Should You Enable Your Camera on Zoom Calls?

This Slogging thread by Arthur Tkachenko, Natasha Nel, anthony watson, Limarc Ambalina, petar.btc, Akasha Rose and David Smooke occurred in slogging's official #technology channel, and has been edited for readability.

I have a simple question: 📽 Should you enable your camera on Zoom calls?

I'm always making it on. And for me - it's very hard. I mean i'm not used to calls/video calls. But I know that other teammates will enjoy it

Honestly? [When I'm in countries with strong enough internet], I find it distracting to have my own camera on. I typically keep it on for the first 15 minutes and/or while I'm talking, but other than that I prefer having it off. 😄

I think there is some evolving etiquette around this. If others have theirs on and it a meeting where face to face discussion matters as opposed to one person presenting a Powerpoint then cameras are useful. If everyone prefers NO CAMERA then I will turn mine off even if I think it is useful to see everyone's face. On the other hand, politics in business will continue remotely. If I have a great office at home then I want my camera on to show that. If I want to make co-workers jealous I get to work at home I sit in my front yard with the camera on. If I want to smoke a doobie during the meeting I turn the camera off, also.

Why is it hard for you Arthur Tkachenko? I like it on because we are so disconnected from each other right now in the first place. Already being remote and out of the office, why not have some way to see each other virtually? Also it sometimes helps me see whether or not someone is finished talking and I can cut in.

I used to feel the same when it comes to video calls. No matter the occasion, I preferred simple phone calls. However, after COVID-19 hit worldwide and I was sent to home office, I started having more and more video calls for both business and private conversations. At the beginning I was feeling awkward having to talk to another person f2f via my laptop or iPhone. A year later, still working from home, I feel OK and have no problems with having my camera ON in a video call. Maybe I just got used to it :man-shrugging:

Like when using Clubhouse, there's a certain freedom that comes from not being "seen" and "judged" based on our appearance. With just our voice, we can be whoever we want to be.

Really depends on the meeting. Phone calls are still super valuable and video is often not needed. But if you have good internet and if seeing you present helps communicate the value you are presenting, it helps to have video on.

Speaking from an insider's perspective, it's intriguing how Hacker Noon team meetings always have the camera on David Smooke. Coming from the crypto world, the camera is always off, unless you are meeting someone for the first time i.e. to interview them.

Yeah honestly Linh Dao Smooke and I have built a company where (until recently) the only other team members we met in person are Kien Dao & Natasha Nel. I have to say using video calls is a helpful method to team building. Who is this person? What insights do they have? Do they believe in the words they are saying? Seeing him/her/them is helpful. And maybe it’s helpful to share my visual reactions too? Remember when people met in person and made decisions based on more than the words said?

We are building global nations now based on affinity rather than location. I kind of like it. 😄

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