10 replies to this topic

[Timothy Jenney]

Now, that we've had a few internal "trial run" webinars, we are prepared to offer some tips for attendees.

Pre-register for the webinar of your choice. There is no charge, but space for "live" attendees is limited, so register early, then be sure you show up! You will receive an "acceptance" e-mail about 24 hours before the webinar begins. Follow its instructions to log in.

The first time you attend one of our webinars, plan to log in about 10 minutes before the start time. You will be asked to download a piece of software [do so] and to check your system for various media players [You will need Quicktime.]. Then let the program load [It's called Meeting Center.] and take some time to click around and get used to the interface.

You will need a computer with a good internet connection. The ideal connection is an Ethernet cable to your cable modem. Slower connections (dial-up, wireless networks, etc.) result in poorer performance, making it harder to enjoy the webinar. Yes, you can log in using an iPhone!

Text chat is always available during a webinar.

You have two choices if you want live audio [recommended]. You can use a telephone by dialing the number for the webinar. You'll be asked to enter the meeting number and your attendee number. [The information will be in your invitation e-mail.] The number is not toll-free, so you will have to pay long distance charges for the connection time (but hey, the webinar itself is free! ).

The other option is to use VoIP [voice over internet protocol]. You'll need a computer with a mike and a set of headphones [to avoid feedback]. VoIP really puts a strain on your internet, so here is where a high-speed, wired connection really pays off.

In either case, use WebEx's "raise hand" option to ask a question or give feedback. I'll recognize you and "pass the mike" to you, so everyone can hear your comments. Remember that we will be recording each session, so keep your comments short, pertinent and please be respectful to everyone in the session.

Finally, you will be able to see me with streaming video, but not yourself or other attendees. [So you do not need a webcam.] We have found multiple simultaneous streaming video sources really slows the whole system down, causing crashes on some computers.

That's it!

I hope you find this information helpful—and I hope to see you soon in one of our webinars.

Blessings,
Dr. J

[Guntis]

Help! I still can't find where I can join this webinar! I'm forwarded to "Register for Searching the Bible" which says that my email address is already registered...
Oh, finally managed to join, but the sound quality is utterly poor, can't recognize even a single word.
Quit Meeting Manager, joined again, but again the same sound problem - instead of normal human voice I just hear some rumble... Video is OK, screen sharing works, but I can't hear anything... Sorry.

Edited by Guntis, 27 January 2009 - 01:46 PM.

[JCS]

I was able to join the seminar and hear everyone on the phone, but I was never asked to download any software that would give me access to WebEx or the Meeting place. Did I miss something?

[Timothy Jenney]

I was able to join the seminar and hear everyone on the phone, but I was never asked to download any software that would give me access to WebEx or the Meeting place. Did I miss something?

Hi, JCS!

Some of our users have been asked to download, others not. I am not sure if it is the variety of system software they have—or whether they have one of several current plug-ins. I just know it happens at times. We wanted folks to know that it is OK to download, if asked.

So, no, you didn't miss anything!

Thanks for attending!

Dr. J

[Helen Brown]

I was able to join the seminar and hear everyone on the phone, but I was never asked to download any software that would give me access to WebEx or the Meeting place. Did I miss something?

Did you see the presentation or just listen to the voice?

[JCS]

Did you see the presentation or just listen to the voice?

I only heard the voice. I could see no presentation.

[Timothy Jenney]

I only heard the voice. I could see no presentation.

JCS,

I am very sorry to hear that!

It's odd that you could hear the voices though... One possible answer to this issue is the way the browser hands off the webinar to another program [plug-in]. If you happen to click on a browser window while this is happening, you don't realize Meeting Manager is running somewhere in the background. I know I did that the first time I logged in. Next time, check for a blue/green globe in your dock. Click it, if you find it, it should bring Meeting Manager to the forefront.

Dr. J

[Timothy Jenney]

Help! I still can't find where I can join this webinar! I'm forwarded to "Register for Searching the Bible" which says that my email address is already registered...
Oh, finally managed to join, but the sound quality is utterly poor, can't recognize even a single word.
Quit Meeting Manager, joined again, but again the same sound problem - instead of normal human voice I just hear some rumble... Video is OK, screen sharing works, but I can't hear anything... Sorry.

I'm very sorry we haven't been able to resolve this sound quality issue. The telephone call-in is working very well, but I realize that this does not help our international users. We thought we had the VoIP issue solved Saturday, but it cropped up again in this webinar. We have been advized to use telephones rather than VoIP whenever possible, so I suspect others are also having difficulty with this feature. Some of it does seem to be linked to available bandwidth, the reason we eliminated multi-point video. If someone has a slow internet connection, WebEx just shuts off the VoIP audio. This is particularly frustrating to us in your case, as international users are the very people for whom we wanted VoIP! However, there are many countries that simply do not offer high bandwidth connections yet.

Try to be patient with us as we work this out. Meanwhile, we hope to make recorded sessions available soon.

Blessings,
Dr. J

[Donald Stidwell]

I just went to set up the WebEx meeting software, and Java says it can not verify the authenticity of the certificate. I went ahead and installed it anyway, but this may give pause to some users what with all the threats on the web these days.

[Timothy Jenney]

I just went to set up the WebEx meeting software, and Java says it can not verify the authenticity of the certificate. I went ahead and installed it anyway, but this may give pause to some users what with all the threats on the web these days.

You are so right, Donald! Thanks for the "heads up." I'll mention it to WebEx tomorrow.

I notice that I get a lot more of those messages, now that Jan. 1, 2009 has come and gone. I think some of these web site people are still on vacation!

Blessings,
Dr. J

[Timothy Jenney]

Beginning February 17th, we will be using telephone connections exclusively for our webinars. Attendees will need connect via telephone to connect in order to hear the audio [We are sorry, but VoIP is simply not reliable enough to continue to use.]. We recommend users consider using a comfortable headset for convenience each session.

The telephone itself can be analog, digital, wired or wireless (yes, iPhones are supported!), even a Skype account. In addition to the number contained in your invitation e-mail, a list of global call-in numbers is available on-site on the "Info" pane once you log in. While Skype is probably the least expensive choice overall, these other international numbers are available for your use.

We believe this change will eliminate the audio problems we have experienced, and make for much more enjoyable sessions.