Online and Hybrid Format Discussion

We would like to thank everyone for coming to the 27th International HPSG Conference!

During the business meeting, there was a great discussion of various aspects of virtual technology and what part it should/will play in the future.

What did you like about the virtual conference?

What did you not like? (People are more likely to talk about what they liked, but it is equally important to know about what they did not like!)

What do you think conferences should look like in the future?

Please feel free to discuss here.

Informational summary

The conference starts this coming Monday, August 17th!

Some reminders:

Make sure you have a working Zoom setup, particularly that you can both hear others and that others can hear you (test it with a friend or colleague if you did not participate in one of our warmup sessions). Here are some tips on the common issues with the audio.

Email Olga Zamaraeva or Stefan Müller (or hpsg.2020 at hu-berlin.de) with any questions.

Please watch all the videos beforehand and prepare your questions! The videos are all available now and will stay up at least for the duration of the conference.

Speakers, please prepare a very brief summary of your talk to present at the start of your Q&A! 2-3 minutes for regular talks, up to 5 minutes for the invited talks.

Have your password handy to access the Zoom link (found in Meeting Places) on time for the start of each session! If you accidentally stored a wrong password, clear it out in your web browser settings (google how to clear out stored passwords in your browser, e.g. Firefox, Chrome…) or open the Meeting Places webpage in a new browser. Make sure you can access Meeting Places 10–15 minutes before the session starts.

When you connect to our session in Zoom, please remember to:

  • Display your full name (it is nice to know who is who, especially for the newcomers!)
  • Turn your video on (unless you really, really must not to for whatever reason! having your video on makes the experience much better for everyone! And trust us, nobody cares what your surroundings look like 🙂 Also, you can use the special Zoom backgrounds–some will be included already and you can add custom–to completely cover your surroundings if you so choose).
  • Stay muted unless you are talking (if you forget to mute, one of the hosts may need to mute you. Sounds like rustling paper etc., can be distracting, and also Zoom will keep switching the video to you if you cough or something, thus taking the spotlight away from the speaker).
  • Be careful with the chat. The chat can be very useful but pay attention to whether you are sending your message to everyone or to a particular person.
  • Indicate that you would like to ask a question by using the “Raise hand” icon in the Participants panel.
  • Have a great conference!