Zoom Overview

Zoom is the main video communication platform for the LF AI Foundation. It is used for running project meetings, committee meetings, virtual events, etc. As Zoom meetings are open to the general public, a Zoom host or co-host must moderate a meeting in all senses of the word from starting and stopping the meeting, to acting on any code of conduct issues. These guidelines are meant as a tool to help LF AI community members manage their Zoom resources.

Full details on meeting management can be found on the LF AI Community Meetings & Calendars page.

Code of Conduct

The LF AI Foundation and it's projects adhere to the Code of Conduct throughout all platforms and includes all communication mediums.

Zoom Account Hosts

Zoom licenses are managed by the LF AI Foundation and a list of Zoom account hosts is available here under the LF AI Community Meetings & Calendars page.

Accessing Zoom Accounts

Details on how to request access to a Zoom account are available here under the LF AI Community Meetings & Calendars page.

Setting Up Your Meeting and Moderation

It is very important that you do not share your Zoom link on social media. This will help curtail trolls and others who would intentionally attempt to disrupt your Zoom call.

To create a meeting with moderation enabled, ensure the following:

Have the latest version of the Zoom client installed
Be logged in as the leads Zoom account associated with the meeting OR use the host key to "claim host"
Configure a meeting setup through the "Meeting" menu in the leads Zoom account.
- NOTE: Do NOT use the "Personal Meeting ID" - This will create an "ad-hoc" meeting that is time-bounded and without moderation capability

After the meeting has started:

Assign a co-host to help with moderation - It should never be your note taker unless it's a very small group
Turn off screen sharing for everyone and indicate only host - If you have others that need to share their screen, the host can enable that on the fly via the ^ menu next to "Share Screen" or by making the presenter a Co-Host

Moderation tips:

Hosts must be comfortable with how to use these moderation tools and the Zoom settings in general. Make sure whoever is running your meeting is equipped with the right knowledge and skills. If you have any questions or concerns, please email operations@lfai.foundation.

If you're dealing with a troll or bad actor:
- Put the troll or bad actor on hold - The participant will be put into a "waiting room" and will not be able to participate in the call until the host removes the hold
  - NOTE: Depending on your client version this will be called "Put in Waiting Room" instead of on hold
- Remove the participant - Please be cautious when testing or using this feature, as it is permanent -They will never be able to come back into that meeting ID on that particular device - Do not joke around with this feature; it's better to put the attendee on "hold" first and then remove if absolutely needed - LF and LF AI Foundation have no ability to fix this for you
- After an action has been taken, use the lock meeting feature so that no one else can come into the meeting If that fails, end the call immediately, and contact operations@lfai.foundation to report the issue
- NOTE: You can find the actions noted above when clicking on the more or "..." options after scrolling over the participants name/information.
Escalating/Reporting a problem:
- Issues that cannot be handled via normal moderation should be escalated to LF AI Foundation, email conduct@lfai.foundation.

Meeting Recordings

Designated Zoom hosts are responsible for posting all meetings to their applicable channel (wiki, GitHub, etc.) If a violation has been addressed by a host and it has been recorded by Zoom, the video should be edited before being posted on the applicable channel.

Details on recording and posting videos are available here under the LF AI Community Meetings & Calendars page.

Screen Sharing Guidelines and Recommendations

Zoom has a documentation on how to use their screen sharing feature. High level recommendations include:

Turn off notifications on your computer to prevent any interference
Close all sensitive documents and unrelated programs before sharing the screen
Test your presentation before hand to make sure everything goes smoothly
Keep your desktop clean - Make sure there is no offensive or/and distracting background

Audio/Video Quality Recommendations

While video conferencing has been a real boon to productivity there are still lots of things that can go wrong during a conference/video call. There are some things that are just plain out of your control, but there are some things that you can control. Here are some tips if you're just getting into remote meetings. Keep in mind that sometimes things just break. These are not hard rules, more of a set of loose guidelines on how to tip the odds in your favor.

Recommended hardware to have:

A dedicated microphone
- This is the number one upgrade you can do as sound is one of those things that can immediately change the quality of your call - If you plan on being here for the long haul, something like a Blue Yeti will work great due to the simplicity of using USB audio and having a hardware mute button - Consider a pop filter as well if necessary
A Video Camera
- A bad image can be worked around if the audio is good - Certain models have noise cancelling dual-microphones, which are a great backup for a dedicated microphone or if you are travelling
A decent set of headphones
- Personal preference, these cut down on the audio feedback when in larger meetings
What about an integrated headset and microphone?
- This totally depends on the type - We recommend testing it with a friend or asking around for recommendations for which models work best

Hardware we don't recommend:

Earbuds
- Generally speaking they are not ideal, and while they might sound fine to you when 50 people are on a call the ambient noise adds up - Some people join with earbuds and it sounds excellent, others join and it sounds terrible - practicing with someone ahead of time can help you determine how well your earbuds work.

Pro-Tips:

Join on muted audio and video in order to prevent noise to those already in a call
If you don't have anything to say at that moment, MUTE - This is a common problem
- You can help out a teammate by mentioning it on Zoom chat or asking them to mute on the call itself
- The meeting co-host can help with muting noisy attendees before it becomes too disruptive - Don't feel bad if this happens to you, it's a common occurrence
Try to find a quiet meeting place to join from; some coworking spaces and coffee shops have a ton of ambient noise that won't be obvious to you but will be to other people in the meeting
- When presenting to large groups consider delegating to another person who is in a quieter environment
Using your computer's built in microphone and speakers might work in a pinch, but in general won't work as well as a dedicated headset/microphone
Consider using visual signals to agree to points so that you don't have to mute/unmute often during a call - This can be an especially useful technique when people are asking for lazy consensus - A simple thumbs up can go a long way!
It is common for people to step on each other when there's an audio delay, and both parties are trying to communicate something - Don't worry, just remember to try and pause before speaking, or consider raising your hand (if your video is on) to help the host determine who should speak first

Zoom Guidelines for Events/Meetups

Please review this early in your event planning stage to ensure you have adequate time to prepare for the Zoom set up, testing, and any other items that may come up. This guide is intended to consolidate information on how to leverage the Zoom platform to host and record events or meetups. If you do not have access to a project specific Zoom account and would like to request a Zoom link for your meeting via LF AI, please first review the details under the LF AI Community Meetings & Calendars page for the requirements, and then if applicable, you can submit the request per the instructions provided.

If you have any questions, please email events@lfai.foundation.

In Person Event/Meetup Zoom Use

What you need to host an in person meeting:

Host laptop that can sit near the room audio system and have enough storage to record the sessions
- A typical all day recording will be around ~500MB - 750MB provided you are not recording video
Pro Zoom account that can be leveraged with no conflicting meetings scheduled
- - See Accessing Zoom Accounts above on how to request a Zoom link for use
- Standard LF AI Zoom accounts can host meetings or webinars with unlimited minutes for up to 500 participants
Setup the Zoom account with the applicable settings for the meeting type (see useful references below)
- If LF AI is providing the Zoom meeting link, the standard recommended settings will be included, any modifications will need to be adjusted accordingly in the meeting (not at the account level) by the host
Presenters/Speakers may need their own laptop depending on your setup for the event or meetup

What you need for Audio:

Conference Call System that can dial to an external Zoom Conference call number and room audio can be heard OR
Audio Adapter to capture audio from the Microphones in the Room

Audio Setup A: If you have a Conference Call System:

From the Host laptop, select "Switch to Phone Audio" from the Microphone option in the bottom left of your Zoom screen
Dial an appropriate number from the available displayed numbers based on your location or audio system
Enter your Meeting ID: XXX XXX XXX
Enter your Participant ID: XX

Audio Setup B: If there is not a Conference Call System:

Use Audio Adapter to connect the Host Laptop to the master out from the room audio mixer
From the Host Laptop, select the ^ option near the microphone option in the bottom left of your Zoom screen and then select "USB Audio"

Presenting:

You must announce that the meeting will be recorded prior to starting the recording
- It is recommended to include the notice in a presentation slide
Ensure that all presenters have the Zoom bridge information at least 24 hours in advance
- Check with each presenter 10 minutes before their presentation begins to ensure they are already connected to the Zoom session and that their microphone is MUTED
Option A (recommended)

Host Laptop is connected to the room projector
Presenter should be connected to the Zoom session before their presentation begins
Presenter shares their screen from Zoom and it will automatically appear on the room projector via the Host Laptop

Option B

Presenter should be connected to the Zoom session before their presentations begins
Presenter connects directly to the Projector when their session begins
Presenter will still share their screen with Zoom

Recording Recommendations:

Occasionally check the host computer to make sure that any remote viewers do not have their camera on
Mute any participants who unmute themselves and have background noise coming in
Pause the recording during long breaks such as lunch or record the meeting is batches if that will be helpful for posting of your meeting recording later

Virtual Event/Meetup Zoom Use