Wednesday, September 08, 2021
Zoom Forever?
For people who do what I do-- and in a lot of other fields-- the pandemic made us very familiar with online meetings and classes.
There were real costs to the replacement of in-person meetings with Zoom. It just does not offer the same level of connection, and networking isn't the same. Over the years, I met dozens of people who became friends, collaborators, and colleagues at in-person meetings. I can't say that I have met anyone new over Zoom who will play any of those work-related roles. Sure, Zoom did help me maintain the relationships I already had, and that's good-- but no substitute for developing new ones. I feel kind of stuck.
I also find that I am more awkward than usual in personal real-life encounters now... like I have gotten out of practice. Does anyone else feel that?