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Megaconference
Jr. Netiquette
Videoconferencing
"Netiquette" for Megaconference Jr.
It will
make the conference a pleasurable experience for all if
we adhere to the following guidelines:
- Be
aware of the image you are projecting to the world. Avoid
faces and gestures that might appear inappropriate to
those watching. Appropriate language, questions and comments
are a must.
- Eye
contact is extremely important for establishing trust
and naturalness in conversation during the session.
- Eliminate
all sources of background noise from the room (e.g. fans,
disks, etc). Any audio from your site may be picked up
by the microphones and transmitted to the remote site
at a volume that does not necessarily correspond with
the volume you thought it had at your site.
-
Unless you are speaking, your microphone should be muted.
Eliminate background noises and try not to shuffle papers,
drum fingers or tap pens.
- Respect
the rights of other participants: Do not monopolize the
"air time"; give everyone an opportunity to
participate.
- Only
one person should speak at a time, with no side conversations:
Microphones will pick up all conversations and that can
be very disturbing for the people at the remote sites.
They may not be able to hear and understand what the main
speaker is talking about.
- Have
a banner or sign tent with your organization's name on
it in a visible location of your camera shot.
- Announce
who you are and your location when you begin speaking.
- Avoid
excessive body motion as this may create blurry images
at the receiving end.
- Wait
to ask a question or make a comment until you are reasonably
sure the person is done talking. Listen for verbal clues.
- Allow
for time delays.
- Expect
video and audio imperfections: Some visual and auditory
imperfections in the form of strange video or audio deformations
may occur due to the possible loss of visual and/or audio
data sent from the remote site(s). Both videoconferencing
systems as well as the connectivity from your site are
not always perfect and you can realistically expect some
video and audio imperfections.
- Provide
for good lighting. Too much or too little light can result
in a poor quality image. Be sure to position your camera
so there is no glare from windows.
- Talking
tips - Talk slowly and be clear, distinct and loud, yet
not so loud that it sounds unnatural! Vary the tone of
your voice. Avoid a monotone by talking as if you were
in a natural speaking situation, animating and catching
the attention of the people that you are talking to. Once
you start talking, JUST KEEP TALKING. Do not say "Can
you hear me?" - assume we can hear you well and that
everything is working fine.
- Clothing
tips - Avoid plaids, stripes and prints as well as flashy
jewelry that will reflect light. Pastel clothing is better
than white. If you do wear white, keep a jacket or sweater
on to give contrast.
For
additional tips on preparing for a videoconference visit
http://www.ri.net/vidcon/classroomtips.htm
http://www.videnet.gatech.edu/cookbook/
For
Megaconference V etiquette tips see
http://www.megaconference.org/etiquette.html
Want to know what Megaconference V was like? You can view
the highlights clip at: www.pelegroup.net/resources/megaconferenceV/megaconfV-2.mov
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