Dear UNC Lineberger Cancer Network Friends,
Happy October!!! I hope that you and your loved ones are well as we move into the fall. As you can imagine, our team has been doing (and supporting) a LOT of Zooming over the past several months. I wanted to take this time to share some fun and useful Zoom tips. In many cases, these can also be applied to other platforms, including WebEx, GoToMeeting, and more.
- Keep your head up! In other words, try to minimize the space above your head on the screen. I suggest limiting the “real estate above your pate” to between 5% and 8% of the very top of the screen. This will allow you to project a more confident and professional image to others.
- Optimize shared videos. If you want to share a video with others in Zoom, be sure to select the check boxes in the lower-left portion of the “Share Screen” interface to “Share Computer Sound” and “Optimize Screen Share for Video Clip.” This will provide the best experience possible for others viewing the videos that you are sharing.
- When others complain about your audio, try this. Begin by muting your video, if practical. If this is not enough, go to the microphone icon on the lower-left portion of the screen and click the arrow immediately to the right of the icon and select “Switch to phone audio.” Be sure to follow ALL of the directions when dialing in, so that your phone is properly associated with your Zoom presence.
- Zoom is great on phones and tablets. There are free apps for iOS and Android. You can have almost the same experience on a mobile device as you can on your computer, so if your PC is acting up and you have a phone or tablet, join from another device.
- Update often. With the high demand for web conferencing, companies are frequently updating their software. Be sure to check for updates routinely to get the most from your online collaboration. I recommend looking for updates at least once per week.
- By the time you read this article, Zoom will require a waiting room or passcode for all meetings. This makes good sense, and it helps to prevent unwanted visitors from attending your events.
- I will end with something that fits exclusively in the “fun” category (though let me know if you can find a use for this). Go to Settings > Background & Filters > Video Filters and select a hat (such as the stylish red beret I am “wearing” in the photo above). My wife and I discovered in a recent call with our daughter that if two people are in front of the camera, they can actually “pass” that hat back and forth by lightly bumping heads. Please use caution if you decide to try this.
We have plenty of other information on Zoom at https://www.unccn.org/zoom. Please be sure to visit this link and let us know if you have any questions or suggestions.
Wishing you strength and fortitude in these challenging times,
Tim Poe, Director of Telehealth