Please bear with this veteran VA while she spouts off on some assaults on common courtesy she’s noted of late.

Lots of us who work in home offices find we have far fewer opportunities to attend meetings in public places these days. The proliferation of online meeting options has saved us time and money, enabling us to pop out to get a cup of coffee or let the dog out while participating with our colleagues in a virtual meeting room.

The convenience and relative newness of virtual meeting spaces is the reason that the protocols aren’t yet firmly in place. I’ll assume that the gaffes I’ve noticed are simply errors of inexperience. Let’s all try to remember that unless we have muted our microphone, everyone in the room will hear: your minor sniffles, heavy breathing, loud hachoos, the dog barking, your teenager’s raised voice, or the details of your toddler’s potty training session. I’ve even heard loud expletives (likely from someone else’s conversation when a participant is attending a meeting at a local coffee house) and detailed (need I specify unrelated?) conversations between couples.

The solution is simple: please mute yourself.

Most of us still get out and about occasionally, and it’s pleasant to spend some time in the company of colleagues now that our lives aren’t filled with such events. Networking and other live business meetings often take place in local restaurants. Let’s face it: organizers love to schedule these at restaurants who have space and are willing to host meetings at no charge or with no minimum purchase. Attendees, alas, don’t always recognize an obligation to the restaurant to at least purchase something!

Remember that you’re taking up precious seating in these eateries for anywhere from one to three hours. It’s not ok to just drink water, particularly if you brought your own! (Heaven forbid you think it is ok to bring your own brown bag salad or sandwich to a restaurant!) In fact, it’s probably not ok to just have a cup of tea or soda or coffee if you’re going to occupy your chair and table for more than thirty minutes. AND it’s not ok to schedule your gathering during the restaurant’s peak dining times when their regular (paying!) customers are coming in to dine.

Thank you for listening.

And, speaking of this, here are some related posts from the Loosely Speaking archives:

The execution of thank you notes: questions from readers

Online Meeting Rooms