Help Zoom video chatting software

[kittyP]

I don't think there is already a thread for this but appols if I missed it.

So, Zoom seems to be the thing that all the cool kids are using to stay in touch during these dark days.

I have downloaded it (chromebook) and so have my parents (ipad) but we have absolutely no idea how to actually connect to each other

Can any one give a general run down of what you need to know/do?

I am sure I am not the only one that will have questions about it.

Cheers in advance x

 

[FiFi]

I will be waiting on replies to this with interest.

(i'm in the same boat myself! )

 

[killer b]

fire up the programme and sign in, then invite participants by email in the first instance - there'll be a link in the email that launches the app.

My brother added me as a 'contact', but I'll admit I've not worked that out myself yet...

 

[kittyP]

fire up the programme and sign in, then invite participants by email in the first instance - there'll be a link in the email that launches the app.

My brother added me as a 'contact', but I'll admit I've not worked that out myself yet...

I can't work out how to invite them by email.
It gives me 4 emails to choose from, none of which are my parents and then no option to add their email address.

 

[belboid]

Open Zoom, click on invite and you send an email to your invitees. Speak

At least I think thats it. After ten years, I am finally acquiescing and buying a bloody webcam

 

[killer b]

are you on a computer or a phone?

 

[souljacker]

I can't work out how to invite them by email.
It gives me 4 emails to choose from, none of which are my parents and then no option to add their email address.

Have they signed up yet? If they don't they won't appear in the search. Both of you need to be signed up.

 

[belboid]

I can't work out how to invite them by email.
It gives me 4 emails to choose from, none of which are my parents and then no option to add their email address.

is that just for the initial conversation? Once you've tested it you can send to anyone

 

[editor]

It's worth noting that there's 40 mins limit on group meetings for the free versionms. Some friends of mine stopped using it once they realised that.

 

[kittyP]

are you on a computer or a phone?

Chromebook

 

[kittyP]

Have they signed up yet? If they don't they won't appear in the search. Both of you need to be signed up.

Yeah they have but I still can't seem them

 

[kittyP]

A ha! Just spoke to them

Unfortunately I don't know how.

I think once they had sent me an invitation to "chat" (not video call) and I accepted it put them in my contacts.

 

[belboid]

Yeah, you dont get any contacts until you have contacted them/them you.

 

[editor]

So, it's as flaky as fuck

That’s not the only area where Zoom has been found wanting. As a spotlight has swung on the biz thanks to its enormous take-up in recent weeks, its dodgy data sharing policies were also revealed.

As we reported earlier this month, Zoom granted itself the right to mine your personal data and conference calls to target you with ads, and seemed to have a "creepily chummy" relationship with tracking-based advertisers.

Personal information gathered by the company included, but was not limited to, names, addresses and any other identifying data, job titles and employers, Facebook profiles, and device specifications. It also included "the content contained in cloud recordings, and instant messages, files, whiteboards ... shared while using the service."

In other words, it was, arguably, the Facebook of the video-conferencing world, sucking every piece of data it can from you and any device you install it on.

Zoom's end-to-end encryption isn't actually end-to-end at all. Good thing the PM isn't using it for Cabinet calls. Oh, for f...

Super-crypto actually normal TLS, lawsuit launched over Facebook API usage, privacy policy rewritten

www.theregister.co.uk

 

[pesh]

any better alternatives anyone can recommend for getting maybe 6 or so people / locations together?

 

[Guineveretoo]

We are using Zoom for our woodcraft folk sessions with the kids. It seems to be working well. I like the "mute all" button, which frequently gets used. Every single child has worked out to unmute themselves.

They have also discovered how to change their backgrounds to random things/photos, and to put up graphics of thumbs up and waves. I have no idea how they do that.

We used gotomeetings for our first virtual session, because our head office has as subscription, but I found it difficult to use and a bit flaky, so moved to Zoom.

the second time we used it, we were able to use a subscribed one, as one of the parents subscribes, so we were not dumped aftr 40 minutes.

The thing I found, though, is that the email connection within the program doesn't work for me. I had "copy the link" and then go into my emails and send it that way, or whatsapp it to people.

I should add, for work we are using MSTeams which I hate.

 

[existentialist]

any better alternatives anyone can recommend for getting maybe 6 or so people / locations together?

There's that old saying (usually about Facebook) - "if the service is free, then the product is you". So, unless you want to pay ££, there are probably always going to be compromises

But I shall watch the replies to your question with interest

 

[8ball]

It's worth noting that there's 40 mins limit on group meetings for the free versionms. Some friends of mine stopped using it once they realised that.

I'd probably have stopped using it once the 40 minutes was up.

 

[editor]

any better alternatives anyone can recommend for getting maybe 6 or so people / locations together?

Not tried it but some people I know find Duo OK

Google ups Duo group calling limit from eight to twelve

Video calling is particularly important right now.

www.theverge.com

 

[8ball]

Me and my mates are on Puffin Party.

It's good if you can avoid getting radicalised.

 

[cybershot]

Although it also says a lot about Microsoft's mis management of Skype over the past 10 years. 'I'll Skype you' used to be a common phrase as much as 'Google it' and now no one even goes to Skype first. Incredible really.

 

[souljacker]

Not tried it but some people I know find Duo OK

Google ups Duo group calling limit from eight to twelve

Video calling is particularly important right now.

www.theverge.com

Duo is at least encrypted but you can bet google is slurping up lots of lovely data from it's users.

 

[krtek a houby]

And, inevitably, the racists think it's a bit of a fun and games

Racist 'zoombombing' during synagogue meeting

 

[Ladystardust]

Just looking at this myself, this video seems to cover it all quite well

 

[fizzerbird]

I've heard a few people (collegues) not rating zoom for security reasons...Not heard anything bad about Duo yet but will let you know as in process of sorting it myself...

 

[existentialist]

For those of you with the resources to host a conferencing system, I hear good things about Big Blue Button. It's come back into my awareness, because the college for which I work are in the process of migrating to it, to wean everybody off Zoom and fucking Skype.

BigBlueButton - Web Conferencing System Designed For Online Learning

 

[mx wcfc]

Skype is all I'm using. I'm pretty sure it's all we can use at work. I'm going to have to ask IT - I'm starting to feel antediluvian for using skype - seems to work well enough though.

 

[FridgeMagnet]

Discord doesn't have any time limits and afaik has no tracking.

There is an open source one called Jitsi - my dad is using it but I haven't tried. Anyone familiar with it? It looks fairly good from the site - Jitsi.org - develop and deploy full-featured video conferencing

 

[existentialist]

Skype is all I'm using. I'm pretty sure it's all we can use at work. I'm going to have to ask IT - I'm starting to feel antediluvian for using skype - seems to work well enough though.

My problem is that, for my professional indemnity insurance to remain valid, it is essential that I use an encrypted platform. Zoom may just have turned out not to be as secure as we thought, but it'll probably satisfy our (non-technical) professional bodies. Skype is well known to be unencrypted, and - even though the likelihood of someone eavesdropping is very small - it would be unprofessional to consult with clients over it.

I'm just wondering about setting up a big blue button platform for my various interests...

 

[existentialist]

Discord doesn't have any time limits and afaik has no tracking.

There is an open source one called Jitsi - my dad is using it but I haven't tried. Anyone familiar with it? It looks fairly good from the site - Jitsi.org - develop and deploy full-featured video conferencing

We're all set up to use discord to play family Steam games, but yeah, it's definitely not a "corporate/professional" platform!

I think I looked at Jitsi a year or so back, and didn't like it for some reason. But then I got into a horrible mess trying to make BBB work on a Google cloud platform, so what do I know?