First Zoom get together Results

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randyrls

randyrls

Member
Joined
Feb 2, 2006
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Location
Harrisburg, PA 17112
THANK YOU for all the people who joined our first Zoom meeting. This platform will be a good fit for us to meet and share information. The FIRST, but NOT THE LAST Zoom meeting was last night. We had 18 attendees. I think it was well received. I learned a lot about Zoom. One of the things I learned is that a cohost is needed for managing the meeting and resolving any problems with people trying to join the meeting.

I intend to do an Articcle for the Library on the usage of the Celtic Knot Jig. I may wait until the version 2 of the jig is finished. Since I'm in lock down and retired, I don't think this will take more than a week or two.
 
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There were three parts to the Zoom meeting that were all excellent:
1. Seeing and interacting in a virtual meeting (live) - without lots residual sound bouncing around or pixelated screens;
2. Celtic Knot Demonstration;
3. Great Discussion after the demonstration on the differences of kits, kit companies and the complexity involved when dealing with end buyers (us) and different manufactures. More specifically (and interesting to me) how manufacturers change specs without notification and how end users are not aware of these.

The Zoom meeting was great, the demonstration was excellent, and the discussion after the demonstration was VERY informative - Ed Brown and Wayne Racinowski provided a LOT of information "live" that is hard to put down in print. Thank you guys!

Having been around since close to the first Celtic knot posted on IAP, the progression to a better and easier Celtic knot was demonstrated. Randy's intention was not on the progression itself but an easier, more simple and more consistent method with his Jig. Looking at his jig was one thing, seeing it in action was a whole 'nuther' thing. Thank you Randy.

Jeff was there and provided some insights that hopefully will come to fruition with Zoom if technicalities can be worked out.


Clarification on my part: During the discussion of pen kit parts from the manufacturers, I was asked a question that dealt with cross cultural communication (without using that term) and I replied that sometimes a lie is easier understand than the truth, and I left it at that.
. . . Now I will explain that. (My wife was listening in and after I left the Zoom meeting, she told me that my "lie" explanation left a lot to be understood. ) When asked a question and there is only time for a one minute explanation rather than a 10 minute dialog on resolving a cultural difference (and that you are aware that the cultural understanding is the problem) it is easier to give a simple answer that is not necessarily true. To pursue the exact truth is to get into a long diatribe.

Ed and Wayne both went into the complications in dealing with manufacturers overseas and their processes vs what is expected from end users. This is where good consultants are an absolute necessity in providing helpful information for dealing with even English speaking people - whose English is their 2nd language. "East is East and West is West and never the twain shall meet."

The words "Handkerchief, Napkin, and Tinkle" have different meanings in Australia (and other countries) than they do here in the US. Sometimes on simple things, a "little lie" is easier than trying to explain the truth. Phrases and idioms don't translate and we use them relentlessly in conversations. Other countries and their languages take on foreign words (example: Albiet [or something close] is German for part time work. It is a common word in Japanese but they mean it differently than the German language does.

I will give a direct example from experience: Once in Japanese language learning class, I was reading a speech I had written that was above my public speaking ability at that time. After stumbling over several of the words, I paused and muttered in a soft voice: "I think I bit off more than I can chew." My Sensei (teacher) heard it and asked in a very serious tone if I was eating anything? ( I didn't know the word for "idiom" or "phrase" at the moment). It would have been easier to take the shaming from the Sensei - than the 5 minute dialog that followed when I said no!
 
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I got to the meeting 1 1/2 hours late . I am so ticked off I missed this as I was looking forward to it for days. When Randy sent out the link I was so focused on the cheat sheet I missed the link to meet line. So when I signed up for Zoom I created an account and was thinking this is the way I get there. NOT. So when I went to zoom it asked you a couple of questions and the first one is what is the meeting name and when I clicked the drop down menu Randy's meeting showed up plus my user name. Then came the password box 😳😳😳 huh Password what password, so I was frantically asking IAP members if they could provide me one, by the time I got answers back the meeting was done, all because I missed the link to meeting tab 😡😡😡😡😡😡. Man I really wanted to see this demo.
so please if any of you have notes screen shots just anything please please send them to me. Thanks
Lin
 
Unfortunately, I missed the meeting due to computer problems ... internet access has been incredibly slow this whole week.

I could be wrong, but I attribute that to heavy volume ... probably associated with more users who have been otherwise idled by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Thanks very much Randy for "spearheading" this initiative. . I hope to participate in future.
 
This meeting was inspirational!!

Randy's jig is very well designed for creating Celtic Knot patterns. And his explanations made the topic extremely understandable. AND, I felt like I was attending a demo in person (mostly)!

The other inspiration was the software that was used. Zoom actually makes you feel like you are all in one room, with interaction possible between attendees as well as interaction with the demonstrator. Randy said this was the first meeting he has hosted, it went flawlessly as far as I could see. We (IAP) need to find ways to use this--it will make us a better community!!

Thanks again Randy for your tenacity in exposing the IAP community to this technology!! I can visualize an exciting future!!
 
It was great seeing so many new faces (to me anyhow) and very informative both on demonstration and the after conversation.
Even if we don't do a weekly demo, I think maybe a weekly get together to discuss different pen related things would be a great idea.
 
Glad i got to be there--and very much appreciate Randy's hosting and demo!! I've been averaging about 3 virtual meetings a day for work--and i'll say that i prefer Zoom over the other platforms i've used. One of the great side benefits of the quarantine has been introducing so many of us to virtual meetings--the technology has been there, but we just never used it in general. Love it.
earl
 
leehljp said:
Clarification on my part: During the discussion of pen kit parts from the manufacturers, I was asked a question that dealt with cross cultural communication (without using that term) and I replied that sometimes a lie is easier understand than the truth, and I left it at that.
. . . Now I will explain that. (My wife was listening in and after I left the Zoom meeting, she told me that my "lie" explanation left a lot to be understood. ) When asked a question and there is only time for a one minute explanation rather than a 10 minute dialog on resolving a cultural difference (and that you are aware that the cultural understanding is the problem) it is easier to give a simple answer that is not necessarily true. To pursue the exact truth is to get into a long diatribe.

Ed and Wayne both went into the complications in dealing with manufacturers overseas and their processes vs what is expected from end users. This is where good consultants are an absolute necessity in providing helpful information for dealing with even English speaking people - whose English is their 2nd language. "East is East and West is West and never the twain shall meet."

The words "Handkerchief, Napkin, and Tinkle" have different meanings in Australia (and other countries) than they do here in the US. Sometimes on simple things, a "little lie" is easier than trying to explain the truth. Phrases and idioms don't translate and we use them relentlessly in conversations. Other countries and their languages take on foreign words (example: Albiet [or something close] is German for part time work. It is a common word in Japanese but they mean it differently than the German language does.

I will give a direct example from experience: Once in Japanese language learning class, I was reading a speech I had written that was above my public speaking ability at that time. After stumbling over several of the words, I paused and muttered in a soft voice: "I think I bit off more than I can chew." My Sensei (teacher) heard it and asked in a very serious tone if I was eating anything? ( I didn't know the word for "idiom" or "phrase" at the moment). It would have been easier to take the shaming from the Sensei - than the 5 minute dialog that followed when I said no!
Click to expand...

Many Universities offer, or did, a certificate program entitled "International Business". The course which lasted two years delved into the various countries the U.S. does business with. During my study it was all Pacific Rim Countries which included Japan and China and others. It's amazing to see what each country feels is appropriate and what is not based on American standards. I learned a lot from this course and it helped me in my dealings with many Pacific Rim Countries. Anyone who deals with these countries really needs to grasp their culture and understand their norms as they can differ greatly from American norms. You may not agree with their customs, but in a business environment it helps. I'm not saying you need to learn their language, but in the business world there are socially acceptable ways to handle yourself when doing business with these countries.
 
Tom (Wolf Creek Knives)
I have a Mississippi friend that graduated from an Electrical engineering school here in the US; Went to work for a Major chip manufacturer here in the USA. He became the chief Quality Control engineer for one division. One product was negotiated to be manufactured at a plant about 10 miles from where I lived in Osaka. He would come over regularly for checking on mfg plants in Japan and stop by to see me. After one negotiation in the US on the construction of a unit, there were problems in the design that showed up in the US but not in other countries. My friend came over by himself to do some engineering changes and negotiations. After a day of frustration, he called me and asked if I could come pick him up from his hotel and spend the night with us. I said sure. As we talked, he said, these engineering guys have been easy to deal with before, but now they are hard to negotiate with. I asked, "When you went over the designs and negotiations and contract signing with this major Japanese company, you were in the USA, Right?" He replied "yes."
Me: "Well, welcome to Japan". "You do not come here on their turf and tell them how to fix the machines that they manufacture. That is an insult to them." I suggested: "Tomorrow, start over and tell them the problem you have, but don't tell them HOW to fix it. Instead ask them - How can you fix this, and see what they come up with." Next day I took him to the place around 8 AM. By 10:30 he called me and said: "It Worked just as you said, And they came up with the same solution that I tried to negotiate yesterday." Me: "Cultural differences".

When the earthquake and Tsunami hit in March of 2011, I had just returned to the US 3 months earlier. I heard of the earthquake and tsunami on Saturday here in the US. I went to a church Men's breakfast on Sunday morning and had not heard the latest news. Two men mentioned the nuclear plant just NE of Tokyo. Both said the same thing, and it was the way that they said it. Something to the effect: "Everything seems OK at this time." I said, "I haven't seen that, but if the news caster from Japan said it that way, that means there is extreme danger ahead. Statements like that are political statements of cover-up of a major calamity coming." I had a similar dialog with an engineer on another forum. He said that in his reading of engineers reports that the nuclear plant was going to be OK. I wrote back that the engineers there only give what the politicians allow. He replied that engineers don't do that. I said "In Asia, they do and say what the politicians tell them to say."

Yes, we live in a different world here.
 
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