Wednesday, February 07, 2007

Web Conferencing

Web conferencing is a wonderful thing. Except when one doesn't have a web camera. This was the case today for me. Leg a bit mashed as a consequence of slipping this morning. Microsoft Vista not support my webcam of choice and so the built in mic doesn't work either. No matter, as I assisted my fellow colleagues through their first tentative steps toward global conferencing I realised the voyeuristic nature of it all when one doesn't have a webcam. Indeed for a moment as I could only communicate via the chat facility I felt very Big Brother'ish. Other web person's would have to wait patiently for my response. Oh the POWER!!! Just kidding.

Cool stuff and I think facilities like this are a godsend for people with mobility issues or for people who cannot afford the expensive air travel to see far away relatives. On the other hand it can be a little Big Brother when you put it in the context of the "Working from Home" idea. For many, it is an excuse to have a day off and email the report you said you would do on the "Working from Home" day that you actually typed a weeks ago as evidence that you actually did some work. Does working from home mean that if you web conference that you have to wear a suit? Or that the background to the video image at home should look office like? I'm sure some bright spark will create a definition of web conferencing ettiquette.

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