Contents
Meeting Link
Members can find the meeting link on this members-only page.
Non-members are very welcome to join, but to avoid malicious attendees we are not listing the link publicly. Those with a genuine desire to join the meeting may contact the webmaster for the link.
Installing Zoom
To take part in a Zoom meeting you will need to install the Zoom application on your desktop/laptop/tablet/smartphone.
The instructions below include screenshots, so that you’ll recognize some key steps when you come to them. However, exactly what you see on your computer will depend on
- the type of device you are using
- the operating system on your device (Windows, iOS, etc.)
- changes made to the Zoom website or application
- Go to https://zoom.us/
In the upper-right corner, you should see the link to sign up. Click on that.
Then fill out your email address
Once you’ve entered your email and clicked “Sign Up”, you will see this (but with your email listed, of course):
Check your inbox for the email and click the link inside it.
Now that your account is active, the software you need will automatically download the first time you try to join a meeting. But you can download it manually beforehand, which would avoid any delays at the time of the meeting. To download it, go to https://zoom.us/download, and click on the “Download” button for “Zoom Client for Meetings”.
Again, this is where various browsers and devices will act differently. Using Chrome on a Windows 10 machine, you will be prompted to save the install file.
Save it. Open the folder in which you saved it, and then run it.
Now you should be ready to join at the time of the meeting.
Updating Zoom
If you installed Zoom for a previous meeting, you might be required to install an updated version of the application before joining the meeting. To avoid delays, you should update well before the meeting starting time.
To update:
- Open the application
- Click on your initials in the upper-right
- (if you uploaded an image, you will see that instead of your initials)
- Click on “Check for Updates”
- If updates are available, you will see something like this window, with a progress bar. Wait for it to complete.
- Once the download is complete, the progress bar will change to two options: “Update” and “Later”. Click “Update”
- The app will disappear, and after a few moments you’ll see this
- Eventually the app will reappear. You may be asked to sign in again.
You’re good to go !!!Attachments area
Using Zoom
Joining
When you click on the meeting invitation, you will be opening an internet browser, not the zoom application. The browser will ask you if you want to open the application. Note: the address shown in the image is subject to change. You should use the latest link sent to you.
Mute and Unmute
When you enter the meeting, your camera (if you have one) will be on and your microphone will be muted.
To unmute or mute, click on the associated control. For a Windows desktop computed, it will appear as a microphone icon located in the lower left corner. You may not see the control until you move your mouse cursor to that area. It may appear in a different location and/or shape on other devices.
In any size group, it is best to stay muted to avoid background noise. As the group size grows, this becomes more important. But once muted, it is common to start talking and forget you are muted. Don’t forget to check!
There is a short-cut for mute and unmute for devices with a keyboard. Simply hold down the space bar to unmute, and release to mute – just like a two-way radio.
View Speaker or Gallery View
You can view only the person actively speaking or a grid with everyone shown at the same time (sort of like Hollywood Squares – yes, we’re all old enough to remember that TV gameshow) . This is controlled by a button in the upper right corner. The button lists the active mode, not the mode you will switch to if you click on it. When it shows “Speaker View”, you are viewing only the active speaker. If you click on it, it will change to “Gallery View”, and you will see a grid of everyone.
Note that when in “Speaker Mode”, any unintended noise (the dog barking, a phone ringing, a TV in the background) from unmuted persons might grab the display away from the person who is supposed to be shown (the person “with the floor”, so to speak). This is never good, but if this happens frequently, the display could switch from person to person in a rapid and disorienting way. This is a prime example of why you should be muted when you are not the active speaker or need to interject with a comment or question.
Sharing your screen
If you want to share something, the control for that will be at the bottom center. Again, this is for a Windows desktop and it may be elsewhere on your device.
After you click “share screen”, you’ll be asked what you want to share.
The first option shows whatever is on your screen from that moment onward. The second option is for opening a whiteboard, so you can sketch things. This could be useful in answering a how-to question.
The purpose of the third option (unique to iPhone/iPad) is unclear. There will be additional options for each application you have running. If you click one, only that one will be shared, even if you yourself are jumping from one application to another. This is a good way to restrict what you are showing to everyone else.
To stop sharing, the control will be top-center. Again, this is for a Windows desktop, and may appear differently on your device.
Chat
If you want to type a question instead of speaking it, open up the chat window by clicking here
You can select whether to chat with everyone, or just one individual (say, if you want to bad-mouth the skipper behind his back). Then type in your message. It will be blank to start. What you see below is an example of what it may look like after typing something. The enter key sends the message. If you want a line-feed, use Shift-Enter.
After you click enter, the message will go to the main window, where everyone’s messages are shown, in order.
This concludes the instructions for loading and using Zoom. If you have any questions, please contact webmaster@hrsms.org.