r1 - 12 Apr 2006 - 16:17:32 - KatieCappsParlanteYou are here: OSAF >  Journal Web  >  ContributorNotes > KatieParlanteNotes > KatieParlante20060412
If you are running an all hands meeting in whoville (or any open meeting with more than a few people, including some remote people), you need to get all of this right to have a successful meeting (logistically):

If you have a presentation or demo or wiki/website:

  • Show up 20 minutes ahead of time to prepare.
  • Install VNC on the computer that you are going to use.
  • Let Dave know ahead of time that you are going to be presenting in the room, and that you might need his assistance.
  • From whoville, test out your setup with at least one person in the room. (If anything is wrong with the wireless access in the room, you are out of luck and your presentation is not going to work).
  • Make sure the presenter has the remote microphone. Test that the remote microphone works. (If it has been left out of the cradle, you are out of luck and your presentation is not going to work).
  • During your presentation, spell out what you are talking about and repeat details to be clear for remote listeners. Never say "this one is important" -- say "the third tenet, usable localizations, is important".

If you are using the whiteboard

  • Make sure the presenter has the remote microphone. Test that the remote microphone works.
  • During your presentation, spell out what you are talking about and repeat details to be clear for remote listeners. Never say "this one is important" -- say "the third tenet, usable localizations, is important".
  • Make sure you have an irc monitor and a note taker (see below)

If you are the meeting facilitator:

  • Allocate at least 20 minutes for meeting prep, including arranging for a note taker, irc monitor, and other logistics.
  • Close the door to the room so that sounds in the hall do not distract the meeting.
  • Make sure the speakers are evenly distributed around the room. Dial the conference bridge.
  • At the beginning of the meeting, remind everyone that they need to be near a microphone when speaking. Every time someone speaks, pay attention to whether or not they are near a microphone, and interrupt them if they start speaking without one.
  • Listen for light noises coming from the speakerphone. Interrupt other speakers to ask the remote speaker to speak up and make their point.

Supporting roles: note taker and irc monitor

  • Make sure someone is taking notes. Make sure this person has working access to the wiki (no wireless problems with their machine). Make sure this person knows where to put the meeting notes. Arrange for all of these details ahead of time.
  • Make sure someone is monitoring the irc channel. Make sure everyone knows what irc channel you are using ahead of time. Make sure this person has working access to irc (no wireless problems with their machine).
  • Let people know on irc when the meeting is about to begin. Give people on irc the link to the notes page (know this link ahead of time).
  • The notetaker should be checkpointing the wiki page during the meeting.
  • The irc monitor should be watching irc during the meeting, and speaking up with questions or interrupting with logistics problems. The irc monitor can also be repeating information that the remote listeners didn't hear.

If you are a remote listener:

  • Be watching irc during the meeting. Ask the organizer for the irc channel before the meeting if it is not clear.
  • Be watching the meeting notes page during the meeting. Ask for the link if you haven't been given one.
  • Use the irc channel to ask for clarification if you don't hear something well.
  • Make sure your microphone works. Make sure you are speaking directly into your microphone. Speak loudly every time you speak.
  • When you speak, state your name so that everyone knows who is speaking. This also gives the people in the room a chance to stop and not speak over you, as they have no visual cue that you are about to speak. It is probably not needed every time, but it is certainly useful the first time you speak.
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