What to do while attending a boring online learning event: stealth learning

Its exactly what I do…anything but listen when Im bored. Physically present and accounted for yes–mentally, wherever my mind and keyboard will take me.

Confession–at a conference I went to back in October, there were NO concurrent sessions that I liked. So I went in one that had an outlet for power, stuck my earbud in one ear, and logged into a UStream of another conference 1500miles away that was far more enjoyable and interesting. I sat there in the back listening and interacting with the available chat for the sessions. I did cause a stir one time when I laughed out loud at something in the Ustream, when there was NOTHING notably funny going on around me. Lots of odd looks. But I did get credits (yes credits were being given out to show the boss at work I attended) so I stayed in this one room all morning, thoroughly enjoying the other sessions at a totally different conference. TG for Ustreams and generous online buddies in my social networks. Have you had the pleasure of this experience?

Cathy Nelsons last blog post..What’s in a name?

Nah. You need a bowl of hot water to do a pedicure. And it’s difficult to monitor what’s going on on-screen if you’re bent over double applying the various lotions and potions involved in the process.

I do mine every Sunday night in front of the telly. Then I go and have a long soak in the tub while I do the crossword (otherwise I’m strictly a shower girl). It helps ward off the Sunday night blues.

Karyn Romeiss last blog post.."Well, they just must" is not a strategy

BTW – really love this neat feature you’ve added: so-and-so’s last post. What a great way to promote and extend the network! Is it a WordPress feature, or did you do it yourself?

Karyn Romeiss last blog post.."Well, they just must" is not a strategy

Here’s my take on this. In webinars, like in any other seminar, there are interactive facilitators that that solicit your participation and engage you and then there are the speakers who simply deliver a speech to you.

So when I’m attending a Webinar and I’m with the interactive facilitator, they have my full attention. However, a speaker only needs the “listening” part of my brain, not the “doing” part. So since I work from home, I’ve actually waxed my legs during a boring Webinar (ah now my dirty little secret is out in the blogosphere!). Of course, I muted my microphone and had absolutely no fear of having my opinion solicited! That is what I call good time management!

So this is interesting. We’ve gone to face-to-face conferences to attend virtual conferences (and laughed out loud when there was no joke…but joke was on them right Cathy?), contemplated the difficulty of giving yourself a pedicure while attending an online event (as if there’s nothing wrong with that), waxed our legs during a boring webinar (I will now always think that when I get boring…which is often…Karyn can tell you how well I read during a webinar). I can’t help but wonder if this is a multi-tasking woman thing. Where’s the guys? No plucking of nose hairs?

(Karyn – the comment luv is a wordpress plug in, glad you like it).

Best-
janet

I don’t remember you being boring, Janet! If a speaker is boring because of presentation style rather than content I take notes, which forces me to stay focused. If a speaker is boring because of content, then I do cryptic crossword puzzles or sudokus or something… and this applies equally to web and F2F situations.

Karyn Romeiss last blog post.."Well, they just must" is not a strategy

Hate to admit it, but if the webinar is boring, I’m outa there. Maybe it’s a typically male response, but I just log out, and go do something usefull. In the end, even if the webinar cost money, if the speaker and topic aren’t going to be engaging enough that I will learn anything, then me staying on the call is just throwing good money after bad.
I find that between the adhd, and the inbox that looks like a sanitary landfill, – Life is Too Short for Boring Webinars!
As for Conference Calls that I’m stuck on, I am a consumate surfer – ironically, I usually end up at all of your blogs! I just mute the mic.
J

Hi Jason-
Couple of things come to mind…
Although I despise gender stereotyping I’m wondering if your “I’m outa there” behavior is more male and the “I’ll stick around/don’t want to hurt feelings” approach is more female. Although I have bailed on a few so that’s probably not accurate.

Life is too short for boring webinars! (and secretly I wish for more if it means you’ll real our blogs
: )

I love the responses to this. I once attended an 8 hour Thiagi workshop (who is not at all ever boring) and he said that you have to keep people engaged otherwise after 2 minutes of being bored, they start to go away in their minds and think of sex.

So there’s one for you Janet, if you ever find yourself boring giving a conference…

Kristina Schneiders last blog post..When Did We Forget How to Draw?

Kristina – I imagine I’ll have some little laughs like Cathy during my next one thinking about all the possibilities. It’s a good mid-session ice breaker vs. the ‘where are you from’ at the beginning. “What are you doing” twitter style..

Muting the mic! What a brilliant idea! Is there a way of muting typing or YouTube sounds while on the phone? ;->

Joan Vinall-Coxs last blog post..Jing (for Screencasting) and TweetDeck (for Twitter)