I’ve been doing a couple freelance jobs for extra money. One requires a great deal of video conferencing. I have learned that I do not excel at video conferencing and at the moment I knew this with certainty, my recorder was close by, so I recorded some thoughts on the subject. Then an audio producer in London heard it and did a remix version of it. So here is a short dip into my state of mind during this election season, this world burning, this age of video conferencing. There is some justifiably strong language.
Credits
Arlie Adlington, Audio producer for podcasts and radio
Maya Goldberg-Safir, an excellent person who also happens to be the artistic director of The Third Coast Festival
Love it. Wanna use it on my show tomorrow as part of a mad collage during the second part of the show.
I’ve found sometimes with this sort of new fangled technology that when you switch from one platform to another, perhaps like zoom to google meat up the settings can get altered without warning or something like that. Thus, with some things I have to use two completely separate programs to do something I should be able to do with one, because the settings are different and I can’t get them in sync, except manually each time I switch, which is a royal m-f-ing pain in the ass to go inside and change the settings each time I do something. So yeah, you’re not alone. Thankfully, I’m not having to enter Dante’s video conferencing hell much.
Hang on. There’s light at the end of the tunnel. The only problem is there’s no tunnel. We have a big job building it.
In the meantime . . .
Love this, Erica! I think you’ve captured the sentiment felt by so many of us right now.
This is so great–both the remix and the thoughts about each of our slippery slope. And to think I laughed at my now-dead parents when my brother offered to go into town to rent a video for their new VCR, and my dad said, “Can’t you just use the one in the phone machine?”
I thought during your intro, “Isn’t that cool she can say, ‘I have to do freelance work so I haven’t had time to do this'”; not that it’s so fabulous that you need to take on more work, but that everyone will know what you’re talking about and be right there with you.
Whatever the tech agitá, it’s also happening NOW, when Wal-Mart has to stop selling guns & ammo because there’s an election coming up. Hang in there, and keep breathing, in the woods if possible. Really enjoyed the piece. Thanks!
You’re not alone Erica! Also – the guy in New York sounds like an unhelpful jerk…
It wasn’t actually New York Man who was shaking his head disdainfully. That was another guy who was trying to ‘help’ me. But yeah. It was awful. I think everyone by now has had that experience of being able to see someone on the computer and not be able to communicate….and it is the most uncomfortable, helpless feeling. I’d be quite happy if I never had to use video conferencing again.
YES! I have several bruises on my hands, badges of my frustration. Stuck at home with Zoom and Google Meet, Facebook, etc. New pandemic restrictions in place, my only access to the world outside. What the hell. At least my adopted kitty sits on my lap and rubs her cheek against my iPAD until it crashes to the floor. Time for supper!…Keep on trucking (that tells you how old I am)…
Best to you.
i’m WITH YOU erica. not good at zooming, because i resist.
going back to your podcasts helps bring back the nek of vermont, which i miss deeply. washington is crazy
btw i see your friend larry occasionally
Hello! I have just discovered you; I’m absolutely loving all the episodes and your quiet, thoughtful & smart interviewing style. I heard the Fin episode on Feed the Queue, and now I’m going through all your episodes. Love them all! Nice job on the podcast 🙂
Thank you Yula!