Recommendations on the safety of online meetings of IG 728
As the meetings on www.acafellowworldtravelers.com are run via Zoom some measures are important to support the safety of the meetings.
Every meeting should have a Zoom Host and a Co-Host who helps keep the meetings safe and serene.
Tasks of Host:
- The Host always makes another fellow Co-Host. If the Host is thrown out of the meeting (e.g. fading internet connection) the Co-Host becomes automatically Host.
- Screensharing: Only the Host and the Co-Hosts are allowed to screenshare. If a special fellow shall be allowed to screenshare the Host can make this fellow Co-Host (more than one person can be Co-Host).
- As the meetings are nearly all audio only the Host (and the Co-Host) can mute a video or a microphone if the meeting serenity is disturbed by it.
- The Host closes the meeting “for all” at the end of the meeting. If a meeting is not closed properly, the following meeting can´t start.
- Hosts are asked to be very careful with the Zoom key and to hand it over only to fellows who need it for being Hosts themselves.
- Zoom bombing incident: together with Co-Host plan ahead of time who will unmute, narrate and verbally coordinate the protocols and who will deal with the video, audio and chat aspects of the incident.
Tasks of Co-Host:
- As the meetings are nearly all audio only meetings the Co-Host (and the Host) mute a video or a microphone if the meeting serenity is disturbed by it.
- Be ready to become Host if the Host is accidentally thrown out f the meeting (e.g. fading internet connection).
- Perhaps doing the screensharing.
- Zoom bombing incident: together with Host plan ahead of time who will unmute, narrate and verbally coordinate the protocols and who will deal with the video, audio and chat aspects of the incident.
Precautionary measures against Zoom bombing (partly Integration of WSO Tech Policies)
- The Zoom Host and Co-Host are ready before the participants enter the meeting. This 2-person composition increases the ability to monitor and facilitate a safe meeting for all.
- For the Host and the Co-Host a laptop or computer is recommended to be used to address the situation more effectively and efficiently.
- If an event with a Zoom Bomber occurs the Host or Co-Host addresses the issue. Host will notify participants that the disturbance will be handled and that an active protocol is being enforced. Host should let the participants know that the meeting room will be locked and will be reopened once the threat has been resolved.
- The participants are asked to remain calm. They are encouraged to take their own self-care processes like gentle break from the meeting (turning away from their Zoom application for a few minutes or even logging off briefly and rejoin at a later time). This will allow everyone to be actors of their own accord in their personal safety.
- Technical Protocol done by Host or Co-Host:
- Disable the Chat function.
- Mute all participants by unchecking the “Allow Participants to Unmute Themselves.”
- Uncheck “Allow Participants to Rename Themselves.” This will disable the bomber to keep using different names in the process of discovery.
- Lock the meeting. This function prevents multiple bombers to overrunning the room.
- Find the offending participant’s image.
– Mute the offending participant.
– Stop their video.
– Remove the participant from the meeting and disable them thereby from rejoining the meeting.
- After removing the disruptor, return the meeting to all previous functions and tell everyone what happened and what you did. You may want to continue the meeting with the room locked for a while
All ACA groups or online meetings that would like to join ACA Fellow World Travelers – ACA Intergroup IG#728 for mutual help and support are more than welcome