# Is a ZOOM Dopefest possible?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-zoom-dopefest-possible/958146
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [January 21, 2022, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-zoom-dopefest-possible/958146 "2022-01-21T04:47:08Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 3
### Author:  [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)
#### Post date: [January 23, 2022, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-zoom-dopefest-possible/958146/41 "2022-01-23T17:42:47Z")
Or we could treat it like a normal Dopefest, where people chat, exchange stories and the like, and leave the nasty crap at home.
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### Author:  [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)
#### Post date: [January 23, 2022, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-zoom-dopefest-possible/958146/42 "2022-01-23T17:47:18Z")
I miss the ‘normal Dopefest’ days with all the libation, firebreathing, and fresh-carved roast pork.
Oh, and the Feats of Strength. Can’t forget those. . .
Tripler
Are they ‘normal’ Dopefests if none of us are “normal”?
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### Author:  [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)
#### Post date: [January 23, 2022, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-zoom-dopefest-possible/958146/43 "2022-01-23T17:51:43Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#):
>
> Or we could treat it like a normal Dopefest, where people chat, exchange stories and the like, and leave the nasty crap at home.
Yeah, I’m thinking I’d just invite you to my virtual house, and sadly, suggest you provide your own food.
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### Author:  [@Euphonious\_Polemic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Euphonious_Polemic)
#### Post date: [January 23, 2022, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-zoom-dopefest-possible/958146/44 "2022-01-23T18:42:00Z")
“try the virtual popcorn; It has zero calories!”
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### Author:  [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)
#### Post date: [January 23, 2022, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-zoom-dopefest-possible/958146/45 "2022-01-23T20:52:57Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#):
>
> Hmm, my son recently recreated my home in gathertown. Although it’s not software that everyone knows, it’s better for “parties” than zoom. You can “walk around” in two dimensional space, and you can see video and hear people whose avatars are close to you. So you can approach a cluster of people, seeing who they are, like in a real party, and they can see you are approaching.
>
> You don’t need to download anything to use it, it works in most browsers. (Best in Chrome, though.)
We used that for the social room for our conference, and I agree it works very well. Nice feature is that you don’t hear conversations until your avatar gets close to one, which lets you eavesdrop like at a real gathering.
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### Author:  [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)
#### Post date: [January 23, 2022, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-zoom-dopefest-possible/958146/46 "2022-01-23T20:56:05Z")
If we use Zoom, I like the idea of short breakout room sessions re-randomized. People like the ones we do for our write-ins (we do two sessions) because even the shy find it easier to talk to others when there are only four or five people in the room. Some people who never talked to others when we had in person meetings got to know other members much better at the write-ins.
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