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Tips for Using Zoom Whenever You’re Hosting Book Events for Authors:
1. Do not use Zoom for hosting book events
1. Do not use Zoom for hosting book events
2. If you MUST use Zoom for your book events, do NOT use the free version of Zoom. Invest in a paid plan. Free Zoom plans only allow for 40 minutes per meeting AND do not have the security features to successfully keep out zoombombers.
3. With your paid plan, activate the Waiting Room option in your meeting settings. This prevents people from immediately entering the event UNTIL you’ve vetted them. If you are stringent about security, you can message them here & ask for their details before allowing them entry
4. If you are doubly invested in security, also change your room settings to forcibly put every guest except the hosts on forced mute and set your screen sharing so that guests cannot use this option, and that only the hosts or selected guests will be talking.
5. Passwords. If you must make the zoom link publicly available, you must also activate passwords and give them only to guests in the waiting room after they are vetted.
There MUST be one host conducting the interview and AT LEAST one more host doing bouncer duties.
There MUST be one host conducting the interview and AT LEAST one more host doing bouncer duties.
6. Most zoombombers are random. There are discord, 4chan, etc. chats where they share public links and coordinate bombing. Do not make it easy for them. Putting hurdles to getting into the event makes them bored and move on to their next target. [end]
To add: if you are adopting the security measures I mentioned above, state these procedures when you announce the event as well. This will help to inform guests on what to expect re: vetting beforehand AND also serves as a deterrent to trolls who see the link
ehhh, made a mistake this one - guests have to already know the password to be in the room. What I meant to say is that you can offer signups to be a part of the event, and ask them for their emails, etc and then send the password via those emails. https://twitter.com/rinchupeco/status/1296249011578560513?s=21 https://twitter.com/rinchupeco/status/1296249011578560513
make sure wherever you announce the event, that you provide an email for them to contact you for the password, or a sign up form. Keep this active throughout the event for latecomers
THEN vet them further in the waiting room by asking for emails they signed with, etc. to confirm
THEN vet them further in the waiting room by asking for emails they signed with, etc. to confirm
Is this a lot of work? Sure. But it’s not actually complicated as it’s laid out here, and you owe it to your authors. The point isn’t that so you can block an unwanted guest immediately for entering the event. The point is so they never get in to begin with.
