'The organizers ended up having me turn off my mic': School club with "weird rules" insists student join call at the worst possible time

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Remy Millisky • Writer and Editor
Oct 25, 2024 5:00 PM EDT

Some workers just never properly learn Zoom call etiquette. A lot of folks got really proficient at using the video call service when we all had to work at our homes for a while a few years back. But others are still new to the app, and aren't quite sure how to run a meeting. 

For example, it's common etiquette to mute your microphone if you aren't speaking. It's not enough just to stay quiet, because there's bound to be background noise, like kids running around, dogs barking, or cars revving. If you're muted, no one can hear you take a sip of your drink or tap your feet. Even little noises can be distracting to the current speaker, and unmuting yourself can happen with a single click of a button. 

This student had a similar experience before ever joining the workforce as they met up with a school club through a video call. But the club already had some "weird rules," as the student explained, leading to the club organizers demanding that everyone turn on their cameras and microphones at all times. That seems like a recipe for disaster! 

Up next, read about these people who tried to be funny, only to have their jokes backfire in their faces, leaving them completely embarrassed. 

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    via Mika Baumeister on Unsplash+

    This image is for illustration only, and the subjects are models; the image does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • 02
    On my microphone and camera? Sure! So some background info: I take around 1 hour to reach home from school, and I joined some club which has some weird rules but that's not important to the story today
    via u/woofie_17
  • 03
    On to the story... So my teacher released us late from school, and I had around 15 minutes to get home in order to join the online call (yes we have school but no meeting in my country, weird). I texted the organizers about me having to be late, and we came to the agreement that I would join the call as I walked home.
    via u/woofie_17
  • 04
    When I joined the call, I immediately heard the organizers say "on your camera". Fine. Part 1 of malicious compliance complete. I turned on my camera and allowed the entire call to see the beautiful sky, followed by raindrops slowly falling down.
    via u/woofie_17
  • 05
    But that wasn't even the funniest part. So moving on I got on the public transport (it's a train, which, disclaimer, has really loud announcements and sounds and background noises essentially). For some reason the organizers believed it was an amazing idea to ask someone who is on their way home to turn on their microphone, on public transport.
    via u/woofie_17
  • 06
    Cue malicious compliance. I turned on my microphone and walked closer to the speaker things inside the train, letting the beautiful noises blast into the call and interrupt whoever was speaking. According to one of my friends who were already in the call, almost nothing could be heard by the rest of the people in the call, other than the "Next stop, II
    via u/woofie_17
  • 07
    The organizers ended up having me turn off my mic and yes that's my malicious compliance. Not as havoc-wreaking as many others in this sub, but hey! it was satisfying
    via u/woofie_17
  • 08
    [deleted] For every Zoom meeting I've been on, etiquette is to "please mute your mic unless you're speaking." It limits the sounds of people breathing onto the mic, sniffling, occasional coughs, background dog barks, etc.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 09
    Your organizers seem like relative newbies at video conferencing. Your MC probably went a long way toward educating them.
    via u/[deleted]
  • 10
    kttykt66755 I don't understand why they would need your mic on if they're not asking you a direct question or something
    via u/kttykt66755
  • 11
    Sparrowflyaway I can barely be heard on the phone in a McDonalds with two other customers present, let alone inside a moving train, those things are noisy as heck! I dunno what else they expected to happen, really
    via u/Sparrowflyaway
  • 12
    hotlavatube You don't understand, you were needed to meet the noise requirement quota. All teleconferences require at least one patron to be in a crowded cybercafe or other environment exceeding 90db. ;-)
    via u/hotlavatube
  • 13
    StevenGaryStout Did my first zoom meeting the other day. One of the participants was outside in a wife beater, drinking a beer under a bird feeder next to his swimming pool.....where his 3 girls were splashing. I was laughing so hard I could hardly tell him to mute his mic! GFY Brad
    via u/StevenGaryStout
  • 14
    grumblyoldman Beautiful Short and sweet.
    via u/grumblyoldman
  • 15
    Hinkil I really love that my work didn't supply us with cameras. Sorry no video!
    via u/Hinkil
  • 16
    Franklin2543 I don't think I'd have been able to understand them when they said to mute my mic...
    via u/Franklin2543

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Tags

zoom school club malicious compliance call malicious-compliance-reddit petty noise high school noisy malicious compliance reddit
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