[pavlov]

Good advice.

IMO, video conference apps should be designed around mute as the default. The only way to unmute should be modal — holding down the spacebar key (or touch UI equivalent).

This hold-spacebar "enter floor mode" event and its matching exit event should be transmitted out of band to other participants, so they'd get the "floor exchange" signal more reliably and a fraction of a second faster than when relying on video to communicate this.

[travisjungroth]

I’m worried this might make it worse. What I’ve seen is people have a harder time getting the floor, so they speak even longer (making it harder for everyone else). Soon it’s just a series of speeches instead of a conversation. Seems like people would have an even harder time giving it up with holding a key. Maybe if you paired it with a “seconds spoken” timer.

[dugmartin]

Zoom has had this as a feature for a while. I use it on long meetings so I don’t accidentally say something dumb out loud when I’m bored.

I think you have to enable it in the options. I’m away from my desk or I would check myself.

[viklove]

Congratulations, you just described push-to-talk.

[juped]

Business-targeted tools don't have this because they're intended for people used to conference calls on a telephone system.

[russell_h]

Zoom has this. Mute yourself, then you can use space bar as a PTT button.