Despite my concerns about equity and inclusion with regard to tech, I strongly recommend that a strong expectation that things like muting of microphones, arriving early to test sound and any other tech (video, chat room, direct messaging.) should be built into the culture of online meetings. New attendees should receive onboarding and a chance to get up to speed before the first "official" synchronous meeting.?
But, internet connections sometimes fail or lag, there are echoes that will crop up, dogs will bark as soon as you unmute, and that will require empathy. Just like when the office manager pops their head in during a meeting, someone on your team has horrid hay fever and can't stop sniffling, or the fire alarm goes off or an ambulance drives by an office building. I think we like to romanticize the "quiet attentiveness" of a meeting room when we hear the aforementioned dogs or kids or coughs. Reality though? It might not be the kids or the dog, but you still have disruptions.?
Tarrant