[mr_tristan]

I’ve noticed that video chats are great when they complement detailed asynchronous communication, e.g., RFC-style doc or a produced video. The best video conference work meetings tend to be: read a doc for 10 mins and then everyone launches into a Q&A. Discussions are usually vastly better; questions are detailed and focused, more people engage, etc.

When companies just try to take, say, a round-robin update meeting and move it online, it’s usually a waste of time. Or a 50 minute presentation where someone’s just winging it with a PowerPoint.

I wouldn’t even bother an online course where they just setup a web camera in class and follow a lecture.

It’s like videoconferencing has gotten so cheap and easy, it allows for sloppy planning and presentation. I dropped several classes in college because the lecturer didn’t bother even learning how to present with a mic, speak clearly, etc.

Companies should just ask for quick anonymous feedback after meetings just to set up an improvement loop.