使用Zoom(Zoom)等应用程序与同事会面已成为新常态，但大多数人仍只是习惯而已。
虽然群组视频聊天已经存在了一段时间，但很有可能直到现在您还没有真正使用它的理由。这意味着要学习一套全新的礼仪规则和技术准备清单。
好消息是您不必再担心口臭，但您应该在下一次重要会议之前尝试进行以下 Zoom 测试。
准备你的环境
虽然您可能与同事不在同一个物理空间，但Zoom将您的所有个人空间连接在一起。这(Which)也意味着您的环境出现的任何问题都可能成为会议中的问题。什么样的问题？好吧，这取决于个人情况，但这里有一些关键提示：
- 确保(Make)您的环境光线充足。
- 如果可能的话，选择一个有访问控制的地方，比如可以上锁的门。
- 尽量选择不太容易产生回声的房间。有地毯、厚窗帘和软家具的地方(Somewhere)一般都不错。
- 检查房间的噪音源。蜂鸣器、吱吱作响的风扇或其他类似问题会刺激所有其他会议参与者的神经。
- 仔细检查视频流的框架。有什么不恰当或令人分心的东西吗？考虑移动你坐的地方或把那些物体移开。
这不是一个完整的列表，因此请查看您在Zoom会议期间将使用的环境，并尝试考虑是否有任何问题会导致问题。
考虑使用虚拟背景
Zoom提供了用虚拟背景替换背景的功能。这与任何“绿屏”设置相同，但您并不特别需要绿屏。只要你的背景颜色均匀，光照均匀，你应该会得到很好的效果。您的虚拟背景不必完美，但您可以在缩放(Zoom)设置中对其进行测试，以确保它适合您。
如果您没有得到很好的结果，您可以尝试更均匀地照亮背景或投资弹出绿屏。甚至还有一些很酷的想法，比如Webaround 椅子上安装的绿色屏幕(Webaround chair-mounted green screen)，它可以很容易地覆盖整个相机框架。
有一个记笔记的解决方案
这是一个适用于现实会议的准备技巧，但你应该有某种记笔记的解决方案。它可以是笔和纸、带笔的平板电脑或带屏幕键盘的手机。
录制了一些Zoom会议。(Zoom)在这种情况下，您无需在会议结束后做笔记以供参考。相反，笔记对于组织您的问题和反馈很有用。Zoom会议的本质是，轮到您发言时，您可能没有太多时间发言。做笔记可以帮助你充分利用你所拥有的时间。
检查您的屏幕是否适合(Appropriate)共享
无论您是否打算在会议期间与他人共享您的计算机屏幕，请随时准备好这样做。这是什么意思？确保(Make)您的壁纸适合工作，最好将其更改为Windows内置选项之一。关闭所有打开并可能显示私人或敏感内容的应用程序。
如果您可能使用网络浏览器，则可能需要关闭自动搜索完成功能或使用没有搜索历史记录的便携式浏览器。您最不希望看到的是将您在个人时间访问过的网站或搜索词显示在屏幕上以供整个团队查看。
运行互联网速度测试
一旦你找到了一个适合你的会议地点并准备好环境，你应该检查你的互联网速度是否足够。运行互联网速度测试(internet speed test)并检查您是否有足够的带宽来参加Zoom会议。
Zoom群组视频通话的最低要求约为 1 Mbps带宽。这是双向的。上行(Upstream)带宽对于视频通话非常重要。如果您的互联网发送信息的速度很慢，那将影响其他参与者的体验。理想情况下，您需要双向 3 Mbps以确保高质量的高清视频流。
如果速度测试显示您的连接速度不如您的互联网套餐应有的速度，那么您将不得不对您的互联网性能进行故障排除(troubleshoot your internet performance)。这意味着确保有足够的WiFi信号强度并确保您没有处于死角。如果可能，请查看我们的加速 WiFi(speeding up WiFi)互联网指南或考虑使用以太网(Ethernet)电缆。
确保您的网络摄像头(Make Sure Your Webcam)和麦克风正常(Microphone Are)工作
现在，我们来到 Zoom 会议之前可能要做的最关键的测试：确保您的麦克风和网络摄像头正常工作。这是您需要做的：
- 插入麦克风和网络摄像头
- 如果出现提示，您可能需要为它们安装软件或驱动程序。通常这是一种即插即用的体验
- 打开缩放(Zoom)
- 选择设置齿轮(settings cog)
- 选择视频(Video)
- 从下拉列表中选择正确的网络摄像头（如果适用）
- 检查预览以查看它是否看起来不错（或者是否完全显示）
- 调整(Adjust)其他设置，例如高清质量，以满足您的需要
- 选择音频(Audio)
- 确保为(Make)扬声器(Speaker)和麦克风(Microphone)选择了正确的音频设备
- 依次选择测试扬声器(Test Speaker)和测试麦克风(Test Microphone)以确保它们正常工作
我们还建议您勾选“加入会议时将我的麦克风静音”复选框，因为这只是一种礼貌。此外，它还可以防止您因为忘记将麦克风静音而意外说出您不想让会议中的其他人听到的话。
有关详细的Zoom设置说明，请查看如何设置和使用 Zoom – 它比 Skype 更好吗？(How To Set Up & Use Zoom – Is It Better Than Skype?)寻求专家建议。
如果您的网络摄像头不工作，请转到Zoom 会议摄像头不工作时的快速修复(Quick Fixes When Your Zoom Meeting Camera Isn’t Working)，以便立即解决问题。
加入测试会议
加入Zoom(Zoom)会议之前流程的最后一步是调用Zoom测试会议服务。只需(Just)前往https://zoom.us/test并按照说明进行操作。您将能够确认您的所有设备都在工作，以及您对会议的其他参与者是否听起来不错。如果您在此处遇到与麦克风、相机或互联网连接有关的任何问题，那么您只需再次查看上述检查列表即可找到问题所在。
花一些时间学习如何录制 Zoom 会议(how to record a Zoom meeting)。您还可以学习如何主持 Zoom 会议(how to host a Zoom meeting)。
出现技术问题(Problems Happen),然后生活(Life Happens)
我们希望您的 Zoom 会议顺利进行，没有任何障碍，但您必须知道的最后一件事是，有些事情是您无法控制的。您无法进行任何准备或备份来确保会议顺利进行。技术问题总是会发生，你应该顺其自然。
对于非严格技术性的事物也是如此。如果你的猫在桌子上跳起来挡住相机，那就是生活。不值得为此烦恼。我们都是人类，现在我们都生活在不正常的环境中。所以放松一下，享受您的会议，并请放心，您已尽一切可能在会议前运行正确的Zoom测试。现在您需要做的就是学习如何在 Zoom 通话中假装注意力(fake paying attention in a Zoom call)。
7 Zoom Tests to Perform Before Your Next Meeting
Meeting with yоur colleagues using аn app like Zoom is the new normal, but most people are still only getting used to it.
While group video chat has been around for some time, there’s a good chance that until now you’ve never really had a reason to use it. Which means learning a whole new checklist of etiquette rules and technical preparation.
The good news is you don’t have to worry about bad breath anymore, but you should try to do the following Zoom tests before your next important meeting.
Prepare Your Environment
While you may not be in the same physical space as your colleagues, Zoom connects all your individual spaces together. Which also means any problems your environment has can become an issue in your meeting. What sorts of problems? Well, it will depend on individual circumstances, but here are a few key tips:
- Make sure that your environment is adequately lit.
- If possible, pick a place with access control, like a door that can be locked.
- Try to choose a room that’s not too prone to echoes. Somewhere with a carpet, thick drapes and soft furniture is generally good.
- Check the room for sources of noise. A beeping device, squeaky fan or other similar issue will grate on the nerves of all the other meeting participants.
- Check the framing of your video stream carefully. Is there something inappropriate or distracting in view? Consider moving where you sit or moving those objects out of the way.
This isn’t a comprehensive list, so look around the environment you’ll be using during your Zoom meeting and try to think if anything would cause problems.
Consider Using a Virtual Background
Zoom offers the ability to replace your background with a virtual one. This works the same as any “green screen” setup, but you don’t specifically need a green screen. As long as your background is a uniform color and evenly lit, you should get good results. Your virtual background doesn’t have to be perfect, but you can test it in the Zoom settings to make sure it works for you.
If you’re not getting great results, you can try lighting the background more evenly or invest in a pop-up green screen. There are even cool ideas like the Webaround chair-mounted green screen which makes it pretty easy to get coverage of the entire camera frame.
Have A Note-Taking Solution
This is a preparation tip that applies to real-life meetings as well, but you should have some sort of note-taking solution. It can be a pen and paper, a tablet with a pen, or a phone with an on-screen keyboard.
Some Zoom meetings are recorded. In which case you don’t need to take notes intended for reference after the meeting has ended. Instead, notes are useful for organizing your questions and feedback. It’s the nature of Zoom meetings that you probably won’t have much time to speak when it’s your turn. Keeping notes helps you make the best of the time you have.
Check That Your Screen Is Appropriate To Share
Whether you plan to share your computer screen with others during the meeting or not, always be prepared to do so at a moment’s notice. What does this mean? Make sure your wallpaper is appropriate for work, it’s probably best to change it to one of the Windows built-in selections. Close any applications that are open and might display private or sensitive content.
If you’re likely to use a web browser, you may want to turn off automated search completion or use a portable browser with none of your search history. The last thing you want is for websites or search terms you’ve visited on your own personal time to show up on screen for the whole group to see.
Run an Internet Speed Test
Once you’ve found a good spot for your meeting and have prepped the environment, you should check whether your internet speed is adequate. Run an internet speed test and check whether you have enough bandwidth to take part in a Zoom meeting.
The minimum requirement for a Zoom group video call is about 1 Mbps of bandwidth. That’s in both directions. Upstream bandwidth is very important for video calls. If your internet is slow in sending information, that’s going to affect the experience for other participants. Ideally you want 3 Mbps in both directions to ensure high-quality HD video streaming.
If the speed test shows that your connection isn’t as fast as your internet package should be, then you’ll have to troubleshoot your internet performance. That means making sure there’s enough WiFi signal strength and ensuring you’re not in a dead spot. Check out our guide on speeding up WiFi internet or consider using an Ethernet cable, if possible.
Make Sure Your Webcam and Microphone Are Working
Now we come to perhaps the most critical test to do before your Zoom meeting: making sure your microphone and webcam work. Here’s what you need to do:
- Plug in your microphone and webcam
- If prompted, you might have to install software or drivers for them. Usually this is a plug-and-play experience
- Open Zoom
- Select the settings cog
- Select Video
- Choose the correct webcam from the dropdown list, if applicable
- Check the preview to see if it looks good (or if it appears at all)
- Adjust other settings, such as HD quality, to suit your needs
- Select Audio
- Make sure the correct audio device is selected for both Speaker and Microphone
- Select Test Speaker and Test Microphone each in turn to ensure they’re working
We also suggest that you tick the box “Mute my microphone when joining a meeting”, because that’s just good manners. Also, it prevents you from accidentally saying something you don’t want the rest of the people in the meeting to hear, because you forgot to mute your mic.
For detailed Zoom setup instructions, check out How To Set Up & Use Zoom – Is It Better Than Skype? for expert advice.
If your webcam isn’t working, head over to Quick Fixes When Your Zoom Meeting Camera Isn’t Working to get that sorted in no time.
Join a Test Meeting
The last step in the process before joining your Zoom meeting is to call the Zoom test meeting service. Just head over to https://zoom.us/test and follow the instructions. You’ll be able to confirm that all your gear is working and whether you sound good to the other participants in the meeting. If you encounter any issues with your mic, camera or internet connectivity here then you can simply go through the list of checks above again to find the issue.
Take some time to learn how to record a Zoom meeting. You can also learn how to host a Zoom meeting.
Technical Problems Happen, Then Life Happens
We hope your Zoom meeting went well and without any hitches, but the last thing you have to know is that some things are just out of your control. There is no amount of preparation or backups you can put in place to make sure that your meeting will go off without a hitch. Technical problems can always happen and you should just roll with them.
The same goes for things that aren’t strictly technical. If your cat jumps up on the desk and blocks the camera, that’s just life. It’s not worth getting worked up over. We’re all human beings and we’re all living under abnormal circumstances right now. So chill out, enjoy your meeting and rest assured you’ve done everything you reasonably could to run the right Zoom tests before your meeting. Now all you need to do is learn how to fake paying attention in a Zoom call.
