Connect to your assigned MCU site in advance of the event, and, if possible, remain connected until after the end of the event. We have found that connecting and disconnecting can cause audio noises and instabilities in such a large system as this.
 

Monitor your email, telephone, and this web site for late-breaking announcements and for information about systems that may be causing problems.
 

Do not cause echo. We have found that echoes are the leading problem in videoconferences. Use a system that has good echo canceling capabilities. If this is not possible, use a headset, or provide external echo cancellation equipment. Remember, you will not hear the echo that you cause, but everyone else in the conference will hear the echo you cause.
 

Mute your mike in SOFTWARE when you are not talking. We have found that some systems still cause noise that can capture the conference even with the microphone switch turned off. In the last Megaconference, we had systems capturing the conference with no one present in the room just from noise.
 

Adjust your color. Set color or saturation to maximum, and then adjust the hue. Back off on color only if too garish. Most clients are too pastel.
 

Accept imperfections. Do not complain and spoil the show.
 

Eliminate background noises (e.g. fans, disks, etc).
 

Provide good lighting on your face. Do not use back lighting.
 

Allow for time delays. When called upon, start talking and keep talking and don't hesitate because you see or hear something unexpected. Delays are always present.
 

All participants must label their sites clearly with nice signs or with character generators.
 

Figure out how to get your name and location into your client software correctly. This means little to you but it affects how you show up on the MCU status displays. Otherwise, we get some default entries that make little sense.
 

The session leader may call on you to find out who is present or to give you and opportunity to ask the speaker questions. The session leader will wait 5 seconds for your reply. If the session leader doesn't hear you, they will call again and wait 5 seconds. If they still do not hear you, they will go on to the next site. The 5 second wait is to allow for the delay as the signals propagate through all the MCUs.
 

When you start talking, JUST KEEP TALKING. Do not say "can you hear me?" or anything like that. Assume that everything is working fine, since you have practiced this before. We will interrupt you only in the direst case to say that something is wrong.
 

The first thing you should say is your name and the name of your university/organization and where it is located geographically. Say this VERY SLOWLY and CLEARLY so that everyone can understand it. Many people are recording this and want to hear it in your own words. But you can still be creative.

Example:

     Hello everyone!

          This is Heinrich Wolfeschlegelsteinhousenbergerdorf.

          Coming to you from Ye Olde Castle University.

          Located in beautiful downtown Burbank, California!

While you are talking etc, IGNORE whatever video you are receiving. Do not be concerned if some unexpected video appears. It may soon go away, and is not worth worrying about. We at the control site will also ignore all extraneous video and audio unless it becomes so bad that we must do something.