[[!meta title="Check-in volunteer"]]

# Responsibilities

- Notice speakers checking into IRC or Big Blue Button
- Get them into the correct room and help them doublecheck their audio and video quality
- Follow up with speakers who haven't checked in yet
- Check on speakers periodically so that they're not waiting alone

Perks:

- You get to chat a little with speakers and help them feel at ease

# Materials:

We'll share a list of talks for your shift with:

- starting time
- talk title
- track
- speaker name
- pronunciation
- pronouns
- BBB room URL
- pad URL
- email address
- emergency contact information

We'll also give you moderator access on the relevant BBB rooms.

# Process

## Looking for speakers

We'll ask speakers to check into `#emacsconf-org` at least 30 minutes
before their Q&A session and say something like "Hello, this is NAME
checking in." You can hang out in the #emacsconf-org channel and keep
an eye out for their messages.

## Checking speakers in

When you notice a speaker checking in, you can use something like
`/msg NICK Hi, let me help you get checked in. Please join BBB_URL .`
to send a private message to the speaker with the Big Blue Button URL.

Join the BBB room. If you do not have moderator access, let sachac know.

The BBB rooms will be set up so that people can join without approval.
When the speaker arrives, you can take a few moments to say hi to
them, thank them for presenting at EmacsConf, etc.

Click on their name and choose **Promote to moderator.** 

Click on their name again and choose **Make presenter.**

Help them doublecheck their audio quality. Using earphones or
headphones can help avoid audio feedback, and using an external
microphone can improve audio as well.

The speaker's webcam is optional but highly recommended. The speaker
can turn their webcam on using the camera icon in the lower middle.

Speakers may want to share their screen during the Q&A session. They
can do so using the monitor icon in the lower middle. Sharing a single
window is usually more advisable than sharing the entire screen, since
it allows them to resize the window so that it's easy for people to
read.

If the speaker wants to read questions as they come in on Etherpad or
IRC, help them load the pad or the track-specific IRC channel. If
there is a host for the session, the host can also read questions out
loud. Let the speaker know that they can answer questions in any order
they want, skip questions, take a little time to think about their
answers, and answer questions for as short or as long as they'd like.
The room is dedicated for their use, so they don't have to worry about
stepping on someone else's Q&A. The first part of their Q&A will be
streamed. The host will let them know when the time for streamed Q&A
is almost done, but people can continue discussing things in the Q&A
room if they want.

Once the speaker is settled in, you can let `#emacsconf-org` know that
the speaker has been checked in.

Let the speaker know how many minutes before their Q&A starts. They
can take a break before then. Many speakers choose to watch other
talks before theirs.

# Heads-up before the Q&A starts

Check in on the speaker about five minutes before their Q&A session
starts to give them a heads-up. Ask them to close any other tabs that
they might be using to watch EmacsConf, because that will create an
audio feedback loop once their Q&A session is being streamed.

Right before the Q&A starts, make sure the host has started the
recording. If there is no host or the host has forgotten, you can use
the **Start recording** button at the top.

In between checking in people, feel free to enjoy the conference!

# What if a live Q&A session is starting within 30 minutes and the speaker hasn't shown up yet?

Let us know on `#emacsconf-org`. You or another organizer can contact
them using their emergency contact info. If you prefer to not use your
phone, you can ask one of the organizers in #emacsconf-org and we'll
call the speaker for you.

# After the Q&A wraps up

If you notice that the Q&A in a room is all done, you can thank the
speaker and click on **Stop recording** in the top middle.

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[[Check out other ways to volunteer|2022/volunteer]]

[[!taglink CategoryVolunteer]]