Video Conferencing Tips – An Unexpected Bonus…For Some

Peter MerrittWorking from HomeLeave a Comment

We’ve all done it. A call comes in, you absent-mindedly (check who it is and) click the ‘accept’ button and only later realise that you are still unshaved and wearing your favourite ‘Ghostbusters’ T-shirt, a favourite (shabby) dressing gown or ‘I Agree With Nick’ baseball cap…

In this time of crisis (and, arguably, long before that), many us with articles to write and deadlines to meet have struggled with the dreaded blank page syndrome – what the h*** to write about next? Well, over the weekend I was very entertained to read one journalists’ solution. They had noticed that, with increased use of video-calling, lots of people who were not used to such ‘ad-hoc’ interviews were taking calls not just in ‘mufti’ clothing, but also in a variety of locations about their homes.

This journalist then began taking much more interest in the settings of said great and good, paying (in this case) particular interest to the bookshelves behind the interviewee. I mean, being a well known highbrow ‘artiste’ but with a row of sub-long haul paperback pot-boilers on the shelf is quite a let-down! But that’s not all…

There is now a growing fascination with the room settings for these calls – my favourite being one poor science type who had obviously been banished to the spare room. At least he may get to finish the obviously long-delayed redecoration during his fortnight off… My ex mother-in-law used to pretend to be interested in houses for sale, just so she could have a closer look at the contents/set-up!

Of course, this au-naturelle view into the homes of Great and Good won’t last – the PR and ‘image’ departments will be all over them soon, with rules and guidelines about who/what/where/when. So make the most of these views. Oh, and for your god’s sake remember to take off that 2003 Glastonbury t-shirt…

Be seeing you.

LINKS:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-51977454

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-51947447

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-51868894

And of course…



About the Author

A picture of Peter Merritt the author of this blog

Peter Merritt

Senior Consultant


Peter is one of our senior consultants and has many years of programming and software consultancy to call upon, having ‘seen the light’ and changed careers from the Public Sector back in the early 1980s when computers less powerful than your watch filled a room! More about Peter.


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