Dan Foster Posted December 18, 2020 Posted December 18, 2020 (edited) We didn't get to have our traditional Solstice Paddle this summer, so let's at least get together online for a Winter Solstice happy hour of happiness. This year's winter solstice is at 5:02AM, which seems a little early, even for this crowd, so let's start things off at 7:32PM, a mere 14.5 hours into this winter of our discontent. Please join me from the comfort of your own comfy chair or survival bunker for an hour of virtual socializing and storytelling with your fellow NSPN paddlers-in-exile, from 7:32PM-8:32PM on Monday, December 21st. At the anointed hour, click the following link to join: [removed now that event has passed] You'll be asked for a passcode to join. You have to enter a number. I've tried to make it easy enough for the NSPN crowd to figure out, while thwarting the Zoom-crashing bots. It's the number of cockpits in your kayak. It's the leading digit on Tom Brady's old jersey. It's how old you'd be on your first birthday. Enjoy these last few days of autumn (that reminds me, I should probably start raking leaves), and I hope to see you all in winter, on Monday, on the Zoomies. - Dan You'll need a laptop computer, phone, or tablet with a front-facing video camera and a microphone, and you'll be prompted to run some free video conferencing software from Zoom when you join the meeting. If you haven't used Zoom or other video chat/conferencing software before, you might want to click the link below a few minutes ahead of time, to give yourself time to test your video and audio settings. Sharing photos: Zoom has several ways to share photos. If you'd like to do a slideshow or give a presentation to the group, the easiest way to do that is to share your screen from a laptop or desktop computer. In reality, this usually ends up causing a two-minute interruption while people try to figure out why it's not working. For simple sharing of a single photo, try the following: Option 1: Make it a virtual background: click the options arrow next to the Video icon in Zoom, and click Choose Virtual Background. Select the photo you want to share with the group, which will then appear behind your disembodied head using a "green screen" effect. You can duck your head completely out of frame if needed, or point to stuff behind you like you're a TV weather caster. Option 2: Make it your Zoom profile photo, and it will show up when you click Stop Video. To do this, click the options arrow next to the Video icon in Zoom, click Video Settings, and then click the Profile tab. Click the picture icon above your name to change your profile picture. If you turn off your video camera during the call, we'll see your profile picture instead. Virtual meeting etiquette for large groups: Mute your microphone if you're doing something else in the background or need to move around. Laptop users can stay muted and then hold Spacebar to unmute whenever they want to jump in with a comment. Speaking of jumping in, it takes us a second or two to realize who has started speaking, so it can get confusing if people throw in a quick one word reply or question. Keep talking, or use hand signals (thumbs up, wave, etc) instead of "yes", "hi", "bye". For the best video quality, try to pick a spot in your house with plenty of light and make sure the brightest light is in front of you, and not behind you! (sit facing a window or lamp, with a wall with no windows behind you). Virtual backgrounds (when not sharing a photo with the group) and snap filters (puppy dog ears, and the like) can be extremely distracting. Sit close enough to the camera that we can see your face. It's more fun when we we can see you and your facial expressions! These are meant to be light and airy social occasions and to offer an escape from the news cycle, politics, and negativity. If you get booted or muted, that's why. Edited January 4, 2021 by Dan Foster
gyork Posted December 19, 2020 Posted December 19, 2020 I've been hoping for an invite to a holiday party, especially Solstice, when we look forward to lengthening of the days (8h 58m 50s on Monday). Thanks for hosting, Dan.
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