what´s your opinion on an online Gathering/Meeting to get to now each other a bit better and have a good talk almost in person?
I´m a moderator in one of the biggest FB GongFu/MyTeaPal (tea) groups and we have weekly Zoom meetups since 3 years.
It would give everyone plenty of opportunities to connect and maybe even buddy up to learn together.
If you feel that it would be technical overwhelming, I can assure you, its fairly easy to set up a Zoom account (for free) and open the Meeting through a provided Zoom Link
@Luke If you think that its a good idea, we could team up and I could help and/or provide the Zoom Meeting links (I got a premium account)
I too do not use FB. I recently attempted to register, but they would not accept me. Is it possible to participate in a Zoom meeting without using FB?
And for Astrid’s @AstridHandbikebee63 question: I guess having meeting times for people around the world is simply impossible. No time would be convenient for everyone – but that’s just the way it is. But that should not prohibit someone on the other end of the world from starting another regular Zoom meeting at a time convenient for them. Indeed, it would be an invitation for them to do that.
@Slim I don’t use FB either, but I regularly use Zoom.
It’s only the host that needs a Zoom account. Participants don’t need to sign up for a Zoom account, not even a free one. The host gives you (or publishes) a special link & you just open that in your browser to get to the meeting. The first time you use Zoom you need to install an app (I’m pretty sure you get prompted to do it as part of following the link - but my first time a long while ago).
Indeed.
It’s usually a matter of compromise. One meeting I join regularly is 9am for the host on the West coast of America, an hour or two different across that continent, 5pm for me in the UK, 6pm for some in mainland Europe and later still a guy in the Middle East.
Occasionally we get a guy from Australia where it’s a very unsocialable time, but he feels it’s worth it sometimes.
Hi. I’m sure it would be popular with some. Good luck with it going forward. I personally prefer the level of privacy the forum gives. I like to read it and post when I’m relaxing. The forum is moderated well. Zooms can get off topic or become dominated by the more vocal. The time zone problem is immense for me too. Gmt +8. So I wouldn’t join.
Apparently it doesn’t take much effort to set it up.
I’ve never worked with Zoom or anything like that and would need guidance.
I’ll have to see if I can find time to take part, as I also have other commitments and am further limited by my situation.
I’ll wait and when it starts, I’ll decide individually.
No FB needed, just a zoom link (I could provide) and zoom installed on your computer or phone/Ipad.
Time zones, as long as we are talking US and Europe should´nt be too difficult to organize as example:
My Tea groups online gatherings are always at 5pm CET and we got people from Seattle, Florida, New Jersey and Europe
Asia time is much harder to incorporate
I can understand your opinion as in my Chinese tea group we got many members that don´t like online meet ups but sometimes enjoy to just listen in or watch a recording (if every participant agrees)
Anyway I want to thank you for adding helpful information’s and as I said, its just an idea, maybe most members enjoy the forum as it is
I do regular Zoom meetings but I usually attend a meeting set up by someone who has a premium account. I sometimes will set up a meeting on my free account. If you have a free account, you are limited to a 40-minute meeting and then they shut you down. But if someone has a premium account, the time is unlimited. If there was a Zoom Meetup, I would love to join when it fit my California time schedule. I am such a beginner, there isn’t anything people could learn from me. For me right now, it’s just the encouragement, the tips, the fellowship, and the sharing of information and easy songs.
I already do two Zoom Meets, with a third one coming in the new year. The main one I go to is on Thursdays at 9:00pm EST. The other one is on Wednesdays at 7:00pm EST. The newest one I’m going to is on Mondays, but I don’t know the time yet.
Is it possible to participate in a Zoom meeting without using FB? 
