Other than the background (which apparently can be blurred in some software) this is another main reason for audio-only calls. I should be able to be judged by

Other than the background (which apparently can be blurred in some software) this is another main reason for audio-only calls. I should be able to be judged by my words and actions not by what you think my reaction is. That's a huge advantage of working remotely. Most meetings are boring/unnecessary and don't even pertain to most participants. I should be able to work through those or do other things without being negatively judged. Just because some manage decided I should be in a 30-45 minute meeting daily where I participate in about 1-2 minutes max doesn't mean I should have to feign attention the rest of the time. I should be able to take the meeting in bed without lights. Because that is all you're going to get from participants: feigning the emotions that they think they should be having. If you think otherwise, you don't understand human nature and the nature of the master/slave relationship involved in employment. When you as a manager hold someone's livelihood in their hand, thinking that you know what they think about you or about a project or situation based on body language or even speech is naive. My point is to do away with this charade. Employees shouldn't have to act for their managers as they do on-site. That's one of the advantages of being remote. You get the work done and that's all that matters. There are no drinks after work and little non-work bullshit chit chat. People who are into that can save that for their meetup gatherings, actual friends, and maybe a few times a year when the company meets in person (if ever). No wonder there are so many terrible managers if managers think their employees are their friends and that they will get honest reactions out of them. That's so ridiculous. As for whiteboards, there are plenty of better tools than an actual physical whiteboard and in over half a decade of working remotely, I've never had to or had anyone else in the company use an actual physical, primitive whiteboard.