“Gather in the cloud not the crowd”

A suggestion from Geoff Farland

We live in challenging times.

 However, we are not meant to live in isolation from each other.  Such isolation is not splendid, or welcome. No, we love to meet, gather and share experiences. We love the regularity of gathering with friends and family.

However, that regularity need not disappear.

Our collective challenge is now to meet, gather and share, from afar. In fact, I strongly believe these times can bring us closer together.

How?

Firstly, choose language that doesn’t speak of cancellation, or stopping, when a physical meeting or gathering is not possible.

Next, think of ways to make the meeting still occur, even by phone, or at a distance. Choose to meet differently.

Then ask how you can still connect, perhaps with the help of someone who can ease our transition to meeting differently.

One example is to transition to meeting on-line (or in the cloud, as it is now often termed). 

The second part of this note explains how.

Gathering using Zoom

1.   Zoom is just one programme you can use to video conference  or meeting on-line. There are lots of others. I use it as it is simple and inexpensive.  You can also join for free, and dial-in without having the programme also.

2.   The three steps to start using Zoom are:

a.   Download the App/programme

b.   Create an account

c.   Join or host a meeting

3.   There are five ways to download the programme (or “App”, short for application:

a.   in your browser on your computer type in “zoom.us”

b.   on your Ipad or Phone go to the App store ( or Google play) and search for “Zoom cloud meetings”

c.   if someone has sent you a link to download Zoom, click on that link- eg  https://zoom.us/download

d.   if you have been sent an invitation to join a zoom meeting, then click on that link.

e.   Alternatively, once you have Zoom, you can invite people to join a meeting, simply by calling a number and typing in a meeting ID.

4.   Rather than detailed instructions, there are lots on videos on You-tube such as: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMUxzrgZvZQ

5.   Once, you have the App, there are lots of useful tutorials if you need them on the Zoom.us website.  However, once you are set –up all you need to do is click on the link for the meeting if you are joining one.

6.   Once you download the App, you need to create an account, using your email address.  You also need to add a password.

7.   Then you are ready to “Gather in the Cloud”