Tips for Zoom Parties
I had a Zoom party with a couple of dozen friends, and it was very nice. The key was properly setting up breakout rooms: It’s hard to have a good Zoom conversation with more than 4 to 6 people at once.
How was it compared to an in-person party? Worse, of course—and better.
Conversations still aren’t as smooth by video as they are in person. Talking over people is more of a problem online than in person. You can’t hug. It’s harder to direct what you’re saying to a particular person just by gesture and eye direction. You’re less likely to spot an old friend across the room.
On the other hand, I got to hang out with friends of mine both from in town and out. One law school classmate Zoomed in from Singapore. Some of the friends were people whom I haven’t seen in many years. And I think many also enjoyed both seeing old friends whom we had in common and meeting some new people, too.
If people had kids, they didn’t have to worry about finding a babysitter. If people were drinking (some were, some weren’t), they didn’t have to worry about the drive back. If people only had half an hour, they could easily pop in for that long.
The secret to any good party is of course to have good guests, and you’re more likely to have lots of good guests once you’re no longer constrained by distance and other factors. Just remember not to limit your guest list to the usual in-town crowd.
Plus, recall all those parties where you didn’t really know anyone, and it was boring and unpleasant and you felt you wasted an hour getting there and an hour getting back? No worries here! I can’t guarantee that all my guests had a great time, but no-one had to w
Article from Latest – Reason.com
