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Our book club used to meet in a tiny cafe in Denver, now it's all on a screen
Three years ago, our group of ten would argue about the ending of 'The Goldfinch' over cold coffee at that spot on Colfax. Last month, we tried a video chat for the first time to discuss a new mystery novel. It felt weird trying to talk over each other's lagging connections. I miss the way someone would slam their hand on the table to make a point. Does anyone else's online group have a trick to make the debates feel more real?
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william_carter1mo ago
But doesn't a moderator just make it feel more like a class? The messy talking over each other was half the fun of being in the same room.
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grantadams1mo ago
Saw a tip about having one person act as a moderator to call on people, like a real meeting. It cuts down on the awkward talking over each other. Might help your group get some of that debate energy back.
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gavinw451mo ago
Yeah, I feel you on this. That lag and the awkward silence before someone jumps in really kills the vibe, doesn't it? I think @william_carter has a good point though, too much structure can make it feel like a classroom instead of a hangout. In my experience, what worked for a group I was in was to actually have everyone mute themselves except for the person who's talking, and then unmute when they want to respond. It's not perfect, but it cut down on the worst of the tech frustration. Your mileage may vary, but maybe give that a shot before you throw in the towel on the video chats.
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