Photo: Miss Manners (a/k/a Judith Martin) | Never joined in a Zoom meeting or not sure of how you should act while participating in one? We’ve added this article on Zoom Etiquette for you to follow so you come off YOUR best! Tip No. 1 – remember YOU are on “television” at all times. If the tv people don’t do it, neither should you! [We compiled this list from several net articles.]
1. Remember that you are always on camera. Need to yawn, sneeze, blow your nose, fall asleep, or something you don’t want us all to see? Mute your audio and blank your video.
2. All comments and discussions should be respectful of the speaker and fellow attendees. Personal attacks are not acceptable nor will the comments be tolerated. Remember, too, that our meetings are being recorded and we know who made them.
3. Be aware of your surroundings: people who can walk by talking in the background, etc. Try to sit at a desk with the camera pointed at your face and with a steady background.
4. If you need to get up and move around, be sure to mute your sound and turn your video off. Again, very distracting to other attendees. (Make sure you are dressed appropriately as well – undergarments could be very embarrassing to you!)
5. Please pay attention to the speakers as much as possible. Type your questions into the “Chat” feature on Zoom. Most questions are answered during their talks so try not to ask a question that they may have already answered. Our host may try to combine questions that are similar so that the speaker only has to give one compilation answer.
6. Please use both your real first and last names as sign-ins on the screen. That way we’ll know who attended the meetings and other attendees can contact you for mutual topics. Be sure to use the “chat” feature to write your name and contact info as well as a short bio of what you do in the music business. Prepare ahead of time and then copy & paste into the Chat feature.
7. Please turn your camera on if you want to show support to speakers through nonverbal cues such as nodding, shaking your head, smiling, giving a thumbs up, etc. There are emojis available on Zoom that you can use as well.
8. If you live in an area with low bandwidth, please feel free to turn your video feed off. Will help your reception.
9. Learn to use the features of Zoom. Lots of shortcuts available. Here is a good article with directions (this article deals more with work meetings and school sessions but it is still appro po): https://dispatch.m.io/zoom-etiquette/
Compiled from the following articles:
https://emilypost.com/advice/zoom-etiquette-tips-for-better-video-conferences
https://dispatch.m.io/zoom-etiquette/
https://www.entrepreneur.com/business-news/fbi-watch-out-for-zoom-bombings-on-online-video-meeting/348502
(These articles referenced mostly business meetings or school classes but we revised them to fit our “attendee interactive” format for your easier comprehension).
Photo: Miss Manners
Column by Judith Martin, Nicholas Ivor Martin and Jacobina Martin
https://www.uexpress.com/life/miss-manners
Etiquette for Appearing YOUR Best on Zoom Meetings
