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I'm a big fan of online groups, such as guilds in MMORPGs, message boards for interests such as anime and manga, and school newsgroups distributed over a network via dropping a file in a public folder, even groups such as Kidlink's Newletter Editorial Team, or Edteam. I'm involved quite a lot in some of these groups, and people rely on me- for one this in particular, making meetings.
An online meeting is a complicated thing. While there's no where you have to really go besides your computer and the things almost never auctually start on time, many people still have a lot of trouble to get to them at all. This isn't because they don't want to, it's often because of outside interference, such as a job, friends, technology, or most often- parents. Sometimes, there isn't much you can do against power outages, dead internet connections, or broken computers. But a lot of problems with friends, parents, and siblings can be solved by planning ahead and making them aware that this is something that you’re expected to be at, and by using even a few of these simple tips to make your life easier, and your online commitments easier to make.
Really, it shouldn't be that hard to make a meeting online, so long as the meeting is announced well ahead of the planned date & time and you treat it as you would any other commitment- seriously. Parents especially are bound to treat any online meeting as 'childish' or a 'waste of time'. If you let your parents keep that attitude towards a meeting, then you might as well tell the coordinator that you won't be here and save the person the trouble of waiting for you. But what if my parents do have this view? you might ask. Well, simple really. All you have to do is convince them otherwise. Here are a few tips to do this-
· Explain what the meeting is about, whether a Kidlink EDteam meetingor a quest on a MMORPG. · Explain why this is important to you. Do you have a lot of fun? Are people counting on you to be there, relying on your skills and knowledge? · Tell them when your meeting will be, and where. Don't try and hide the fact that it will be online. Introduce your parents to the coordinator, whether through a medium such as an Instant Messenger or Email. This person can usually quell any fears your parents might have about letting you participate in a chat room (if it's there). Have your parents put something on a family calender if you have one, or tape a note to the monitor of the computer. Letting your parents know about the meeting as far ahead of time as possible has other benifets, as your parents will make sure not to schedule anything for that day, and will do there best to help you get there, including keeping pesky siblings out of your hair. Don't underestimate your parents!
There are also things you must do on your own. While it's a huge mistake to underestimate how much help your parents can be, it's a bigger one to not take any responsibility for the meeting yourself after you've told them about it, and assume that they'll make sure you get there with what you need.
· Write down the meeting in a planner if you keep one, or (again) post it somewhere like a computer screen where you'll see it and remember. My personal favorite is a sharpy and the back of my hand. ('Nuff said) · Make sure you have all the materials you need, such as notes, controllers, a mic, whatever you think you might need. Keep these items on your desk in easy reach, should you need to get them. · If you can't work in a cluttered area, make sure to clean up the area around your terminal beforehand. · Make sure you can log on! If it's on the Kidlink IRC make sure you get on and are familiar with the layout and the commands of Internet Relay Chat beforehand. If you prefer to use a third-party client such as mIRC to logon, get it configured prior to the meeting. If you have any trouble, contact either the coordinator of the event of the person that he/she has designated with the duty of 'Tech Support'. · Finnally, get a good nights rest before hand. If your going to be spending hours in a grueling Everquest Dungeon Crawl, get a waterbottle and some snacks on hand. :P
Well, thats about all I can help you with. Now, all you have to do is show up at the meeting. Remember- · Don't show up on time. Show up early, that way, if your had the time a little off, it won't be quite so bad as if you had missed the meeting. · Make sure that you won't be disturbed! · Have fun! Nothing is so serious you can't have a little fun with it.
Ok, that's about all I can help you with. Good luck with all your meetings! --- By Jacob
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Maintained by Ryan McCauslin |
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