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I telecommuted for years and almost never used a webcam. A shared desktop has way more potential for something really interesting and valuable being displayed.

I telecommuted for years and almost never used a webcam. A shared desktop has way more potential for something really interesting and valuable being displayed. Watching hoards of people hop on webcams to transmit choppy video information about their face and home seems like wasted bandwidth to me. Edit: addendum, get a headset, transmitting voice clearly with some decent noise cancellation is really important. I buy the cheap logitech h390, like 25 bucks each.

rectang 6y ago
Getting a headset is important, but it doesn't help with latency. That huge amounts of latency are somehow considered acceptable in these communication channels drives me mad.
- replyifuagree 6y ago
  Yeah, I'm in agreement that voice latency has to be fixed. We would switch to text chat rather than deal with voice latency.
- cbhl 6y ago
  We optimized for cost by making things packet-switched. The latency for phone calls on copper wires back in the late 90s was great, but I am definitely glad that a modern video call doesn't require paying, say $3.00/min/person in the way that long distance did back then.
blaser-waffle 6y ago
Been remote for ~6 years now. I've used my camera maybe a dozen times, tops, during that time. +1 for investing in a good headset. Get something that completely covers the ears, and/or has some noise cancelling. I bought a Logitech gaming headset with a good mic and it's made a BIG difference, esp. on days where I'm on 4+ hours for calls.
- rectang 6y ago
  Ironically, what matters most for your own audio quality is that other people use headsets — because feedback cancellation is an extremely difficult algorithm which often malfunctions, and if someone wears a headset that algorithm doesn't have to run. But I'm shouting into the void about that. Most people won't adapt their behavior when it doesn't impact them personally.
  - _nalply 6y ago
    Upstream bandwidth is similar. If someone has bad upstream you receive bad video from them but for them it's just fine.
- kilroy123 6y ago
  Same here, remote for ~6 years. Only used the camera a dozen times. I find it awkward and stressful being on the camera all the time.
orev 6y ago
Having done both for a long period of time, having the “face time” really makes a big difference for communication type meetings. However, it’s not as useful for instructional or co-working type meetings where you really only care about the screen sharing.
metalgearsolid3 6y ago
People are getting really excited about the future of WFH, but oh my god will it be awful for those with managers who need to see your butt is in your seat when at the office. Why should we expect this to change when the home becomes the office? Daily stand ups are now on zoom!
aries1980 6y ago
Anything with a condenser microphone and a wired headset would do, just please don't use Bluetooth headsets. The Bluetooth device is in HSP mode for duplex audio with worse bitrate than a landline phone.

rectang 6y ago

Getting a headset is important, but it doesn't help with latency. That huge amounts of latency are somehow considered acceptable in these communication channels drives me mad.

replyifuagree 6y ago
Yeah, I'm in agreement that voice latency has to be fixed. We would switch to text chat rather than deal with voice latency.
cbhl 6y ago
We optimized for cost by making things packet-switched. The latency for phone calls on copper wires back in the late 90s was great, but I am definitely glad that a modern video call doesn't require paying, say $3.00/min/person in the way that long distance did back then.

blaser-waffle 6y ago

Been remote for ~6 years now. I've used my camera maybe a dozen times, tops, during that time. +1 for investing in a good headset. Get something that completely covers the ears, and/or has some noise cancelling. I bought a Logitech gaming headset with a good mic and it's made a BIG difference, esp. on days where I'm on 4+ hours for calls.

rectang 6y ago
Ironically, what matters most for your own audio quality is that other people use headsets — because feedback cancellation is an extremely difficult algorithm which often malfunctions, and if someone wears a headset that algorithm doesn't have to run. But I'm shouting into the void about that. Most people won't adapt their behavior when it doesn't impact them personally.
- _nalply 6y ago
  Upstream bandwidth is similar. If someone has bad upstream you receive bad video from them but for them it's just fine.
kilroy123 6y ago
Same here, remote for ~6 years. Only used the camera a dozen times. I find it awkward and stressful being on the camera all the time.

orev 6y ago

Having done both for a long period of time, having the “face time” really makes a big difference for communication type meetings. However, it’s not as useful for instructional or co-working type meetings where you really only care about the screen sharing.

metalgearsolid3 6y ago

People are getting really excited about the future of WFH, but oh my god will it be awful for those with managers who need to see your butt is in your seat when at the office. Why should we expect this to change when the home becomes the office? Daily stand ups are now on zoom!

aries1980 6y ago

Anything with a condenser microphone and a wired headset would do, just please don't use Bluetooth headsets. The Bluetooth device is in HSP mode for duplex audio with worse bitrate than a landline phone.