How are we going to schedule activities?

[Julian-Dumitrascu]

I focus on two people scheduling a private online talk, but software can be used to schedule other activities, too.
They would need to choose software for scheduling their talk and software for having this talk, unless they use id.
I don’t care for scheduling programs, even if there are many of them and they have evolved. Scheduling is a feature that I want to be part of my main software. I don’t see why we would take a feature out and sell it as a program.

1. One can use a data management program to carry out a plan like the following one.
   1.1 Once these two people agree on the goal, topics, structure, and duration of their talk, person 1 suggests start time 1.
   The program deals with time zones and notifies person 2.
   1.2 Person 2 accepts this suggestion.
   Done.
   The scheduling process ends with the program scheduling the talk, updating the relevant calendars, taking any actions triggered by these updates, and notifying the participants.
   1.3 Person 2 suggests start time 2.
   1.4 Person 1 chooses time 1 or time 2.
   Done.

One can repeat steps 3 and 4 as many times as one likes, and design other methods.
It can take less effort to schedule such a talk.
We can discuss anything that you find challenging or rather costly in this context. Sol teams can increase your related benefit-cost ratio.

2. Costs
   Sometimes people don’t get to talk because something happens. Everybody loses.
   2.1 They use more than one program, which distracts them.
   2.2 They don’t get notified as they would like to.
   2.3 It’s not clear what commands they should give, how they should adjust the settings, or how the software works.

3. To schedule a talk, we can agree e.g. on:

3.1 the participants
We can invite e-mail addresses using a Contact field.
The calling program should let us see the list of participants. They should identify each participant by showing their face, their name, and the address of their main social profile.

3.2 the structure of the talk
We can create it using table columns.
3.2.1 One is not always as ready to talk. One needs quite a few minutes to participate fully in a talk. The more participants, the less is required of each of them e.g. in 2 hours. The more general the topic, the easier it can be to discuss in the beginning.
3.2.2 We can provide (new) context.
3.2.3 We discuss the topic(s) on which we’ve agreed or on which we can focus.
We can choose topics from linked tables. (They call them “referenced applications”.)
3.2.4 We can recapitulate some things.
3.2.5 We can start agreeing on some next steps, e.g. a future talk.

3.3 the computer program
3.3.1 We can choose it from a linked table.
3.3.2 We indicate the call address.

3.4 the starting time
Data management programs indicate times in the time zone chosen in the operating system of your computer.
In order to provide invitees with one more method to indicate whether they’ll participate, to get reminders, and to repeat an activity, we’d use an event application. These three functions are added to the Contact field (the first one) and to the Date field. We can redesign this. For instance, we can allow people to use these two time functions in any (standard) application.
If only one other person is going to participate, they should join the call a couple of minutes before the agreed starting time. I join the call at least 1 minute before the starting time and wait until the starting time.
When we agree that certain people will participate between certain times, they’ll choose whether they observe the agreement or they incur the costs they cause. This applies to any agreement concluded with me.

3.5 the approximate duration of our talk
Every participant should indicate the latest time at which they must leave the call.
I usually reserve the maximum number of minutes for a talk; when we need fewer minutes, we end the talk sooner.
It is also useful that any participant should estimate how much time they’d spend on the call.
Example: One can estimate that in 50–60 minutes they’d get what they want from the call. They can indicate that they could spend up to 100 minutes on the call for the case that they prefer participating in this talk to something that follows in their schedule.

3.6 a test call
E.g. when any participant feels like testing the hardware and the software that should help us communicate, we can schedule a call in which we would discuss or even solve any challenges. On the one hand, this could take a while; on the other hand, a few minutes might suffice, so we can agree to spend 5 to 15 minutes on such a call.
We can discuss the following things, too.

3.7 Are we going to record our talk?
I find recordings useful most of the time.
We should indicate in our data management agreement how we manage the data sets produced e.g. by recording our talks.

3.8 Are we going to transcribe our talk?

3.9 Are we going to broadcast our talk?
If yes, we can indicate the Web address at which we do.

3.10.1 When we require post-quantum encryption, we can talk using e.g.:
3.10.1.1 Pryvate
3.10.2 When we require end-to-end encryption, we can talk using e.g.:
3.10.2.1 Threema
3.10.2.2 Briefing
3.10.2.3 MicroSoft Teams
3.10.2.4 Zoom
3.10.2.5 Meta Messenger

3.11.1 How well does the provider of the calling program communicate with its users?
3.11.2 What is the quality of their customer support?
3.11.3 How well do they fill the room for improvement?

3.12 Do we want to let a participant command the computer of another participant?

3.13 Sharing screens is a widespread function.
We’d filter out programs that still don’t include it. We can use the programs with the most powerful screen-sharing functions.

3.14 Do we want to use a waiting room?
AirMeet has a waiting room. Other programmers call a “waiting room” the possibility for a user to go to the call address before the starting time and to press later something like a Join button.
I like such functions.

3.15 I recommend a moderator for any talk with at least 3 participants.
Programmers are yet to optimise moderation functions, especially in programs for talking.
3.15.1 How can a moderator queue speakers easily with the help of a calling program?
Some programmers let people raise a hand. But we can do better. When did each person want to say something? About what?
3.15.2 It’s sometimes useful to adjust the volume of the sound stream from a participating computer.

3.16.1 Are we going to watch any video together?
3.16.2 Are we going to listen to any sound stream / recording together?

3.17 One can hide one’s background.

One can use the card view to choose the program that meets all their requirements.

[gogo2464]

@Julian-Dumitrascu do you need my email please?

[gogo2464]

@Julian-Dumitrascu I was not able to find you on the 2 latest meeting. is there an issue please?

And thank tyou for the last successfull meeting.