New Mars Forums

tahanson43206

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Registered: 2018-04-27

Posts: 19,443

Re: Zoom Collaboration

For kbd512 re Post #650

Thanks ** very ** much for showing what I'm NOT seeing!

I wonder if you are seeing that because you're on a Mac?

I'll be attending the monthly Linux meeting Tuesday, and I'll ask the two Mac users there to check to see if that might be the case.

Your screen capture is a big help!  It will make it very easy to show them what to look for!

***
GW seemed encouraged by your interest in his latest work product!  Hopefully he'll follow through with a letter/email to the people we discussed in the Zoom.

I would like to see his work move out of the work room and into the Real Universe!

Thanks for joining in this evening!

***
Let me run a question by you .... The configuration we have in place is 99% what we had for the Professional Zoom.  The only difference I can see is the Unlimited Time feature has been turned off.  That could well have happened during the Convention.  My question to you is.... do we need it?  it seemed to me that recovery from the time-out went smoothly.  You have a code (hopefully still saved somewhere) that allows you to log in as a host. I can send it again if you can't find it. The code would allow you to restart a session more quickly that I can.

(th)

kbd512

Administrator

Registered: 2015-01-02

Posts: 7,859

Re: Zoom Collaboration

tahanson43206,

This option shows up on both my Windows and Mac machines.  I haven't used LINUX or Solaris at home for many years now, so I can't speak to what Ubuntu does or doesn't provide, with respect to Zoom.  I suspect the option is still there, even if it shows up under a different menu.  If you want me to start / run the Sunday meetings, then I will.

tahanson43206

Moderator

Registered: 2018-04-27

Posts: 19,443

Re: Zoom Collaboration

For kbd512 re Zoom....

I'll look more carefully, but I recognized the menu you showed us with the screen snapshot ... the audio item is NOT present in Chromebook. I'll look for it on other OS and report back. 

I just remembered something ... that Chromebook is obsolete, so I had to buy a replacement.  I'll look for the feature you showed us on the new Chromebook as well as Windows 7, Windows 10 and Linux. 

***
Thanks for the offer to start meetings !!! Just like old times << grin >>

I think it's a good idea to insure I don't get rusty, in case you have to take a Sunday off, as could easily happen.

However, I ** do ** appreciate your offering to share the duty!

Let me know if you need that code resent!

(th)

tahanson43206

Moderator

Registered: 2018-04-27

Posts: 19,443

Re: Zoom Collaboration

This is a follow up for kbd512

I'm attending the monthly Linux meeting.... The two hosts both are running Macs, and both have the same Audio alert option in the Participants screen.  The wording on their machines is slightly different, because they may have a later version of Zoom.

Thanks again for confirming that the audio alert is available on a Mac.

Follow up later: The audio alert is available on Linux using Zoom version 5.15.12(7665)

(th)

tahanson43206

Moderator

Registered: 2018-04-27

Posts: 19,443

Re: Zoom Collaboration

Today is Zoom day for NewMars ...

We have Zoom until the end of the Month ...

This announcement arrived in today's email:

Zoom Accounts Will Be Closed - Please Switch to Google Meet
Inbox

James Burk
Sat, Oct 21, 11:33AM (21 hours ago)
to Shannon, Nicole, Michael, me, Joseph, James, Roger, Molly, Russ

Hi all,

Zoom has been overcharging us for several months, and Robert has decided that we will be parting ways with Zoom.  Our Zoom accounts will cease functioning at the end of this month.  Please use Google Meet for all meeting and videoconferencing needs moving forward.  It has comparable functionality to Zoom.  Here is some help on how to use Google Meet.

If you have any saved recordings in Zoom, please download them immediately as they will be going away soon.

For those of you who have Zoom Phone, I will be providing an alternative solution soon.

Any questions let me know.

Thanks,
James

--

James Burk
Executive Director

The Mars Society

206-601-7143

jburk@MarsSociety.org

www.MarsSociety.org
facebook   
twitter   
linkedin   
Schedule a Meeting with James

The setup process will start at 23:30 UTC as usual. Visitors will be admitted at midnight UTC.

This topic will be open for communications as usual.

The links for access are available in Post #1 of this topic.

Zoom will be available until the end of October, so the meeting on the 29th is still on.

Admins will investigate the Google Meeting option.

Here is the link for Google Meet: https://www.androidauthority.com/how-to … t-1158760/

(th)

kbd512

Administrator

Registered: 2015-01-02

Posts: 7,859

Re: Zoom Collaboration

tahanson43206,

We're in business!

I found a tool (DBeaver 23.2.3) I can use to directly access and export the contents of all posts from the TABLE named FLUXBB_POSTS.  It's 257MB in size, though.  I'm querying all the tables and looking at the relationships between them.  There are maybe a couple dozen tables in total.  After we have a real back-up to CSV files, we can migrate to a newer version of the forum software after testing our mods to enable use of the latest and greatest version of MySQL and PHP.

tahanson43206

Moderator

Registered: 2018-04-27

Posts: 19,443

Re: Zoom Collaboration

For kbd512 re Post #556

Thanks for the good news of your discovery of DBeaver 23.2.3

***
Question for you ... do we want to stay with Zoom (with the reboot every hour) or try Google meeting?

In light of the learning curve which we appear to have mastered using Zoom, I'm inclined to suggest we stay with it.

After the recent convention, we appear to have been disconnected from the unlimited time license, so we ** should ** be able to keep using it as it is now.
***
Do you want to start the meeting?  I think the code I sent you should give you full host powers.

What I'd like to avoid is changing anything that would cause worry or inconvenience for our members.

The link at the top of Post #1 of this topic seems to still be working, so anyone who would like to find out what kbd512 discovered, or perhaps get an update on GW Johnson's Rocket Hopper presentation, is welcome to use that link to connect at midnight UTC.

(th)

kbd512

Administrator

Registered: 2015-01-02

Posts: 7,859

Re: Zoom Collaboration

tahanson43206,

Zoom is more like 15 to 30 minutes before the free session dies, so yes, we should consider an alternative solution that doesn't disconnect the meeting that frequently.  For now, we can continue to use Zoom.

tahanson43206

Moderator

Registered: 2018-04-27

Posts: 19,443

Re: Zoom Collaboration

For kbd512 and all...

About 569,000,000 results (0.40 seconds)
Basic users
If you are a basic (free) user on a free account, 40 minutes is the maximum duration your meetings can last. You can either end the meeting and restart it for an additional 40 minutes, or you upgrade to Pro for unlimited meeting durations.Aug 11, 2022

To maximized meeting time, it would seem sensible to open the meeting for guests at Midnight UTC.

Anyone would would like to enter the Waiting Room earlier is welcome to do that.

The timer doesn't start until the Host starts the meeting.

(th)

tahanson43206

Moderator

Registered: 2018-04-27

Posts: 19,443

Re: Zoom Collaboration

OK !! The meeting is started as of Midnight Sharp, so it should last for 40 minutes.

I found the Audio alarm that kbd512 found, and it is available on this version of Windows.

(th)

kbd512

Administrator

Registered: 2015-01-02

Posts: 7,859

Re: Zoom Collaboration

tahanson43206,

I had a saved password for the Zoom meeting, but it doesn't appear to be working.

tahanson43206

Moderator

Registered: 2018-04-27

Posts: 19,443

Re: Zoom Collaboration

For kbd512 re #561

The meeting is open.

Audio alarm is turned on.

Please see if you can activate it.

(th)

tahanson43206

Moderator

Registered: 2018-04-27

Posts: 19,443

Re: Zoom Collaboration

For kbd512 ...

Thanks for a very interesting meeting!

I am greatly encouraged by your progress in pulling data tables out of the existing FluxBB system.

It will be challenging and (I hope fun) to recreate the existing FluxBB system on our home systems.

***
I also appreciate your positive assessment of the Google Meet system, which you reported having used for work.

Would you be interested in leading the configuration of a Google Meet setup for NewMars?

I notice that the website is meet.google.com.

The site offers [Start a Meeting] and [Join a Meeting]

(th)

tahanson43206

Moderator

Registered: 2018-04-27

Posts: 19,443

Re: Zoom Collaboration

Today is Zoom Day for NewMars....

We now have multiple options, and I have no idea which (if any) are of interest to members ...

We have the traditional Zoom account, with all the features we've come to expect, except that Mars Society has withdrawn the professional license, so we are limited to 40 minute free sessions.  However, the structure we have created makes restarting a session extremely fast and efficient (if the host is on top of it).

On the other hand, we now have the Google Meeting service available, and it was given a workout by GW Johnson last week.

The advantage of the Google service include:

Any one of the three Admins can host a session (assuming each one has created the foundation link and posted it in Post #1 of the Google Meet topic)

Plus! The sessions are not subject to a time out.

Features include audio alert when someone enters the meeting room, which is helpful for the host.

Audio works!
Video works!
Sharing works!
There is a whiteboard that is available to members who have gmail accounts.

There are probably other features I don't yet know about.

At this point in the day (14:13 UtC) I have NO idea if anyone is interested in any of these possibilities.

I'll reserve a time slot at Midnight UTC in case anyone is interested in any of these options.

Otherwise, I'll hold off on opening anything.

(th)

tahanson43206

Moderator

Registered: 2018-04-27

Posts: 19,443

Re: Zoom Collaboration

I'd like to provide plenty of advance notice in case anyone is interested in helping GW Johnson to rehearse for a possible opportunity to offer short presentations.

We've been negotiating with NSS North Houston, and their most recent offer is quite interesting.  The idea is to use Zoom to make a short video of a topic (such as the Hopper Rocket for Mars), and to place it up on YouTube where it can be served from multiple web sites.

The details are still being worked out, but GW has agreed to offer a presentation for NewMars members next Sunday evening.  We'll be using Zoom, because that is what NSS North Houston uses.  If there is interest in holding a Google Meeting at the same time, that is certainly possible.

The feature of this concept that I particularly like is that the audience can contribute questions in real time, so the presenter can add the responses to the recording. This is different from most YouTube videos that I have seen. 

If someone has an interest in participating, there is plenty of material about Rocket Hopper and many other subjects posted in the forum. Start with the GW Johnson Postings, and with the Traditional Course offering topic.

(th)

tahanson43206

Moderator

Registered: 2018-04-27

Posts: 19,443

Re: Zoom Collaboration

In anticipate of the time change that will sweep over the US on Sunday, November 5th, I asked Google about Houston's time...

Daylight Saving Time Changes 2023 in Houston, Texas, USA
www.timeanddate.com › Time Zones › Time Change Dates › USA
Clock Changes in Houston, Texas, USA ; Sunday, March 12, 2023 — 1 hour forward · Sunday, November 5, 2023 — 1 hour backward ...

Since Universal Time holds steady, I would expect that it would be 1 AM UTC when 7 PM arrives in Houston.

That is out of reach for our European members, since the following day is a work day.

We have not yet persuaded any of our European members to take part in a Zoom session, so I don't expect anyone there to be inconvenienced by the time change.  However, this is another opportunity to remind everyone that NewMars Admins are willing to set up a meeting at a more convenient time for our European members.

So! Assuming I've understood the time change correctly, tomorrow's dress rehearsal for GW Johnson is scheduled for 1 AM UTC, 7 PM Houston time.

(th)

tahanson43206

Moderator

Registered: 2018-04-27

Posts: 19,443

Re: Zoom Collaboration

Daylight Savings Time has swept across the US once again, and now 7 PM in Houston is 01:00 UTC.

Today's meeting will be conducted with Zoom, because Zoom is still used by NSS North Houston, and GW Johnson will be rehearsing a short presentation today.

Any NewMars member is welcome to attend.  Just click on the link at the top of Post #1  of this topic, and you will be in the Waiting Room.

The Host will be notified of your arrival, and will inform Zoom so you can join the meeting.

This topic will be held open for communication ahead of and during the meeting.

The Zoom software has a 40 minute time out.

If there is interest, the meeting can be re-opened for another 40 minute session if desired.

The re-connect feature provided by the link at the top of Post #1 has been tested and proven efficient and effective.

(th)

tahanson43206

Moderator

Registered: 2018-04-27

Posts: 19,443

Re: Zoom Collaboration

The meeting room is open ...
(th)

tahanson43206

Moderator

Registered: 2018-04-27

Posts: 19,443

Re: Zoom Collaboration

GW, kbd512 and a member of NSS North Houston are here.

GW is starting his presentation.

The meeting ended due to the 40 minute time out ....

From my perspective this was a successful venture...

GW gave a presentation on the Rocket Hopper and got a number of solid questions ...

(th)

RobertDyck

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From: Winnipeg, Canada

Registered: 2002-08-20

Posts: 7,936

Website

Re: Zoom Collaboration

waiting to join

kbd512

Administrator

Registered: 2015-01-02

Posts: 7,859

Re: Zoom Collaboration

RobertDyck,

The weekly meeting session ended inside of 40 minutes.

We went through a presentation of GW's orbital / suborbital rocket hopper with Keith from NSS.

tahanson43206

Moderator

Registered: 2018-04-27

Posts: 19,443

Re: Zoom Collaboration

For RobertDyck .... Thanks for your post !!!  We can open another session.  If kbd512 catches this in the next few minutes, we can do that.

(th)

kbd512

Administrator

Registered: 2015-01-02

Posts: 7,859

Re: Zoom Collaboration

tahanson43206,

I'm ready.

tahanson43206

Moderator

Registered: 2018-04-27

Posts: 19,443

Re: Zoom Collaboration

Adding to the meeting report above ...

The next meeting of NSS Houston is this coming Saturday the 12th, at 2 PM Houston time.

GW will try to attend, and I am a regular attendee.

For NewMars ... We are tentatively looking at a presentation on slow over-the-ground train systems for slow freight on Mars, next week.

(th)

tahanson43206

Moderator

Registered: 2018-04-27

Posts: 19,443

Re: Zoom Collaboration

OK RobertDyck and kbd512 ... give me a minute or two to set up ...