With PebbleCreek restaurants and clubhouses shut down and social distancing de rigueur, residents are increasingly turning to the web and applications on their smartphone or tablet to get together and get work done.
Some residents are using web conferencing or web collaboration which is quite similar to video conferencing, but doesn’t always involve video. Webcasts, webinars, virtual presentations, and online training are just a few examples of the aforementioned. Participants can hold live meetings, share their screens, and make voice or video calls over the web.
Most systems that support web conferencing enable voice and video communication, instant messaging, file sharing, white boarding, audio and video streaming, text-based group discussions, and other features. Depending on your needs and budget, you can sign up for online meeting tools like Blizz, Zoom, or AnyMeeting. Some are free, while others require a monthly subscription.
Kevin McManus, president of the PebbleCreek Villas 43B Homeowners Association, is using GoToMeeting to confer with other board and committee members and to host the association’s annual meeting in April. “Our association is in a period of transition and we have a lot of issues that can’t wait to be resolved,” Kevin noted. “A tool like GoToMeeting is the only way we’re going to get our work done. Ninety-seven percent of our Villas residents know how to log on to the meeting website, and the remaining 3% will be able to participate via telephone.”
Kevin, who formerly was the information technology manager for the city of Chandler, is also using the latest technology to keep up socially. “I’ve set up our bridge partners with an application called Shark Bridge,” Kevin shared. “We still get together once a week and keep the competition going even though we’re now doing so on our tablets. I miss seeing everyone in person, but like not worrying about handing germy cards back and forth.”
Cynthia Prato, PebbleCreek Golf Resort communication coordinator, favors the free online meeting tool, Zoom. “I use it with my new healthy habits program and think this could be a great tool for our clubs who want to meet. There are, however, limits to the free plan so each club will have to see if it will work for them. Zoom is an option for anyone really, not just clubs, for example, if someone wants to do a community outreach with friends. My cousin and I are doing a Zoom with our kids. We’re also hosting a mom’s mental health check with our friends and family.”
Priscilla Wardlow, PebbleCreek’s director of technology, is a fan of Zoom as well. “I am part of a couple of groups that are trying Zoom,” Priscilla commented. “It’s a great way to see people, share information, and keep the camaraderie going through this time when we can’t be together personally.”
Ironically, for all the critics of the internet who believe that its use makes people more isolated socially (because the more time they spend online, the less time they spend interacting in real life), they have to admit that right now the internet is one of the few ways we can connect!