your high school track award or the books you've read. You can have a lot of fun with this actually depending on how much personality is appropriate for your job/role. Just be aware that people can see it. Probably best not to have dirty laundry or your vintage porn collection on camera though. Also keep in mind any open doors where your SO may walk by in their bathrobe (or worse). 3. Mute your line, please. Background noise is super painful and potentially embarrassing. I've heard it all from "angry typing" (you'd be amazed how loud typing sounds if you're using your laptop mic and keyboard) to people talking smack about other people on the call. Especially in the current situation, nobody's going to get upset over the odd barking dog or kid asking when lunch will be ready, but again the key here is awareness. Best to put yourself on mute when you're not actively talking or at least be aware when the mic is open. And if you’re hosting the call, you should be able to mute individuals directly if needed, which is better than interrupting with “can everyone please mute your lines?” 4. Test your microphone. The flipside of background noise is a microphone that doesn't work well. If you're new to WFH you might be relying on earbuds with a built in mic or you may have hastily been issued a headset. They all vary but it's worth testing it out with a 1:1 call with a colleague to make sure you'll be heard. And add “heavy breathing” to the list of undesirable background noises to avoid. 5. Don't be a Blair Witch. Even if you're not the person talking, someone might be watching your camera. If you're sitting on your couch with your laptop, not only is everyone probably getting flashbacks to an aunt or uncle reading them a story, but your camera is probably bouncing around every time you shift a little. That's probably fine for some meetings but not all. Even heavy typing at a desk can have your camera wobbling making it look like you're going through turbulence. And if you're going to move from the kitchen table to the counter (those kitchen chairs can be brutal) just know that anyone watching your camera is going along for the ride (and maybe getting a panoramic tour of your kitchen that you didn't intend). 6. Don't forget the camera is on. If you're going to multitask during a call, consider turning your camera off. Otherwise it can be all too obvious to the person presenting that you're not paying attention (or you can get caught rolling your eyes). Similarly, if you're eating lunch or need to blow your nose, it's generally acceptable to turn your camera off (and make sure you're on mute). Pro Tip: It can be fun to scroll through all the cameras to see what people are doing when they forget their camera is on. 7. Screen "over" sharing. If you will be presenting on a call or sharing your screen in any way, try to practice first. Some video conference software is better than others in this regard. But further to that, you may not want your entire audience to see your bookmarks, your desktop background, that folder labelled "NSFW" etc. Again it's about awareness. Take a look at what everyone will be seeing and maybe (temporarily of course) close the shieldinexile.freeforums.net tab in your browser - until after the presentation at least. Again, everyone and every job is different. I'm sure there are other good tips I didn't think of. As I read through this, my mind's eye was watching an SNL type skit that needs to be done........ Good stuff; especially the stuff about paying attention to what's on your screen. I had college instructors show more than they wanted to when projecting their screens. And don't get me started about the stuff I've seen when doing remote tech support........ |
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Post by backroadjunkie on Mar 21, 2020 9:55:22 GMT
WFH105 - Video Meetings WFH101 is not a perquisite to this course, but is recommended for those new to the WFH world. These are some tips for anyone who is new to video meetings or just virtual meetings in general. Again, these are general observations/ideas that won't apply to everyone. <snip> Again, everyone and every job is different. I'm sure there are other good tips I didn't think of. Whenever I get a new laptop, one of the first things I do is put the sticky part of a post-it note over the camera. Then I never tell anyone I have the capability. 
Do people really video conference? Is there a need to see people?
I've been on plenty of conference calls, I don't think I've ever needed video. (Then too, I was in Computer Administration/Security which may have the least need for conferencing, since most, if not all activity is logged by e-mail. More important things were generally through a ticket system. Someone takes the ticket, fixes the problem, then checks it back in. The help desk would triage problems long before they'd escalate a problem to our group...)
Anyway, my best advice is, unless you're talking, mute yourself. Especially if you're going to cough in this environment. Heh. But keep all extraneous noise off the audio.
Another non-sequitur:
Thinking about it, so long as I've seen idiots some posts about Tangled (which was a pretty good movie, if you're looking for one) foretelling the virus, I should disclose I once owned a 1969 Toyota Corona. I wouldn't have said it was a virus, maybe closer to dysentery, so to speak. 1.8l i4 which made maybe 40 horsepower on a good day, drum brakes all around, and a two-speed toyo-glide transmission. That car made me hate carburetors to this day. Then too, I think I only got it for $100. It was, however, an excellent car to learn how to work on. Setting the timing, adjusting the carb, flushing the radiator, and all those other tasks that are now completely obsolete on a modern vehicle... |
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Post by haxemon on Mar 21, 2020 14:57:56 GMT
Do people really video conference? Is there a need to see people? I think it helps if they are people you work with often. In moderation of course, but it does help build better relationships I think. I know when my staff were all issued new laptops with built-in cameras the post-it notes come out pretty quick too. |
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Post by haxemon on Mar 21, 2020 14:59:51 GMT
As I read through this, my mind's eye was watching an SNL type skit that needs to be done........ Good stuff; especially the stuff about paying attention to what's on your screen. I had college instructors show more than they wanted to when projecting their screens. And don't get me started about the stuff I've seen when doing remote tech support........ Oldie but a goodie. |
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Post by Hari Seldon on Mar 21, 2020 19:09:25 GMT
Do people really video conference? Is there a need to see people? I think it helps if they are people you work with often. In moderation of course, but it does help build better relationships I think. I know when my staff were all issued new laptops with built-in cameras the post-it notes come out pretty quick too. |
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Post by DoTheMath on Mar 21, 2020 20:04:28 GMT
I think it helps if they are people you work with often. In moderation of course, but it does help build better relationships I think. I know when my staff were all issued new laptops with built-in cameras the post-it notes come out pretty quick too. Just disable the device in Device Manager..........  |
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Post by backroadjunkie on Mar 26, 2020 19:21:32 GMT
I think it helps if they are people you work with often. In moderation of course, but it does help build better relationships I think. I know when my staff were all issued new laptops with built-in cameras the post-it notes come out pretty quick too. Do what you can, with what you have, where you are. -- Theodore Roosevelt
I think the first time my laptop stared back at me, I was going to use nail polish or liquid paper to cover it up, but decided I might actually want to use the camera, so just used what I had available. 
It's my phone that scares me. |
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Post by backroadjunkie on Mar 26, 2020 19:23:40 GMT
Silly me. I use electrical tape since the area with the camera is black and it blends in. Just disable the device in Device Manager.......... The problem with this is, if I'm in your machine, I can turn it back on. Without the light, if there's an in-use led. I've yet to read a report of a hacker remotely removing a post-it note, though it may still be able to hear what the mic picks up. Maybe I'm just paranoid. Or maybe I've just been a sysadmin too long. |
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Post by backroadjunkie on Mar 26, 2020 19:37:55 GMT
I'm just wondering if it might be possible for S7 to air a little early since it's already canned and ready to go. Probably not, but one can dream, right?? I mean, some movies are being dropped early because of this whole situation. Part of me is still holding out some hope that S7 needs to be shown at a certain time, the same way certain Marvel Disney+ series has to be shown before certain movies (or so it's being said... ) |
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Post by DoTheMath on Mar 27, 2020 0:35:06 GMT
Just disable the device in Device Manager.......... The problem with this is, if I'm in your machine, I can turn it back on. Without the light, if there's an in-use led. I've yet to read a report of a hacker remotely removing a post-it note, though it may still be able to hear what the mic picks up. Maybe I'm just paranoid. Or maybe I've just been a sysadmin too long. Maybe a little of both..........  |
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Post by DoTheMath on Mar 28, 2020 2:16:21 GMT
i"ll just leave this here........  |
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Post by backroadjunkie on Mar 31, 2020 18:49:54 GMT
Real quick drive-by PSA.
I hadn't touched my car in 11 days. It wouldn't start. Vampire electronics (alarm, homelink, radio settings, etc.) drained the battery.
I've got a garage, so I can put a charger on it, but if you park on the street, you might want to start and drive the car a few miles once per week.
If you can't, I can see a booming business for AAA in a couple of weeks...
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Post by DoTheMath on Apr 5, 2020 0:57:36 GMT
Couldn't think of any where else to put this.......
Also:Corona life got me, like:
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Nov 24, 2024 23:10:42 GMT
I'll be spending next weekend with some family I like and trying to avoid any remotely controversial conversations with others that I spend the rest of the year avoiding 