Quote:
Originally Posted by SIGSEGV
OMG giving virtual talks is the worst, I hate it. Like nobody is paying attention and you miss out on all the fun parts of going somewhere to give a colloquium or go to a conference.
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Yeah, the virtual lectures and conferences were fun at the beginning of the pandemic because they were something new for me. Previously, I had been attending plenty of conferences related to Passive House and energy efficient building design in-person. Each in-person event felt substantial and unique, and you (mostly) paid attention to speakers because they engaged with the audience better. Plus, attendees didn't dick around as much because they either paid admission to attend, or the talk was free but the attendee still spent time, money, and effort to physically get there.
Since e-lectures or e-training on Zoom became widespread, it seems like we get events almost every day of the week. It's become too much. Plus, only maybe 1/5 speakers have a cogent and informative speaking style while presenting a carefully planned lecture. The majority of others slog through their presentations, often without the self-awareness that the audience doesn't care that much about the hordes of data points and other minutiae. And you might get a couple of speakers who are just downright terrible in any setting.
As a result, I often come into most lectures semi-interested and eager to learn more, but often lose interest within 5-10 minutes. They become repetitive after a while, and sitting through them starts to feel like a chore.