Instructions for audience

Tuning in

There are two ways to watch the talk:

• Joining the live talk. Those we wish to be part of the Zoom meeting (and hence be visible, and be able to ask questions through the teleconference) are able to join with a computer, or mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet. A camera and/or microphone are needed if you want to be seen and heard, respectively. Due to security reasons, we ask parties to ask for a "seat" on the "seat reservation" page as early as possible, and will send the Zoom meeting instructions by email prior to the talk. Attendance is free, but a Zoom account (free) is required to join the call.  More detailed instructions for those joining the calls appears below.

• Watching the recorded talk offline. The recorded talk will be made available shortly after the talk ends on our YouTube page. (Please leave a comment if you enjoyed it!)

Instructions for those joining the live talk

Before the talk:

• TCS+ talks are given on Zoom. For security reasons, attendees need to have a Zoom account to join the call (a free account suffices).

• When the talk is announced on the blog and by email, register on the online form  so that we know you're interested; the number of seats is not really an issue, but the meeting information will be sent by email ahead of the talk. Joining as an individual is completely OK! No need to be part of a large group to join the meeting.

• 15 minutes before the talk we will send you a link to join the call. Please join at least 5 minutes ahead of the scheduled start to avoid any disruption of the talk.

• The preferred way to join a call is via the Zoom app. You can alternatively join via browser.

• If you are joining as an individual, please use headphones to avoid echo when asking questions.

During the talk:

• Please mute your microphone while the talk is in progress to prevent unwanted noise. (The organizers will mute your microphone if you forget.)

• Asking questions:  even though the online format does not always make it easy we strongly encourage questions. This is valuable both to the audience and to the speaker, who gets limited direct feedback. 

  • The simplest way to ask the question is to unmute your microphone and speak up. As the laptop may not always be easily accessible we suggest using a simple wireless microphone. This works very well and can really enhance the experience. Cheap options are available, e.g., this model is under $20.

  • Another option is to use the built-in chat feature of Zoom. If you type a question, or simply mention "??", the moderator will see this and interrupt the speaker for you.