How to follow and participate in videos
The video stream will be available on: https://video.debconf.org/; Please see that page to access the stream in your browser, or to get instructions to watch the stream in a video player.
To be an active participant in a BoF, you'll need to get the room password, ask on #minidebconf-online for this. If you want to be a more passive participant, please watch the stream. You can still relay questions and comments. Prepend your question in #minidebconf-online with "QUESTION:" and it will be relayed to the room.
Tips for presenters
We use #minidebconf-online-speakers on irc.debian.org for coordination and testing with speakers.
We'll be using https://jitsi.debian.social for recording and streaming talks. You'll be provided with a room name before your talk starts. For ?BoFs, all members of the BoF will receive the password. Casual participants will follow via stream and can ask questions via IRC.
We provide https://jitsi.debian.social/test-area as a test area, we highly recommend that you try out whether jitsi audio/video/screensharing works fine there before you present. Please ask somebody else to come into the test area if is empty in order to properly test audio/screensharing.
- If you use Firefox, try to use version 76 or newer. In Firefox, you will not be able to share a specific full screen if you have multiple displays. If you need to do this, try Chromium for your talk instead (or if you can, share just a full screen window in Firefox).
- Jitsi tends to give focus to people who start sharing screens, if you see the talkmeister or someone else get focus in Jitsi, don't be disturbed by this, the stream that is shared from the jitsi isn't the view that you see, instead it will be shared from a director who will ensure that the stream which is shared will stay focused on you and your slides.
- The talkmeister will also be a participant in the jitsi call, they will indicate via a small banner when you have 15 minutes, 10 minutes and 5 minutes left in your talk.
- Lighting is your friend! If you're using a webcam for your session, make sure your environment is well lit, you want the light in front of you, not behind you. Using a lamp like a bedlamp can make a big difference.
- The stream will be 16x9 so we recommend to prepare your slides in 16x9 rather than 4x3 format.
- For sharing slides, you can either share a window or an entire screen. Unfortunately you can't share part of a window in jitsi... yet.
This YouTube Video has some additional helpful tips if you want to make your webcam image look as good as possible.
- If more than one participant is giving the talk, remember to wear headphones! Otherwise your audio will feedback and make nasty echoes or audio artifacts.
- If someone is taking notes during a session, it's recommended that you use etherpad instead of gobby. It is more accessible to visually impaired people.
- Most web browsers currently doesn't let you share your desktop audio directly. If you want to do that, you can use something like pavucontrol to set it to your audio device monitoring device if you're streaming a video.
- Take it easy and remember to breathe, Debianites will appreciate that you took the time to prepare and give this talk!
Video team roles
Talkmeister: The talkmeister will introduce the speaker, and (optionally) show the time left slides (some speakers might not want/need it). The talkmeister will also monitor IRC and relay questions to the speaker. Here are some slides that you can use if you want, we're not sure how well it will work yet, so consider it highly optional: mini-dc-on.odp (libreoffice) mini-dc-on.pdf (PDF).
Director: The director will be the person who initiates the stream. The director's view will determine what ends up in the stream and the recordings. The director is free to choose whichever screen / view might seem the most appropriate at a given time, but remember to fix it on the presenter during the talk, so that the talkmeister doesn't get focus when doing something like showing time left.
Director Training
- Make sure that the talk is streaming - there will be a blue circle saying 'LIVE' in the top right corner of your screen'
- Make sure you are muted
- Click on the three vertical dots in the bottom right corner to access more options, click on Settings and go to the More tab. There click 'Everyone follows me' and click OK.
- When you click on a video feed, that is displayed on the stream. Try to ensure that you keep focus on the presenter.
- Occasionally Jitsi may change focus, you can restore what it should be by clicking on a video feed
- Once the talk is over, select the Talk Meister's video when they are showing the 'Talk Starting Soon' slide
- Give up director permissions by going to Settings, More tab and unselecting 'Everyone follows me'
Notes
Jitsi limitations and working notes: https://storm.debian.net/shared/GocW9F49JKgZqxwP0elMicqbHm-8L3RuAmoDOM8YLny