Zoom Etiquette — 16 Rules —

The good, the bad and the ugly

Photo by Sigmund on Unsplash

I have spend the last three months on courses using Zoom, and I have not finished yet — but after Friday’s session I thought I put to pen to paper to write down some advice for Zoomers around the world. Using it well, using it poorly, shouldn’t have bother use it at all.

• Devices. — maybe you don’t have much choice when it comes to devices; but clearly some are better than others. If your gamer or a YouTuber, maybe you have a desktop with a separate camera and microphone— the gold standard — although I say it with a pinch of salt. Next you got a laptop [this will be the device of choice for most]. Next in line a tablet and lastly you got a mobile — I put it last for a reason, use it as a last resort.
• Sound. — You wouldn’t normally have a meeting at the train station, don’t connect with Zoom with a location with a lot background noise either—find somewhere that you’re reasonably assured there isn’t going to be too much background noise/surprises, ideally none at all. Never, ever connect if you’re in a car!
• Subtle sound. — Didn’t I just mention this, perhaps not. Washing machines make a lot of noise, keep them out of Zoom. The ping the microwave was intended to catch your attention, it will catch everyone’s attention on Zoom too. Dog barking, Cat meowing, front door bell…