Who's Zoomin who?

[Ond]

Cue Aretha!  Hah hah.

Right now I'm in a Zoom class as a student.  i also use Zoom as an instructor.  For the past year and up till now it is still the method used here for a lot of adult education courses.  Last year I really began to hate it as a substitute for in-class learning.  This year, instructors here have taken to turning off video and audio.  Students can hear the instructor but only use text to ask questions or use reactions to respond. It's actually better I think, for adults anyway, not so much for kids...

At first I was all over the video backgrounds - "hey look at me I'm riding a rollercoaster or flying in an F-35 "    Soon turned all that off and went back to a dull wall.

Anyone have any thoughts on their Zoom experience, good, bad, indifferent?  I know it's been used here on BYOAC for a few meet-ups.  I'm looking forward to NOT using it and getting back to In-person interactions.

[bobbyb13]

I've been so grateful that I haven't had to take part in the online thing at all- for work that is of course.

Hard to rope buildings and install fixtures remotely!

Although I do admit to diagnosing a few problems through pictures sent to me via text.

 

[nexusmtz]

I'm always tense when I'm on conferences. The delays mess with the natural rhythm of conversation. When video is enabled, I find myself recalling the theatre rule that at any given moment, someone in the audience is focusing directly on you. That's exhausting when you're on a call for several hours.

On the other hand, it's still a little funny when someone joins a work conference with their 'casual' settings.

Zoom/Teams/Webex are all here to stay for work, but I will be thrilled when we don't have to use electronic conferencing as a replacement for in-person entertainment.

[javeryh]

I am on conference calls A LOT.  Everyone knows my camera is "broken" - I have yet to join a zoom call with the camera on and I don't ever intend on doing it.  There's no need for anyone to see my stupid face.

[yotsuya]

I am on conference calls A LOT.  Everyone knows my camera is "broken" - I have yet to join a zoom call with the camera on and I don't ever intend on doing it.  There's no need for anyone to see my stupid face.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Gilrock]

Haha I remember reading about that zoom cat story.

I've not had to do much work related zoom I've been reporting onsite the whole time.  But I was using zoom long before covid to provide training sessions for the xLights Christmas lighting software I help develop.  Since covid has messed up the in-person Expo's they usually have they've been organizing these "virtual summits".  You can see me present the 3D features I've added to the program from 12-2pm ET on April 10th:
http://www.virtualchristmassummit.com/
http://www.virtualchristmassummit.com/schedule

[Ond]

I don't know anything about the cat story.  Was it a Zoom hack or just someone putting their pet on cam during a session?

[Zebidee]

True story. The lawyer used his daughter's computer and couldn't get rid of the cat filter she was using

[PL1]

I don't know anything about the cat story.  Was it a Zoom hack or just someone putting their pet on cam during a session?

It was a lawyer using his secretary's computer for a virtual court appearance.
- The secretary's kid was the last one to use the computer and had turned on the "kitten" video filter that maps a person's facial expressions, mouth movement, and eye movements on a cat.
- The lawyer and secretary didn't know how to turn off the filter. 




Scott

[Ond]

   That is awesome! Poetic justice - technology twisted.  Love it.

I'm not a cat 

[Zebidee]

It was a lawyer using his secretary's computer for a virtual court appearance.
- The secretary's kid was the last one to use the computer and had turned on the "kitten" filter.
- The lawyer and secretary didn't know how to turn off the filter. 

tyvm for the clarification

[Zebidee]

Anyway I :rofled a lot when that story came out 

[Ond]

I used to add the hair-scarf bonnet to my head to get a few laughs but that's going to a whole new level...

[Vigo]

Get a jacket and tie on. This is a great zoom background to use. 

[yotsuya]

  That is awesome! Poetic justice - technology twisted.  Love it.

I'm not a cat 

Ond, look for the video online. It’s even funnier to see it unfold. The guy in the upper right corner wants to laugh when he says “I’m not a cat.”

Edit: Nevermind, I see the Scottbot did the deed. Thx Scott.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Ond]

@ Vigo - yes! Max Headroom for the win 

  That is awesome! Poetic justice - technology twisted.  Love it.

I'm not a cat 

Ond, look for the video online. It’s even funnier to see it unfold. The guy in the upper right corner wants to laugh when he says “I’m not a cat.”

Edit: Nevermind, I see the Scottbot did the deed. Thx Scott.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yeah, but thanks yots, I sent my wife to work laughing this morning over that 

Last year we had this guy in class who used his phone as a webcam because his laptop's was faulty.  No matter what the guy did his image was always upside down.  It became a running joke to the point that ppl starting posting any class pics of him upside down on FB 

[pbj]

I switched jobs at the height of the pandemic and I’ve been at the new place almost a year and haven’t met 2/3s of my colleagues in person.  It is all Teams - everything.  People rarely call or email now.  Video call or chat.  And I drive to an office to do it.  Feels silly occasionally but that’s why I make the medium bucks.

We started to loosen up and then our governor decided the pandemic was over and now it’s back to paranoia.

 

[Mike A]

I have used Zoom one time. It was for the Zapcon meetup.

Oh wait, twice. I helped a friend test some things out.

[nitrogen_widget]

Web-ex inside my company, most vendors use Zoom though.
now people are transitioning to Teams.
I zoomed with friends on St. Patty's for the drop kick murpheys concert.

sometimes i use the camera most times i don't.
I,m full beard and don't usually shower until my lunch break most days or after work so it's pretty gnarly during the work day.

there are people at work that LOVE the camera.
they still put on shirt and tie when working from home and always want everyone else to get on camera.
i'm usually in my hoodie and pj's and just ignore them when they put the call out.

[Zebidee]

Web-ex inside my company, most vendors use Zoom though.
now people are transitioning to Teams.
I zoomed with friends on St. Patty's for the drop kick murpheys concert.

sometimes i use the camera most times i don't.
I,m full beard and don't usually shower until my lunch break most days or after work so it's pretty gnarly during the work day.

there are people at work that LOVE the camera.
they still put on shirt and tie when working from home and always want everyone else to get on camera.
i'm usually in my hoodie and pj's and just ignore them when they put the call out.

:laugh I really only do videochats when I'm with my kids, and occasionally with my wife (but mainly so she can see the cat). I'm not that pretty to look at, so you'd have to really love me to want to see me.

[bobbyb13]

Web-ex inside my company, most vendors use Zoom though.
now people are transitioning to Teams.
I zoomed with friends on St. Patty's for the drop kick murpheys concert.

sometimes i use the camera most times i don't.
I,m full beard and don't usually shower until my lunch break most days or after work so it's pretty gnarly during the work day.

there are people at work that LOVE the camera.
they still put on shirt and tie when working from home and always want everyone else to get on camera.
i'm usually in my hoodie and pj's and just ignore them when they put the call out.

:laugh I really only do videochats when I'm with my kids, and occasionally with my wife (but mainly so she can see the cat). I'm not that pretty to look at, so you'd have to really love me to want to see me.

 

[DeLuSioNal29]

For me, I've been having a blast with Zoom in this hobby. I've been getting together every week with my arcade friends. For just about a year now.

We've been able to maximize the features of Zoom.  Video on for Arcade tours, show and tell, unboxings and other stuff you need to see and hear. We even share desktops to go over schematics and or CAD 3D renders of stuff invented.

We've fixed PCBs, Power supplies, monitors. Invented PCB circuit boards, multi kit mods and the like.

Finally decided to do a Live show last week dubbed "Delusional's Roundtable".  It's strictly arcade related chat and a bunch of guys that talk about (and show) what they've been working on each week.

Check it out here to see what I mean:

To me this is the silver lining in the cloud that we know as the pandemic. It has forged and solidified friendships in this hobby and kept us (in the Zoom group) all sane.

Enjoy the vid!  And let me know if you ever want to join as a guest every now and then. We are trying not to have too many people on at once but every now and then is OK. ;-)

Del

Sent from my moto z4 using Tapatalk

[Mike A]

Thank you for helping keep original hardware alive.

I would check out your Zoom, but my home internet suuuuuuccccckkkks.

I am stuck with bad DSL where I live. 23 megabit down is usable, but less than 1 megabit up makes things difficult. Especially when my son is home from college.

I am signed up for Starlink. I made my deposit. Hopefully Elon's timetable is semi-realistic. They told me I could have service by the end of the year.

Again. Thank you for doing what you do.

By the way...Did you ever get that Time Pilot PCB working?

[DeLuSioNal29]

By the way...Did you ever get that Time Pilot PCB working?

I haven't messed with it yet.  But one of the guys in the Zoom group did send me another non working Time Pilot PCB as well. I also bought a working bootleg (called Space Pilot).  It's a clone minus the custom chips. Between all three I'm hoping to get one of the originals working.

Del


Sent from my moto z4 using Tapatalk

[pbj]

Can I join even if all I do anymore is fire up Bonk 3 and promptly fall asleep in my bean bag chair?  It’s original hardware and a CRT.

 

[Ond]

@ DeLuSioNal29 - I checked out your video, you guys really have made the most of Zoom in terms of your passion for the hobby and friendships.  I love the restoration work you guys do and your enthusiasm for the original cabinets. As much as I enjoy dreaming up my own designs and building them, I also totally get the love of original cabs and restoration.  Somewhere, some time I aim to own at least one original cabinet that I restore to 'like new'.   

[eds1275]

I use zoom for work meetings. I'm off work with a bad illness and don't go to work or do work (at that job anyways.) It's been 4 months of weekly meetings. I always make a point to bring up a topic of conversation to make the other guys heated and make the meetings last linger than they need to for my own enjoyment. For example, we were all issued fancy pens and notebooks, and nobody knew why. I told everyone that it was because we were giving up on paperless and now everything would have to be written out by hand, then scanned, then emailed in. An hour of my boss trying to verify if it was true and everyone else losing their minds.

But other than that I chat mostly on Facebook Messenger.

[knave]

Surprising how interesting I found this topic.

Before the pandemic, I had never used zoom. I started to connect with family for birthdays and holidays.
My Side hustle Job used Teams, My work work used zoom for pretty much any meeting with more than 2 people. I dont "have" a work PC with a camera so just audio works well.

My friends and I have used zoom to game both digital and tabletop and it works.

I maintain a love/hate relationship with zoom. Sometimes zoom calls are a pain, and sometimes they are way better than a in person deal.

Cheers,

Knave

[danny_galaga]

.