Internet conferences allow users in many locations to connect easily at a low cost and accomplish many of the same things they would in a face-to-face meeting. Of course, many questions and concerns are often raised. One concern many new users of web conference technology ask is whether or not conferencing over the Internet is secure. Since the integrity of confidential information is encrypted in the meeting areas and remains on the host computer, the answer is yes.
In terms of software, many people wonder whether anything will need to be installed and what minimum software requirements are for a computer on which conferencing will take place. In many cases, there is no software that needs to be installed, but a small plug-in will appear the first time the user logs into a conference. There are, however, requirements for processor speed, random access memory, internal hard drive size, minimum free space, monitor resolution, operating system, Internet browser, and Internet connection speed. You should check with your service provider for specific information about requirements. You should also be aware that Macintosh computers are not compatible with conferencing services from all service providers.
Common web conference technical problems can include such issues as inability to run Java applications, continually leaving and rejoining the conference, color banding in the display, problems connecting the conference and reloading, and problems accessing the tools in the toolbar. These types of problems can be caused by a variety of different things and may have a number of solutions. Some browsers encounter resource problems with Java applications; you may want to download the latest version of Java before entering a conference. Poor network connections can also disrupt your participation; you may have better results be reducing the amount of data with low-color hosting, fewer applications, and the use of a window rather than an entire desktop. In many cases, simply closing the Internet browser and then trying to connect to the conference again may solve simple problems.
Individuals who have not participated in a web conference before and are not familiar with the technology often have simple questions about procedures. There are several basic things that everyone who participates in a conference on the Internet should know. One important part of online conferencing is presentation viewing. Presentation viewing means that either a JPEG image or a Power Point presentation has been uploaded into the meeting room in a read-only format. Participants should also know that in most cases, only the presenter has the power to enable others to use the toolbar and its functions. If you are the presenter, you can usually do this by right-clicking on an attendee’s name and choosing “promote” or a similar option, depending on your software and service provider. Most services have chat features that allow users to send instant messages just to specific recipients, and finding out who is participating in the conference is as easy as viewing the attendee list.
If you have read directions or gone through a tutorial of some sort and you still have questions about participating in a web conference, you can direct them to your service provider. Any legitimate and reliable Internet conference service provider should have customer support available at least during normal business hours, if not at all times.
By Kristin Cleveland