The "Problem" With Zoom

by XBEHERE 19 Replies latest jw friends

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  XBEHERE

  Here is the ORG's problem with zoom, attending this way does not fit with their "scriptural definition" of a christian gathering. At least not anymore, One thing my PIMI wife is fine with is attending on Zoom occasionally, even 2-3 times a month or so.

  If some of you recall, during COVID there were break out rooms setup for people to stay on and associate. Many would also stay in the main meeting and talk over each other trying to say hello, etc. People had their video on during the meetings and many, many people commented.

  Now what happens? As an example, yesterday we attended via zoom. There were probably about 40ish people attending with only about a handful with their video showing. Of these I'd say 3 or 4 of them actually commented. As soon as amen was said.... 95% of the people logged off leaving, you guessed it these maybe 6 connections, mostly elderly ones still logged in and talking to each other. Then I logged off.

  There was no association, no participation for probably 35-40 of the zoom attenders and they immediately logged off as soon as it was over leaving virtual tire marks as it were because it so abrupt and quick after the meeting ended. So did these people attend a meeting? Sure. But again there was no participation or "interchange" of encouragement at all. Not a "real" meeting according to the JW standards. This is the problem that they do not how to fix.

  However you can't "put the genie back in the bottle" They have a real problem here I think.
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  DesirousOfChange

  Zoom is just too convenient.

  People are busy and stressed out. With Zoom, no "getting ready" for the meeting (except the real diehards who do), and no commute to the Hall and back home (and with Halls having been sold everywhere, many are traveling 10-20 miles in our rural areas).

  PLUS, you really do not have to sit there and listen!!! Turn the camera off, mute the mic and open a beer and watch TV.

  Elders & MS are getting "orders" to show up in person. They in turn, "encourage" anyone wanting to make points to get appointed to show up in person. Then, there are the lonely people that will show up because it is their social network.
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  TonusOH

  I would have loved to have the option for video conference meetings when I lived in the projects and we had to walk six or seven blocks to a midweek meeting in inclement weather and after the sun went down.

  Granted, that doesn't solve the issue of the lack of comraderie. But it was cold and wet and scary! I would not have felt inconvenienced at having to get dressed up for a Zoom meeting.
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  NotFormer

  I was driving past the local Kingdom Hall a couple of Tuesday evenings ago, on my way to a bible study in someone's home (different denomination). A lot of cars were pulling into the carpark; physical meetings are not dead, at least in this country town. I'd be curious to see what attendance is like on Sunday, but I've got my own service to attend.
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  NotFormer

  "Elders & MS are getting "orders" to show up in person. They in turn, "encourage" anyone wanting to make points to get appointed to show up in person."

  They need to implement a policy whereby everyone who attends gets an appointment of some sort. Sort of like that famous Oprah episode where everyone in the audience got a car.
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  Vidiot

  “You get a congregation privilege! And you get a congregation privilege! And you get a congregation privilege!!!”

  😆
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  Big Dog

  Virtual meetings and broadband reliability have pretty much killed business travel and has made serious inroads in foot traffic in professional offices. Accountants, lawyers, financial planners, etc. have all reported a sharp drop in clients coming in rather than meeting virtually. It's so nice that people don't have to stop their day, drive to the professional's office then drive back. With the virtual meeting the "wasted" driving time is gone, the interruption in the day is much less, no parking issues, no fighting traffic it just goes on.

  With churches like the RC and Orthodox where receiving communion is the point then zoom doesn't work. That was something that even struck me as a child the few times we went to weddings at a RC church, I was impressed with how they seemed to participate in the mass rather than just sitting and being talked at and the whole communion act seemed more like worship than answering canned questions at the WT study. The KH meetings always had a very low personal investment as far as I could see.
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  truthlover123

  Normally 30-+ on zoom/phones. On a recent shepherding call, we were asked when we may be going back to the hall.

  I said, I would not be. Many a time prior to covid, we would sit in the hall and honestly, there was always someone who would be sick with a terrible cold or flu sitting nearby. Something I would never bring to the hall with elderly and autoimmune people. Within two days, one of us would be sick for several days or weeks, depending. But never a call to see how we were doing when we missed x number of meetings because of it. My reason for not going back is due mainly to the fact that no matter what they are carrying, they seem to need to be at the meetings passing their illness on to someone else- especially now that covid has caused so much misery and continues to do so with the three new variants on board now. I asked if he would come to the house to care for us should we get covid.... crickets.... never heard that question again.
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  a watcher

  Zoom, or something like it, like a phone-in line, are absolutely necessary for the elderly/infirm.
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  FedUpJW

  “You get a congregation privilege! And you get a congregation privilege! And you get a congregation privilege!!!”

  You can scrub the toilets! You can mop the floor! You can vacuum!