The recent failure by the RB Planning Board to make their meeting accessible on ZOOM denied many of us from making an input to their recent deliberation about 176 Riverside. While it’s obviously preferable for meetings to be “real” rather than “virtual“, for many, those with mobility issues, care responsibilities, or who just can’t be there is an important part of hearing the greater community’s voice. I mean, accountability, equity and democracy are good things, right?
I don’t think I’ll be the only person who recalls the long-lamented Ziad Shehady extolling his vision of borough meetings being broadcast on local TV and thinking, hmmm, maybe?
Well, a global pandemic and evolving technology meant that that vision became so last century and contingency meant we entered the golden age of ZOOM.
I think most people now are familiar with this computer and cellphone app. Some are more than familiar. Personally, I have been managing and taking part in four or five ZOOM meetings a week for the last couple of years or so, frequently over 100 participants and once or twice with over 1000. So, I wouldn’t call myself a ZOOM professional, but there again, who is?
Despite that, I have learnt one or two things:
- A person cannot take part in AND administer a public ZOOM meeting
- It’s really quite easy to manipulate and stifle access legitimate debate
- Competant management prevents so-called “zoom-bombing”
- A hybrid (real/ZOOM) meeting can be conducted with an old laptop and a couple of $50 webcams, plus competent administration – ask me how I know…
I trust the boro’ team looking into hybrid ZOOM meetings will be taking observations from the public. For a start, I’d turn on “Comments“, and show the “Participants” list. The participants list actually puts raised hands in order, so it’s obvious when panel members are messing about with discussions, ignoring some hands, moving others up the list, and, their favourite, saving the local party apparatchik until last.
Anyone who feels the need to see who else is participating in a boro’ ZOOM meeting and share thoughts with them is invited to use this WhatsApp group, “Talk About Red Bank“:
WhatsApp Group Invite
Or pointing their cellphone camera at this:
Pip-pip!
