The coronavirus-induced quarantine has made people abandon their offices and start working from home. One of the biggest success stories during this relocation is Zoom, a chatroom that has gone from almost no one having ever heard of it to being a central instrument in our jobs.
And while we all are enjoying the app's features -- most importantly, custom backrounds -- many of us still aren't entirely comfortable with the change. Like, if you get up, the people you're talking to will see that you forgot you're not wearing any pants, if your partner starts a fight and you forget to turn off your mic, they will hear every little detail. And these aren't just hypothetical examples, these things happen.
The good thing is that quite a few hilarious jokes have been born thanks to these fails. That's right, people have been turning the awkwardness behind quarantine communication into memes, and you have to see them.
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For those who are self-quarantining or otherwise isolated due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Internet has transformed from a simple source of entertainment to a vital lifeline almost overnight. Zoom has become one of the most fundamental tools for group gatherings and not only are businesses using it, but families, schools, and groups of friends as well.
According to The New York Times, more than 600,000 people downloaded Zoom in a single day last month. Zoom memes are everywhere now, and social media is full of people screencapping their Zoom conferences with accompanying hashtags like #unity, #isolation, and #coronavirussucks.
All of this buzz made Zoom shares soar this year, valuing the company at $29 billion — more than airlines like Delta, American Airlines or United Airlines.
Zoom has been preparing for this moment since the novel coronavirus outbreak in China. Even then it was evident that its primary customer base — videoconferencing desk workers — would become more reliant on its services while living in quarantine. So the company began closely analyzing its capacity and started hosting free training sessions. In China, Zoom even got rid of its 40-minute limit for free calls.
There are a dozen solutions similar to Zoom, why is Zoom becoming synonymous with virtual meetings? We have been using Google Hangout, Adobe Connect, WebEx and the like for long before...
I use webex for my research meetings. I think it's great and free... other than my internet speed sucking, but everything else is great!
Load More Replies...I was on a zoom for my drivers ed class (that got cancelled) and the teacher had the cameras on, and there were a couple of kids vaping and there was this kid who was writing profanities on a notebook and it was a disaster. Apparently kids were sharing the link and other random kids were joining the drivers ed class for fun.... how bored must you be to do that?!!?
There are a dozen solutions similar to Zoom, why is Zoom becoming synonymous with virtual meetings? We have been using Google Hangout, Adobe Connect, WebEx and the like for long before...
I use webex for my research meetings. I think it's great and free... other than my internet speed sucking, but everything else is great!
Load More Replies...I was on a zoom for my drivers ed class (that got cancelled) and the teacher had the cameras on, and there were a couple of kids vaping and there was this kid who was writing profanities on a notebook and it was a disaster. Apparently kids were sharing the link and other random kids were joining the drivers ed class for fun.... how bored must you be to do that?!!?