#digitalbroth - 1001 ways to improve online chats

Here are some suggestions which might improve the effectiveness of communication when you are using the internet to connect individuals and groups at different locations. If everyone considers these suggestions, online chats should be better for you, and for all the people in other places! This is not a pretty blog post, and maybe one day someone will summarise and clarify, to the extent that it could be a buzzfeed morsel; but in the spirit of "blog more often, with less care about what posts look like", here it is!

This is all based on an excellent video conferencing ettiquette document from 2012 (link downloaded on 29 November 2014), by Learning and Teaching, University of the Highlands and Islands, 2012.

Preparation

• Find a headset, and use it during the chat – earphones & mic is best, but earphones-only is better than nothing

The room

• Try to avoid sitting directly in front of a strong light source – it will be very hard to see you!
• Try to make sure that there is some light shining on you – either from outside or from a lamp or other light in front of you, and behind the camera
• Try to avoid having anything in the room which will make random noise (jewellery, saucers with cups, animals, snoring people … the list is endless)

Mobile phones

• Consider switching to silent, or switching off (unless you are using it to aid the online chat!)

What you look like on camera

• Spend a minute or 2 checking what the video pic of you will look like to the others: usually you will want your head/shoulders to fill as much of the frame as possible
• If there is more than one person in the room, do your best to include everyone in the picture: sit together where possible. (If necessary, try to remember to move the camera slightly so that whoever is speaking can be seen)

Location and name cards

• This is probably not needed for a chat with a few friends, but if the people involved in your online chat are not known to each other, consider using LARGE, VISIBLE name tags and/or location signs on the wall
• If your chat has a hashtag, consider using a LARGE, VISIBLE sign with the hashtag printed on it, and/or typing the hashtag into the text-based chat window occasionally

Who's in charge?

• If it is important that the chat be conducted formally, decide who is in charge of how the technology is working (usually somebody other than the chair of the meeting), and make sure that person has the skills, confidence and knowledge to advise EVERYONE on anything and everything that is causing issues which are compromising the chat for ANYONE, at ANY SITE. (If you are just having a bit of fun with some friends this may not be necessary!)
• If there are a number of people in the room, consider also having one of them take charge of who in that room can be seen/heard (by moving the camera, muting/unmuting the mic, etc): this may or may not be the same person as is in charge of the technology for the whole chat at every location
• Try to avoid moving the camera too much – if the picture of the room you are in is moving around dramatically, this will not help people elsewhere concentrate on what you are saying
• If issues start to arise with the video pictures or with bandwidth, consider if you can (even temporarily) switch off your camera, and rely on sound only from your room

The actual online chat itself

• Consider how important it is to start and end on time (this will vary quite a lot, depending on the subject matter of the online chat and who the other people are)
• Assume you are always on camera, even when you are not speaking (do not get caught out doing or saying anything that may embarrass you!)

Introductions

• Check that everyone can hear and see you and that you can hear and see everyone else.
• BEING HEARD IS MUCH MORE IMPORTANT THAN BEING SEEN.
• Introduce yourself/yourselves before you begin
• Consider announcing who is entering or leaving the room, as not everyone may be on camera

Be polite

• Be polite and courteous, pay attention and listen
• Don’t interrupt or speak over people
• Avoid side conversations, dropping things, coughing, shuffling papers etc
• Be aware that eating or drinking can look messy and can be noisy and distracting.

Body language

• Be aware that personal gestures such as playing with your hair, scratching, fidgeting etc is distracting
• Be aware of your facial expression. Make sure you send the right message.
• Smile and be polite – this will be very much appreciated

Speaking

• Mute microphones when not speaking.
  Not muting the microphone can cause feedback and echo problems.
• Consider identifying yourself and your location when contributing to the discussion
• Make eye contact with the camera and with other participants in your room.
• Speak up, clearly in your normal voice, without shouting – one of the things that most improves online chats is if everyone just speaks up a bit!
• Look into the camera to give the impression you are speaking directly to everyone

Taking part in a discussion

• The general rule is: one person speaks at a time.
• If there are lots of people, or if you don’t know each other, state your name first.
• Pause briefly between each speaker as there can be a slight delay when using video.
• When speaking, give others plenty of time to answer/ask questions/comment.
• Try not to interrupt the speaker. Allow the other person to finish speaking first.
• Use names when speaking directly to someone.
• If you are speaking for longer than a few moments, make sure you are fully in shot and directly addressing the camera.

At the end of the discussion

• Sometimes an online chat has an automatic end time – be aware the the link may cease at that time. Often, there is no end time, so the discussion continues until everyone disconnects.