Live Webinars (Zoom) & Meetings
SGGS has discontinued its in-person meetings in favor of live online webinars and meetings using the Zoom video conferencing system.
Attending online events that could be taking place anywhere in the world means you'll need to consider time zones and Daylight Savings Time (DST) when you plan to participate. Here's a list of time zone codes.
The converter will display whether a location uses DST by varying the abbreviation displayed below the location (e.g. The Eastern Time Zone is "EST" for Eastern Standard Time or "EDT" for Eastern DaylightTime).
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Enter a city (eg. Sacramento) or Time Zone (e.g. EST) below "Add Locations". For each location you add after that, you'll see the time there and the time difference (e.g. 2 hrs. ahead).
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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What is a webinar?
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A webinar is a live presentation that you watch/listen to using your Internet-conneted computer, smart phone or smart tablet. Webinar audience size can range from a small group to thousands of people from around the world. You may be granted some degree of interaction with the speaker such as asking a question, which will be heard by the entire audience. Who gets to ask quetions and when is controlled by the person serving as the webinar host. Audience mics are typically turned off during the presentation. Then during a question and answer session afterwards, audience members can take turns asking questions. Exactly how you obtain permission to ask a question will be explained as part of the webinar's connection instructions.
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| 2. |
Which video conference service does SGGS use? |
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SGGS uses the Zoom <https://zoom.us/> video conference service but some online meeting and webinar speakers may use a different service.
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| 3. |
What sort of equipment and software do I need to connect to an online meeting or live webinar? |
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Minimum hardware: a computer or smart device equipped with a speaker. Asking questions requires a microphone (unless the webinar allows entering questions into a chat box). If your device does not have a camera, you will be represtented to the speaker and participants by a generic icon if you have a camera, you will be visible to others if you're in range of your camera. Cameras and mics may be built-in to your device or you can attach external ones. Wearing headphones with a mic provides better audio than relying on the tiny mic and speaker in your computer. Instructions from Zoom.
Required Software: When you connect to your first Zoom-based webinar, the system will ask permission to install the Zoom client app. You can save time by installing the app prior to connecting. If the presenter is using a different service, you must install the client app for that service.
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How do I test my equipment setup?
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Zoom provides an automated one-person meeting that you can join to check whether your setup is working. Click here to go to their join screen.
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| 5. |
How do I connect to an online meeting or live webinar?
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For members-only events, connection instructions will be emailed to current members. For public events, instructions can be found in the SGGS website's calendar entry. In general, this will be a URL (clickable hyperlink) what will connect you to the online session. You may have to answer a few questions such as asking permission to give Zoom access to your camera and mic.
Connection instructions include an agenda and a description of how the presentation will be conducted such as when you will be allowed to ask questions and how to get permission to do so. (Small audience sessions let you press the "raise-your-hand" button to get the host's attention. Sessions with a large audience may require you to register ahead of time. The time allotted for Q&A sessions is always limited with no guarantee that you'll be able to ask your question(s) and you may be limited to one question or a fixed amount of time.
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| 6. |
Is training available? |
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Zoom has extensive online help and training content including videos, blogs and written tutorials. Go to the Zoom home page and select one of the options under the "Resources" menu.
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| 7. |
Problems? |
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When connected to a Zoom-based webinar and you encounter problems, please consult Zoom's FAQ page or their troubleshooing page. Unfortunately, SGGS lacks the resources to troubleshoot and resolve any problems on your end.
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Download the SGGS webinar attendee guide
Download the SGGS meeting attendee guide
If you have any general questions, please send email to SGGS <sggs@sggs.us>.
