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I have worked, and played with computers since 1982. Never one for video conferencing etc. I’ll chat, text, remote control/view other computers to help out, but I just haven’t done video contact yet. You can bet I’m no Tom Selleck by a long shot.
Along came the virus
The voice mail instructed me to, “Stay home, reduce exposure to the coronavirus. Your doctor will service your appointment via video chat”. They instructed me to install “WhatsApp” on my phone. I’ve never used it, but being an old nerd it wouldn’t be a problem at all. As the kids say, “I’ve got this”. Turns out, I didn’t “got” this.
Less than a minute
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The problem arose, when I was not ready to video chat. Early at eight am an assistant from the doctors’ office calls by voice to ask a few questions. No problem, I’m just sitting and sipping coffee in my home office/man cave. Very casual. We’re talking sleep wear and T-Shirt. Less than a minute after hanging up with the assistant nurse, the phone rings, and immediately goes to video chat. I’m sitting here in my T-Shirt and tighty-whities staring at the nurse. Fortunately, I managed to not spray the last sip of coffee all over the phone, and kept the phone level to avoid showing anything below the chest.
Any other time, a visit to the saw-bones, would have a 30+ minute wait time in the lobby. But no, this had to occur in rapid fire session. Truthfully, I don’t remember what we even discussed. I was more in a state of shock, and wondering if the heat I felt from my face, would show up on her phone.
Do any of you video chat? If so, have you had any interesting mishaps. I’d love to know, I’m not the only video klutz in the world.
Comments welcome,
My wife has done this for a very long time, free of charge by using Facebook. I cannot imagine liking it at all, especially with strangers, or nurses. 🙂 It has come into its own for her recently, as she is able to see her new baby granddaughter, and chat to her grandson.
Best wishes, Pete.
Michelle has used it to talk to the grandson, he likes it. We didn’t really have it when I was working, but I hear they even take testimony over it now, in some cases.
Best wishes, Ron
It won’t be too long before it is ‘compulsory’, I suspect. 🙂
Nope, no video chat for mebut I laughed out loud AGAIN, Ron. I adore you!
I’m happy you liked it, Lara. Laughter is the best medicine.
I’ve done Zoom with friends but I knew it was coming so I even combed my hair! I got an email from my dermatologist saying they were going to video appointments too. My problem is that my next appointment is for a full body cancer scan. So, do I sit here naked moving the monitor around the various parts? Suppose someone snaps a picture and it’s out there in the internet. Once seen that can’t be unseen! Not a pretty picture. I’m postponing my appointment.
Great comment Kate. Full body scan! That would be a hoot. Now that you mention it, I’m not sure if I had brushed my hair down or not. I may have had a Jack Nicholson hairdo going on.
hehehe! 🙂
Funny story! I’ve done a few video chats, the most recent a few “get togethers” via Zoom with friends. I really enjoyed it BUT, I really hate how I look. Why does ones image in the mirror look so much better than on a video chat? Somehow the camera picks up EVERY wrinkle and blemish (not that I have any… 🙂 ).
I wonder if it’s the indoor lighting. I notice pictures of me look better outside, than the webcam inside. Not that there is any improvement for me.
Granddaughter in the Netherlands with Husband and 4 greats, do it all the time.
Sounds like I need to get in the loop. I’d rather talk than text. Most people now, carry on long conversations via text. I don’t follow that.
HAHA! I can just imagine your distress, or should I say dis-dress! First of all, just cuz you can see then doesn’t mean they can see you – unless you have your camera turned ON. The default should be that your camera is OFF when u get a call. Then you can decide whether or not you feel up to being seen. I’m guessing in your tighty-whities the answer was no. LOL! Next thing, you should only be visible from waist up. No? That’s what I find here. If it shows too much of you, you can always tilt your phone up. You ARE on your phone, right?? Not on your desktop/laptop? Just checking. 😀
For me, I have to confess that vanity prevails, and unless I like how I look, that camera stays off! Happily (I guess) I seem to be getting less vain the older I get – so now I let my son and his wife see me in the morning unadorned if they call me from NY, no lipstick even! Wow! Hey, there was a time I used to put on full eye makeup just to go down to get the mail. My motto was: “You never know when you might meet a potential Prince Charming!” Well, now I’ve met him, and he lives here with me, so I don’t care! 😀
Yes, it should be just the upper torso in the shot, unless you’re a lutz like me. I didn’t even have time to set up the finer settings before they call, and apparently the app defaults to answering with video/camera active. At least that’s what it did to me.
I like your Prince Charming outlook.
Defaults to camera active? Grrr. 😀
Hahaha!!! That cracked me up! I think the other problem happens when you forget you’re on video chat and start making faces because of something the other person says like rolling your eyes and stuff like that.
I hadn’t thought of the facial slip ups. That could lead to a lively result.
My husband “attended” a staff meeting today with his camera “accidentally” turned off. It worked much better than the alternative! I loved the horror encounter with the nurse. At least you and Michelle weren’t catching up on alone time when she called.
These devices can embarrass you at the worst time. Michelle, would have killed me if that happened. Thanks for the laugh!
I can’t stand to be depressed as well as confined, so I am finding all the humor I can. Thanks.