MoCoGenSo is going to try holding online meetings using an application called ZOOM. We will begin our experiment with the DNA Discussion group. Zoom is a video conferencing system that allows online real-time virtual meetings to be held with from 2 to 100 participants. If this first test works well, we will expand our virtual meeting menu for other meetings. The future is ours to make!
Setup:
Zoom will run on phone, tablets (iPads, etc), and/or laptop/desktop computers. Depending on which device you plan to use, your instructions are a bit different. But for ALL devices, you will need to download and install the ZOOM application first – it’s FREE. If you plan to use a phone, your video will be very small but it still works fine. If you have a choice about which hardware to use, opt for the larger screen because you can see more! Once in the meeting, you can play with the video/audio options to see what works best for you.
Tablets/phones:
Go to your APP store and get the ZOOM Cloud Meetings app and install it. Once installed, you are ready to go when the meeting time comes around.
Desktop/Laptop Computers:
In your browser, go to www.zoom.us . In the upper right corner, click on RESOURCES, then click on DOWNLOAD ZOOM CLIENT FOR MEETINGS. The client will download into your DOWNLOAD folder. Go to that folder and just double click on the file called “zoominstaller.exe” and Zoom will automatically install onto your computer.
Joining the Meeting:
Once Zoom is installed you are ready to go. You do not have to create a Zoom account to join a meeting. You just have to have the software previously installed. On the day of the meeting, we will post a link here that you will just have to click on to join the meeting! This is the experimental part of this, we’ve never posted a link for public access before. You will have to enter your name before joining — everyone in the meeting can see your name. Be sure to agree to video and audio.
You should be able to see and hear each other. A presenter can display their desktop so we can show action just as if we were watching the screen during an in-person meeting. You can enable/disable video while in the meeting. You can also change video to “gallery” mode to see all of us at once or you can set it to “speaker” mode to see only the current speaker.
If anyone has trouble installing the software or connecting to the meeting, you can call me separately and I’ll see if I can help to get you in.
Go ahead, install Zoom and join us for our first “experimental” virtual DNA Discussion group on Wednesday April 1st at 12:00 noon. Like all MoCoGenSo meetings, they are open to all, you do not have to be a member to attend.
By the way, Zoom can be used for free to connect your family members too. Try it!
I will run a test or two before next Wednesday. If you have Zoom installed and are a follower here and receive a post with a scheduled meeting link, feel free to join in. We need to test this, after all. 
