Preface
After years of denial, I finally gave in and installed Skype on my MacBook. Thankfully it has an iSight camera and microphone built-in, so I didn't have to deal with any of the hassles involved in procuring the right camera for video chat.
I was always opposed to video chat because that would require both parties to be focused on each other for the duration of the conversation.
Just as a disclaimer, I would like to say that this was a one-sided video chat, that is, the other person had a microphone and no webcam, so my first Skype experience may have been quite different from that of most other people.
Part 1 - Nailing the right "look" using Skype
Sure, video / audio chat for free is pretty cool, but that comes with the added cost of making sure not to look like this when you call someone on Skype:
Once I got past the awkward experience of looking at myself talk, another dilemma surfaced: how close should I be to the camera in order to achieve the maximum enjoyment from the video chat experience?
A few attempts follow, from closest to farthest:
Sure, I could get the closest view of you on my monitor, but it also looks like I am trying to peek down your shirt.
A little less awkward, but I still feel uncomfortable about my distance from the camera.
Now it just looks like you would be staring at a talking, disgruntled, and most of all, decapitated head. No thanks.
In essence, this becomes a choice not between what looks best out of all the distances, but rather, the lesser of many evils. Needless to say, the middle option won out, but not without considerable amount of trial and error on my part.
The second part of this series will discuss things you don't want to be caught doing while using Skype.
After years of denial, I finally gave in and installed Skype on my MacBook. Thankfully it has an iSight camera and microphone built-in, so I didn't have to deal with any of the hassles involved in procuring the right camera for video chat.
I was always opposed to video chat because that would require both parties to be focused on each other for the duration of the conversation.
Just as a disclaimer, I would like to say that this was a one-sided video chat, that is, the other person had a microphone and no webcam, so my first Skype experience may have been quite different from that of most other people.
Part 1 - Nailing the right "look" using Skype
Sure, video / audio chat for free is pretty cool, but that comes with the added cost of making sure not to look like this when you call someone on Skype:
Once I got past the awkward experience of looking at myself talk, another dilemma surfaced: how close should I be to the camera in order to achieve the maximum enjoyment from the video chat experience?A few attempts follow, from closest to farthest:
Sure, I could get the closest view of you on my monitor, but it also looks like I am trying to peek down your shirt.A little less awkward, but I still feel uncomfortable about my distance from the camera. Now it just looks like you would be staring at a talking, disgruntled, and most of all, decapitated head. No thanks. In essence, this becomes a choice not between what looks best out of all the distances, but rather, the lesser of many evils. Needless to say, the middle option won out, but not without considerable amount of trial and error on my part.
The second part of this series will discuss things you don't want to be caught doing while using Skype.
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