Low Cost Video Call Avoidance System
by suevv in Living > Life Hacks
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Low Cost Video Call Avoidance System
You just want to be heard and not seen. You have to be on the conference call. But do you have to wear business casual? Shower and wash your hair? Get dressed? Not if you make the Low Cost Video Call Avoidance System (LCVCAS). It's quick and easy. You might want to try Step 3 a few times out on friends or family first, though - a dry run to make sure your LCVCAS is working properly before you deploy it for work.
Supplies
Blue masking tape
Convincing voice of confusion and resigned irritation
Create First Layer of Low Cost Video Call Avoidance System
Tear off a small piece of blue masking tape (must be blue). Place it over the camera on your computer. (See illustration in introduction.)
Add Another Layer to Your LCVCAS
Tear off another bit of blue masking tape and layer it over the first piece. Don't add any more layers. Don't use tape other than blue masking tape. Two layers is perfect. When you dial into conference calls, your camera will display what looks like a generically blue, blank computer screen. If you use any other color tape besides blue, you won't get that generic, blank screen look. If you use any tape other than masking tape, not enough light will filter through to allow the "blueness" of the tape to do its work. If you add more than two layers, the screen will be black, and people will assume you turned your camera off. Two layers is perfect.
Exclaim With Confusion.
When you join a video conference call, don't mention your LCVCAS. If your LCVCAS is working properly, another person on the call will ask why your camera isn't working. Then you will have this conversation:
You: What? It looks like it's working on my end? What do you see?
Colleague: All we see is a blank blue screen.
You: That is so annoying. It happened earlier today, too. I called IT and they said rebooting would fix it.
You: <<Heavy sigh>>
You: I guess that didn't work. I'll call them back after we're done here.
In subsequent calls with the same attendees, you can let them know that IT still can't fix your camera. You can make jokes about "feeling pretty blue" about it. Pretty soon, nobody will even mention your LCVCAS.