GN Zoomers needed

Good idea Woodmouse I hope you don't mind me making a suggestion.

When you are ready to organise it, it may be advisable to decide if you are going to invite publicly on GN , or by PM and set a limit of how many people would make it viable.

It could be very hurtful if a poster found out later that they had been excluded from a group they had regularly met up with.

If it's announced publicly on GN, surely every Tom, Dick and Harry could join in as this is an open site?

Keep the numbers low. We started a group of posters who had met several times for fish and chips at the same Fife fish restaurant, and were missing it under lockdown. It wasn't a very big place, so we already had to restrict numbers. That proved to be lucky, as managing the online verbal chatting with too many people isn't easy. Face to face, there can be two or three conversations going on at once, but that doesn't work online.

I especially recommend smaller groups as Elegran says. I know there are lots of GNers who used to meet up so wonder if those people could zoom?
It's up to individuals to set up zoom sessions we were lucky that one of our number did just that. She has a personal subscription which means we can go on chatting for longer than the free 40 minutes.

I am in a zoom chat with other GNetters Marydoll and I know I can speak for the other zoomers (is that a word?) you would be very welcome to join us. I will PM you.

There is an option for the host to divide people into 'rooms', which is great if there are lots of people.

You set a timer, and can randomise the people if you like, so that nobody knows who will be in their group. They can only see one another for the length of time the group exists, and they return to the main one when the time's up, until the host puts people back into different groups.

In a social Zoom it's good for letting people get to know one another and gives the feeling of circulating at a party.

Also, if you know someone with an upgraded account, use their email to set it up, as otherwise the meeting expires after 40 minutes, which is a pain. Anyone with an education account (ie teachers, lecturers and students) can also host longer meetings, so if you know anyone who fits that bill, ask if you can use their email address to set it up.

Have fun

That is very kind of you Kalu I'm finding having to continue to shield quite isolating.
However, I wouldn't want to intrude.

We would be happy for you to join use Marydoll. No need to be isolated alone. x

Jane10 and Kalu can you PM me to say how your group started.

Agree Sparklefiz. Difficult to know how to set it going.

I joined GN when I moved. I thought about meeting others through GN in my locality for a coffee + chat but there was hardly any interest.

Zooms good but a birthday one I did in April had about 20 involved and it was difficult to chat. As Elegran said: keep it small.

Thank you Kalu.

20 people could be split into 5 groups of 4, and rotated if you wanted to do that. See my post above.

Like you Marydoll , since moving quite a distance, and leaving my close friends behind, I feel isolated. I'm very busy during the day but miss the meet up lunches+chats I had with my best friend.

Didn't know about that Doodledog. Thank you so much. This is sounding really positive.

This sounds like a great idea, especially for people who are shielding/isolating.

I dont think mary has moved. I'm fairly sure that she has lived in the same place (near Glasgow maybe) for ever and I'm fairly sure she went to lots of meetups - could be wrong.

Splitting people into smaller groups is easy by using the button “Breakout Rooms” on the bottom bar when in a room. I’m not sure if only the host ( person who scheduled the session) can organise breakout rooms.

We use them a couple of times during my WI meetings, it’s a good way to get to know people you might not usually chat to. We also screen share so can show photos, play music or run a quiz.

With our small group I've particularly enjoyed getting to know the others. I don't think we could have had the discussions we've had if we'd been an ever changing group. I'm sure one of these mixing groups would be fun but could be pretty superficial if you know what I mean. There's a place for both types of group.

Before going into Lockdown and Shielding, health permitting, I would trundle off on adventure to Edinburgh for the meet ups. Sometime my husband came and we stayed overnight, as a treat.
More recently I have organised the Glesca Grannies meet ups. At the last one, we had seventeen, I think! it never occured to me to Zoom.
I do miss socialising and fear I have become institutionalised!!! .

Kitty you are indeed correct, I have lived all of my sixty five years in the Glasgow area

What a great idea. However, I am only a ‘visitor’ really, but I’m sure you’ll have fun.

Thinking about it I suppose the big groups that break into smaller groups and mix them up. Would be like a cocktail party or big reception with lots of brief interactions but the smaller group with regulars are more like a get together of friends. In normal life we have both possibilities. Maybe GNHQ could organise one of these big groups?

Odd first sentence. Full stop sneaked in where it shouldn't have!

It is only with the paid version that the host can split everyone up into groups, and the paid version can have long meetings too. With the free one the host can only have everyone together, for up to 40 minutes.

Not everyone has to download the full zoom version, paid or unpaid, if that is a problem to you. If the host sends you an invitation by email or text, it has a link to a website where you can join the meeting.

The big groups that break apart would be like those dinner parties where everyone moves to a different seat for each course, and gets to talk to different people.

WOODMOUSE, I have PMd you. ?

I have too