It's our GN zoomiversary!

Just saw this in Instagram

Isn't it wonderful how a thread about a good time can be turned into an excuse to snipe at other posters? I've seen it happen on threads about politics, religion, race, gender, but I never thought I would be on here defending an account of a nice occasion being used to accuse someone of making others feel miserable!

I don't think there is any more to say on the subject, so I will say goodnight. Sweet dreams.

When in a hole......

Perhaps we have all been doing the same, but are just not talking about it here?

If I had the time and energy, I would search the forum for posts where people tell about the things that have cheered them and helped them through these awful months, and quote them all. I don't recall any instances where they were criticised by other posters for mentioning good things.

I do, however, know of quite a few bad things that those in our virtual meetups have suffered during that time, and how they were supported by the others. A fall that caused a broken hip, after a fall by the same person the previous year that broke a shoulder, the death of a husband, family problems, some of them a long way away, a long and slow recovery from a stroke without being able to meet up with friends. No contact with families and friends for any of us. we couldn't exclude ourselves from these things - but we could support one another.

" you have had such a ball this last 12 months" doesn't exactly cover it. In fact, although you say you are genuinely pleased, it does sound as though we are being grudged the support we could give by using what is available to all. Anyone could and can do the same. Nothing is stopping you?

Sigh. I just wanted to share what felt like a special occasion. I hadn't realised the effect it would have on those mean spirited enough to want to pour cold water on it.

I think the whole world and his dog know about Zoom. This is nothing to do with knowledge of Zoom and how to obtain it.

The OP was just a bit Mean Girls.

In the past, when GNs have posted about meet ups, they have perhaps mentioned where they met up, what they did, etc - AND extended an invitation to anyone else in that area to join them the next time. That was not the purpose of this post was it?

Talullah

Well really, Aveline! It was surely a super message to tell your 8 best buddies! In a WhatsApp or whatever. Or even have a Zoomiversary Zoom event. It hasn't upset me at all but I tend to think of others and we all know some of us on GN have really struggled. People have lost loved ones. People are ill. Some people haven't spoken to anyone for months. It just sounded a bit exclusive. That's all. I am genuinely pleased you have had such a ball this last 12 months. Not everyone has though.

Hear hear!

It’s the way it was worded, Elegran. I’m sure we have all heard of Zoom and many of us use it, but it made me think that GN had a hand in facilitating groups getting together, as they do with the Meet Up topic.

Personally, I’d probably never join a Zoom with people I don’t know but I’m lucky enough to have others in my life, in person or on Zoom. Some people have no one and I can see that to read something like this could be hurtful.

SueDonim I imagine Aveline expected that Zoom was known about by everyone who uses the internet. It has been mentioned elsewhere on Gransnet so it is no secret. But it is not a built-in facility, you have to download it and use it independently.

I hope that the negative reaction of a few posters to learning about our virtual meet-ups doesn't mean that we are less likely to hear about the other enterprising groups who have done the same.

Well really, Aveline! It was surely a super message to tell your 8 best buddies! In a WhatsApp or whatever. Or even have a Zoomiversary Zoom event. It hasn't upset me at all but I tend to think of others and we all know some of us on GN have really struggled. People have lost loved ones. People are ill. Some people haven't spoken to anyone for months. It just sounded a bit exclusive. That's all. I am genuinely pleased you have had such a ball this last 12 months. Not everyone has though.

Hope your mask worked Aveline looks like you’ve needed it ?

Polly12 I quoted your post and Fanny's in the wrong order.

It is up to the other five to identify themselves, or not.

All my fault then. Why does anyone bother posting about any social occasion they've attended. I won't bother in future.
Thanks for your 'kind' comments.

Elegran

That should have been to Fanny Cornforth who posted ^"Well, it's nice that you were a 'group of eight", so why not mention them?"^

Ah, wondered why you were telling me who’s in your gang

It’s the tone of the OP that made me think. When I read ‘It’s our GN Zoomiversary’ I assumed it was something that had been open to all members of GN like the Meet Ups topic and that I somehow missed it. Not that I was expecting a Zoom meeting for the entirety of GN, of course, but more like a notice board where people could say if they were interested in Zoom meetings and then form small groups.

The post then goes on to boast that only a few people are allowed to attend, but they’ve had a wonderful time, insinuating that the rest of us have missed out. It felt rather like being amongst so-called friends who you discover have organised a party which they haven’t asked you to.

By all means share ways of coping with lockdown etc but why not frame it as ‘This worked for us, maybe it would work for you too, instead of being exclusionary.

That should have been to Fanny Cornforth who posted "Well, it's nice that you were a 'group of eight", so why not mention them?"

Polly12

Seems a bit odd to tell the rest of us?

Eight people, most of whom live near the East coast of Scotland. You have three user names on this thread, and can probably deduce the others if you are familiar with other threads organising meet-ups in the area. The other five are at liberty to reveal themselves if they so wish.

I didn't know what FOMO meant so I looked it up.
Fear of missing out (FOMO) is a social anxiety stemming from the belief that others might be having fun while the person experiencing the anxiety is not present.

Easing FOMO is very simple - just plan and organise some fun for yourself and a few others, and it will vanish.

Why is anyone grudging about a zoom meetup? Physical in-person meetups used to happen all the time and hundreds of Gransnet members found them absolutely marvellous! An account of them was usually posted, too, mostly on the same thread where they were arranged. No-one moaned about hearing what a nice time was had.

Select?? Zoom is not select. Neither nothing at all to do with Gransnet, but is open to anyone who has an internet connection (and to be on Gransnet to start with that is an essential) All you have to do is go to zoom.us/download and choose the app that suits your device and download it. Then you are free to send an invitation to anyone you would like to chat to "face to face) They don't even need to have the app, just a camera on their device. It is very easy. They can just follow the simple instructions

Makes the lonely ones feel worse? In that case no-one should ever mention what a pleasure it was to sit in the garden with their family.

They just do it to make others feel bad? Oh come off it! We just did it to make ^ourselves feel good - and by gum, we succeeded, until Aveline posted this thread to share the pleasure, and we found out that some people were miffed that we hadn't been sitting gazing at the wallpaper and wishing we were dead. Not everyone - most people caught the spirit of the anniversary of our first Zoom last year and wished us well.

For tjhose who think we should have announced it and invited in the whole of Gransnet - have you ever been on one end of a phone call, with a party going on at the other end and a dozen people all wanting to chat to you at once? That is what it is like if you have too many people on zoom all at once. It is like herding cats. Not recommended.

The members who met up were ones who have met frequently for years. There were others who have been to our previous meetings, who we would have loved to invite too, but I don't think any of us (including them) would have enjoyed it. Perhaps we need a lot of smaller meetings. The future is vague at the moment.

Good for you, zoom has been used for various ‘meetings’ in the last year or so, pleased you enjoyed it. I have my book club one tomorrow.
Other software virtual meeting packages are available! ??

FOMO at play here?
I think the reason for the thread is to inspire other small groups who would like to do the same that it is indeed possible.
Well done folks to have kept up your meetings for a whole year. Happy Zoomiversary.?

Of course it was a lovely thing to do Katek. I think most people here weren't showing resentment.
I met two delightful GNs this time last year, but they aren't local enough to meet regularly. I also communicated with some helpful and kind GNs who guided me through the ropes here and who swapped advice on other topics. Hopefully we kept each other sane over the past year! I am grateful for any form of communication, each way of achieving support and friendship is different but equally important.

It’s nothing to do with ‘not getting an invitation’ - I personally find zoom chats awkward & tedious & wouldn’t join a ‘zoom group’ in a million years.
But obviously some people love them.
I just don’t understand the point of the thread?
What do you want people to say?
Congratulate you on how wonderful it is that you’ve all been keeping in touch on a glorified WhatsApp group?!
It’s just bizarre.