[LINK] travel slashed at Cisco

[Jan Whitaker]

At 10:22 AM 6/02/2009, Roger Clarke wrote:
>(Several score meetings
>of Boards and management committees have taught me that the critical
>success factors are the agenda and skilled and strong chairmanship,
>supported by quality audio-feeds).

 From someone [me] who worked in videoconferencing implementation for 
more years than I like to admit, you are absolutely right, Roger. The 
technology varied, sure, but the lack of attention to the adaptation 
to the medium is mind-blowing. In very few circumstances were/are the 
people using the technology trained. They are thrown into a room that 
has little if any technical support, with a control device. I've 
attended a few run by Austrac and they are pitiful. The person who is 
supposed to support the technology is unknown to the people in the 
room and leaves as soon as a connection is established. Then there is 
the invariable need to fix some bad mic or over-amped speaker causing 
feedback squeals and giving everyone deafness.

No one positions mics appropriately. No one understands camera 
operation. Few get it that everyone in the meeting, including those 
in the remote sites, must be provided with the printed materials IN 
ADVANCE and not as 'handouts' during the meeting.

BUT all that is teachable. It's a pity the organisations that put 
these technologies in provide so little support for using them, 
making for awful if any communication. And when they do, the 
participants often sneer, rather admit that they need to add a new 
skill or two. And DON'T get me started on professors or lecturers in 
the school of medicine at a well-known university. I gave up after that one.

Jan



Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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