Zoom, Skype Technical Q&A here:

[sis little]

33 minutes ago, Tortuga said:

If the kingdom hall can't be set up for Zoom, then the brothers may not have a choice. We had a very difficult time getting a stable internet connection at our KH, fortunately a Starlink system was set up, otherwise we wouldn't have been able to have Zoom meetings from the KH.

No, it’s not that they can’t set up, they have decided to no longer make it available. They want full in person attendance but for some they need that.

[More4me2do]

I can see where this Hybrid meeting implementation will grind on some and others will feel like the apostle Paul being poured out like a drink offering.

 

No one in the congregation except those with technical knowledge and those on the A/V team have an idea of what is involved in getting a smooth running meeting of the ground. The assigned A/V team members are between 30 and 45 minutes before start of the meeting at the hall. The Zoom session is being started 25 minutes before start of the meeting and yet the majority of those joining via Zoom have to be let in at the start of the meeting, during the song and prayer and then for the 1st 10 minutes of the meeting.

 

After all the hard work and sacrifice that goes into getting the meeting functioning it sometimes feels like the Zoom portion of the meeting is viewed by some as an entitlement rather then a provision to strengthen ones spirituality. It is always the same handful of zealous publishers who show up for the meeting for Field Service and who have their cameras on plus are in full support of the meetings. They have chosen a nickname "The Usual Suspects" and feel honored to be included virtually.

 

Our unity is precious, we live by the principle to to love our brothers the way Jesus loved us, but just sometimes it feels like getting everyone on to the same page with this new way of handling meetings is a bridge too far. Just got our assembly dates and we are going back to the Assembly Hall in 2023.

[Pabo]

@More4me2do I know what you are saying. I feel for those brothers who have to deal with this, and I am one of them.

 

Having spoken to a few brothers from other congregations, many are finding it somewhat hard to orchestrate their meetings, as they have only a couple of brothers who maybe capable of understanding what they need to do,or the equipment is not up to scratch to handle it. I can understand why there has to be some uniformity of doing things, but every KH doesn't have the same equipment and possibly not the brothers that are capable of handing this assignment.

 

When they announced the start of using hybrid meetings, my wife and I worked out who will attend the meeting via Zoom and who would go to our hall, and we were pretty much right on the money. I know some find it more practical to attend by Zoom and have valid reasons to do so (age, health). As most of out congregation is mostly of retirees, we expected that there will be plenty using the stay at home option. I don't blame them, especially coming into winter. Since going back to the hall, I have been keeping track of the Zoom attendance and that at of those at the hall, and we have about 35-40% attendees via Zoom, even for a Sunday morning meeting. And there are not that many brothers who are computer or technologically inclined, we have only 3 brothers who are able to operate our sound desk.

 

For our congregation, if we went back to entirely Zoom, it was much easier to orchestrate the meeting then now having to find brothers to care for the roving mics, stage, and hall attendants and security. I prepare the scheduling of the various attendants, Sunday chairman, readers etc, it is hard enough in a small congregation spreading out those parts where there isn't a conflict. But when you then see them on Zoom gallery and not at the hall when they had been rostered a certain privilege for them, it at times does makes you wonder. (Luke 16:10)

 

Compared to other congregations in our area, we had integrated Skype for a couple of years for those who wish to connect to the meeting when they couldn't physically, but we only used audio and no visual for them, as the internet was able to be reliable enough for both video and audio. Every congregation was either using a telephone hookup or similar service. When the meetings were postponed for COVID, they found it at daunting at first, but the transition for us to use Zoom was simple for our congregation.

 

However, thus far, we have found that our meeting attendance hadn't dropped since we went to hybrid meetings. When the time comes, at least we are prepared for whatever may happen.

 

[bigvince]

6 hours ago, Hope said:

How can a congregation just arbitrarily decide that? 😧

It may be that it’s difficult to have as mentioned but it’s also possible that they may not have  lot of people using zoom, they may be all in person. 

[Qapla]

6 hours ago, More4me2do said:

The assigned A/V team members are between 30 and 45 minutes before start of the meeting at the hall. The Zoom session is being started 25 minutes before start of the meeting and yet the majority of those joining via Zoom have to be let in at the start of the meeting, during the song and prayer and then for the 1st 10 minutes of the meeting.

 

Before the pandemic, when we had in-person meetings and only phone tie-in, those in A/V were at the KH 30-45 minutes before the meeting and got the sound system, computer and KHConf up and running. When we started using Zoom for virtual meetings when the pandemic made us close the Hall, the Zoom session was started 30 minutes before the meeting. About half the Congregation joined within a few minutes of Zoom starting - the rest joined within 10 minutes of the meeting started. We had very few, if any, join after the meeting had started, during the song or otherwise "late".

 

Now that were having hybrid meetings, the Zoom connection is still started 30 minutes before the meeting, about half of those who join by Zoom are there when the Zoom is started. By the time the meeting starts, the rest have already joined Zoom. Basically, nothing has changed for those who are still on Zoom. Hardly anyone joins late.

 

6 hours ago, More4me2do said:

Our unity is precious, we live by the principle to love our brothers the way Jesus loved us, but just sometimes it feels like getting everyone on to the same page with this new way of handling meetings is a bridge too far

 

I spent a year driving 65 miles each way twice a week to work at the Disaster Warehouse after a hurricane had devastated several islands in the Atlantic/Caribbean. The first few months were quite hectic, and we were shipping out several truckloads a day. The work was quite involved since, not only did we need to unload the material from suppliers and then load the shipping containers, but it also all had to be done to satisfy the port authorities.

 

The physical work was demanding, the heat was a concern (we are in Florida), and the weather did not always cooperate. At times we were short-handed with the number of people we needed.

 

As the months wore on, we could have easily felt that the grind of doing this was "a bridge too far" - especially since we never met those who we were sending the stuff to. However, we did not allow that to happen. We found that, regardless of how many delt with the unloading in the islands, the spirit of those down there or any other aspects of the receiving end, we did not let that affect our joy - we made our tasks as "fun" as we could and enjoyed working together in a truly spiritual endeavor.

 

The same can be said of LDC projects. Sometimes those of the KH being worked on seem to "take for granted" the work being done. However, that does not change the joy those building the KH find - we are not trying to please "people" - we are serving Jehovah and enjoying doing the best we can.

 

Have you connected from home by Zoom since going back to in-person meetings and used the hybrid arrangement? You may have a different perspective if you try it.

 

 

[More4me2do]

1 hour ago, Qapla said:

Have you connected from home by Zoom since going back to in-person meetings and used the hybrid arrangement? You may have a different perspective if you try it.

For me the staying home is not really an option as we need to juggle the few brothers that can organize a hybrid meeting from the hall between chairman, meeting parts (conducting and reading) plus outgoing speaking assignments and branch projects. This coming Sunday there will be 1 trained brother overseeing the organizing as everyone else is busy with assignments. But you feel the love of the congregation as they see the brothers struggling with the technology.

 

In a letter to SFTS it states:

"If you have the opportunity to resume attending meetings in your Kingdom Hall, we are confident that your good example in supporting this arrangement will encourage others. We can be sure that Jehovah’s blessing on our efforts will far outweigh any initial inconvenience.—Ps. 122:1; lff lesson 10 point 5."

And that lesson 10 point 5 is what we try to teach our students. So for SFTS for them in person first then Zoom.

 

The branches are also finding themselves in uncharted territory as the adjustments are pouring in almost weekly. It is now permissible once a month to have a Public talk delivered via Zoom. It certainly looks we have not arrived at a final solution for how to hold our meetings. Maryland just went from COVID Risk level 2 to 3 another variable to consider.

 

In your own experience you imitated Jehovah's undeserved kindness and are to be commended for that and we should never forget that everything around our global brotherhood and divine education including conventions, assemblies and meetings is because of undeserved kindness and no one should take this for granted. However the appreciation for that arrangement does not always shine through and as mentioned in this thread already, a person assigned to handle A/V assignments at the hall decided to be on Zoom for whatever reason. For our congregation we see the trend to have the majority on Zoom rather then at the hall and we are not a congregation of elderly ones. Just because it is an option to connect virtually, should that be our first choice? Yes it is a personal decision but what does that personal decision say about supporting the GB's announcement "Resuming in person Meetings".

[Leonard Match Valid]

2 hours ago, More4me2do said:

Para mim, ficar em casa não é realmente uma opção, pois precisamos fazer malabarismos com os poucos irmãos que podem organizar uma reunião híbrida do salão entre presidente, partes da reunião (direção e leitura), além de designações de palestras e projetos de filial. No próximo domingo, haverá 1 irmão treinado supervisionando a organização, pois todos os outros estão ocupados com tarefas. Mas você sente o amor da congregação ao ver os irmãos lutando com a tecnologia.

 

Em uma carta ao SFTS afirma:

"Se você tiver a oportunidade de voltar a assistir às reuniões em seu Salão do Reino, temos certeza de que seu bom exemplo em apoiar esse arranjo incentivará outros. Podemos ter certeza de que a bênção de Jeová sobre nossos esforços superará em muito qualquer inconveniência inicial. — Sal. 122:1; lff lição 10 ponto 5."

E essa lição 10 ponto 5 é o que tentamos ensinar aos nossos alunos. Então, para SFTS para eles pessoalmente primeiro, depois Zoom.

 

As filiais também estão se encontrando em território desconhecido, já que os ajustes estão chegando quase semanalmente. Agora é permitido uma vez por mês ter uma palestra pública entregue via Zoom. Certamente parece que não chegamos a uma solução final sobre como realizar nossas reuniões. Maryland acabou de passar do nível de risco COVID 2 para 3, outra variável a ser considerada.

 

Em sua própria experiência, você imitou a benignidade imerecida de Jeová e deve ser elogiado por isso, e nunca devemos esquecer que tudo em torno de nossa fraternidade global e educação divina, incluindo congressos, assembléias e reuniões, é por causa de benignidade imerecida e ninguém deve tomar isso como garantido. No entanto, a apreciação por esse arranjo nem sempre brilha e, como já mencionado neste tópico, uma pessoa designada para lidar com as atribuições de A / V no salão decidiu estar no Zoom por qualquer motivo. Para nossa congregação, vemos a tendência de ter a maioria no Zoom e não no salão e não somos uma congregação de idosos. Só porque é uma opção para se conectar virtualmente, essa deveria ser a nossa primeira escolha? Sim, é uma decisão pessoal, mas o que essa decisão pessoal diz sobre apoiar oAnúncio do GB "Retomando as Reuniões Presenciais".

That's so true.

It has a W56 that reads like this:

"We can also bring the antitypical or spiritual tithe by personal and direct participation in temple worship and its propagation. Ancient temple worship meant going with the tithe to the temple and coming into contact with the priests, Levites, and other Israelites. there in the house of God; it was more than just private worship at home. So we can bring the spiritual tithe by attending meetings at the meeting places of Jehovah's worshipers and not only being present in person, but also by taking any part as we are allowed in these meetings and thus edifying others who are there with some word or spiritual help, by then encouraging newcomers or newly interested ones, as well as by helping others to go to meetings. All of this may require some particular preparation of the person for opportunities for temple worship. To neglect the meetings means to neglect temple worship now, as the day of Jehovah approaches.-- Heb. 10:24, 25.
"

Of course we don't use antitypes anymore but it is clear that face-to-face meetings stimulate the worshiper better and not being at home.

A revival is needed, a new motivation for the brethren.

Perhaps the themed address to the elders should be remembered for the congregation:

 

Theme - 77  "Always show hospitality"

Well,
this speech says a lot about being present, being hospitable by doing things for others including within a weekly meeting.

So we're seeing an opportunity...

[More4me2do]

Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics:

In March a record number of 4.5 million workers quit their jobs. As employers require workers to return to offices, quits are ticking upwards. A major reason for quitting is to find a remote opportunity, wrote ZipRecruiter chief economist Julia Pollak on Twitter.

For me of interest is, if this attitude and reasoning has crept into the business world might this also be effecting our reasoning for not making the first choice in person meetings when possible but rather looking for a remote solution. We are not immune to what is happening around us.

Edited May 4, 2022 by More4me2do

[Hope]

1 hour ago, More4me2do said:

Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics:

In March a record number of 4.5 million workers quit their jobs. As employers require workers to return to offices, quits are ticking upwards. A major reason for quitting is to find a remote opportunity, wrote ZipRecruiter chief economist Julia Pollak on Twitter.

For me of interest is, if this attitude and reasoning has crept into the business world might this also be effecting our reasoning for not making the first choice in person meetings when possible but rather looking for a remote solution. We are not immune to what is happening around us.

Tell ya what- I LOVE working from home. We don't have to to think about going into the office til September or so.. and then maybe one day a week. If I could find a permanently remote job, I  would take it in a minute.

 

That said, it does impact the feeling of getting up and out for midweek meetings, especially. When I worked in the office, I just stayed at work until it was time to go straight to meeting. Going home first was too hard.

 

After work now, getting dressed, face on, etc, at 6p after being home all day is less inspiring. 😮‍💨  But- I do go to the Hall. Because I can and should 😊

[Hope]

This is an evening of wishing to stay home and Zoom.  I slept poorly, busy day, it's raining and windy out.  😕

 

But --- it will be a good meeting tonight. ❤️  See yuz! 😉 

[Hope]

Very good meeting.. and Adam gave the opening prayer 🥰 He didn't know until he got there and I didn't know til he was headed to the stage 😲🥲🥰

 

So pleased and proud and grateful. Definitely something to be in person for 😉

[Qapla]

 

 

[Tronora]

My ipad seem to not want to update from 12.5 to 13   Therefore, my jw-app doesn't update to dark mode. My phone and PCs are fine and dark

[Tia]

On 5/6/2022 at 1:08 AM, Hope said:

Very good meeting.. and Adam gave the opening prayer 🥰 He didn't know until he got there and I didn't know til he was headed to the stage 😲🥲🥰

 

So pleased and proud and grateful. Definitely something to be in person for 😉

Uani,  

I know as a mother you are so thankful to Jehovah and so am I.  I recall years ago of your post(s) how worried you were about him.  And look at him, now

- and I thank Jehovah as well - my son also is making some changes, I keep praying to Jehovah for all those lost ones from the congregation(s) - to return to Jehovah.  Now prayer! - what a beautiful privilege -  what great reminders that we never give up on our  children, but be diligent in prayer to Jehovah Our God who knows their heart(s)

 

Thanks for sharing Sis 

[Sebastian]

Dear friends. Maybe Im missing this but it seems through the Zoom interface on the WT account I cannot start an instant meeting with my personal ID. This is how I did it with all my Bible students... Click the new meeting button and then they can jump in. I can start with my personal ID from a scheduled meeting or through the Zoom website. Is this a limitation with the WT zoom arrangement? How have you gotten around it? Thx!

[Qapla]

Last night was the first time we used the new Closed Caption feature on Zoom. It worked fairly well. Didn't get all the words right and had some difficulty with a few we have that tend to "mumble" or "slur" their words.

 

That said, the deaf sister we have in our Hall was very happy when the meeting was over. Since we started with the hybrid meetings, she has not been able to know what was being said during most of the meeting. She does have some hearing, about 10% in one ear and only about 5% in the other, so wearing her headset only gives minimal assistance.

 

When we were Zoom only most people had their camera close enough, she could read the lips using "speaker mode" - however, with the hybrid meetings the camera is too far from those on the stage for her to read the lips and those making comments at the Hall are not on camera.

 

Although the CC did not get every word totally correct, she was happy with the results since she was able to get the entire meeting.

 

Is anyone else using the CC feature?

 

 

[-Chris-]

On 5/19/2022 at 2:39 PM, Sebastian said:

Dear friends. Maybe Im missing this but it seems through the Zoom interface on the WT account I cannot start an instant meeting with my personal ID. This is how I did it with all my Bible students... Click the new meeting button and then they can jump in. I can start with my personal ID from a scheduled meeting or through the Zoom website. Is this a limitation with the WT zoom arrangement? How have you gotten around it? Thx!

This is a limitation of the WT Zoom arrangement. The workaround is like you found, go to the Meetings section and schedule a recurring meeting (doesn't really matter when you schedule it for) with your personal ID. You can then start this meeting from that Meetings section whenever you need to.

 

This was quite a surprise when the arrangement was announced and the friends started signing up and trying to use their new low cost Zoom accounts. I think it is noted in the instructions where it lists the settings for the account but we didn't pay close attention to those details until digging into the issue.

 

It was a surprise again when we returned for Hybrid meetings for a brother starting our congregation account who hadn't hosted in a while and forgot about the change, he hit the orange button and was wondering why we were asking about all of the texts regarding the meeting not being started...

[Floyd]

9 hours ago, -Chris- said:

This is a limitation of the WT Zoom arrangement. The workaround is like you found, go to the Meetings section and schedule a recurring meeting (doesn't really matter when you schedule it for) with your personal ID. You can then start this meeting from that Meetings section whenever you need to.

You can still do it from the Zoom website. That is the way I have always started the meetings. I have never started a meeting directly from the Zoom app. The browser fills in my username and password but that doesn't happen on the Zoom app so the browser is just easier.

 

[jwhess]

10 minutes ago, Floyd said:

You can still do it from the Zoom website. That is the way I have always started the meetings. I have never started a meeting directly from the Zoom app. The browser fills in my username and password but that doesn't happen on the Zoom app so the browser is just easier.

 

Just curious.  I always sign in from my own app.  How does the Zoom website know your purchased account to allow you to  hold meetings longer than 45 minutes for a group?  Does the website allow you to sign in with youor WT credentials?

[Floyd]

2 minutes ago, jwhess said:

Just curious.  I always sign in from my own app.  How does the Zoom website know your purchased account to allow you to  hold meetings longer than 45 minutes for a group?  Does the website allow you to sign in with youor WT credentials?

I guess it knows from my login credentials when I sign in on the Zoom website. I actually use LastPass to remember my password. I don't know what you mean by WT credentials. Its just my personal email address and password.

 

[jwhess]

1 hour ago, Floyd said:

I guess it knows from my login credentials when I sign in on the Zoom website. I actually use LastPass to remember my password. I don't know what you mean by WT credentials. Its just my personal email address and password.

 

Sorry for not being clear.  Zoom makes a 'basic" version available for free and you can load it in a variety of ways.  It has the limitation of operating (staying open) for 45 minutes if more than 2 persons are online.

 

There is the purchased version which many witnesses bought that allows many more features and once you sign-in, it has no time limit on the session.  But you must sign in with your personal credentials of username and password to get the session going.

 

Then there is the purchased version arranged at a discount by the WT branch office.  This is the one that is being discussed.  You have to make an additional step or two to get logged in.  After the "scheduled meeting" steps, you still need to login to start your session.

 

You mentioned bypassing some of these steps by using the Zoom website.  I just wondered if you were using the WT branch special discount version in this manner of bypass.

[Floyd]

16 minutes ago, jwhess said:

Then there is the purchased version arranged at a discount by the WT branch office.  This is the one that is being discussed.  You have to make an additional step or two to get logged in.  After the "scheduled meeting" steps, you still need to login to start your session.

I set up our Zoom account before the branch offered one and we have been using that for the past 2 years. I then switched to the discounted Zoom license when they offered that. Even the former branch licenses were supposed to be switched to that as well. So we are all supposed to be on the same license for congregation meetings.

 

There is no additional login that I have seen. I login, click Meetings, click Personal Meeting Room, then click Start. The same is true of a scheduled meeting. After clicking Start the Zoom app is opened to that meeting.

 

I had assumed that the new discounted licenses were all the same. Maybe that is not the case.

 

I was originally replying to this:

On 5/19/2022 at 5:39 PM, Sebastian said:

Maybe Im missing this but it seems through the Zoom interface on the WT account I cannot start an instant meeting with my personal ID.

You can still do it through the Zoom website. I thought by personal ID he meant the Personal Meeting Room.

 

 

 

Edited May 21, 2022 by Floyd

[Qapla]

 

[quincy]

On 3/17/2020 at 6:25 PM, rocket said:

That is what our Congregation is getting set up to do also.  We didn't have the camera or KHConf system but do now and should be ready in a week or two.  With so many not so tech savvy elderly it is going to be a challenge to get the apps setup for all to see and hear the meeting.

You can also use the KHCONF video feed, then all they have to do it go to the link and they can see and hear. Only difference is it’s a broadcast not a conference system to viewers can only hear and see not comment. It is also private because if you don’t have the link you can’t get on to it. 

[jwhess]

My Android device updated Zoom to version 5.10.6 today but I still haven't seen the update on my Ipad or phone.