# Where can I find open Zoom meetings to join? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 5, 2020, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-open-zoom-meetings-to-join/853217 "2020-05-05T19:52:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CCitizen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@CCitizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CCitizen)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2020, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-open-zoom-meetings-to-join/853217/1 "2020-05-05T19:52:55Z")
Preferably dealing with Zoom itself. I have downloaded the program and learned some basics. ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2020, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-open-zoom-meetings-to-join/853217/2 "2020-05-05T20:05:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Joining a meeting or webinar from the calendar > > The public event list is available at [vanityurl.zoom.us/calendar/list](http://vanityurl.zoom.us/calendar/list) > > ``` > Sign in to the Zoom web portal. > You can view the list of public meetings and webinars that you can join by signing into your Zoom account and hovering on the JOIN A MEETING link at the top of the page. > Click Public Event List. > > ``` > > Note: If this option is not available, the public event list has not been enabled for your account. > > A calendar displays the list of meetings and webinars that are available for you to join or register for. [https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/115002513083-Calendar-of-Public-Meetings-and-Webinars](https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/115002513083-Calendar-of-Public-Meetings-and-Webinars) ---
**Author:** ![CCitizen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@CCitizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CCitizen)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2020, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-open-zoom-meetings-to-join/853217/3 "2020-05-05T22:24:45Z")
> [@PastTense](#): > > [Using public calendars with Zoom - Zoom Support](https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/115002513083-Calendar-of-Public-Meetings-and-Webinars) Thanks. I have scheduled a meeting and was alone there. Where can I find a list of meetings with others present? ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2020, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-open-zoom-meetings-to-join/853217/4 "2020-05-05T22:30:29Z")
> [@CCitizen](#): > > Thanks. I have scheduled a meeting and was alone there. > > Where can I find a list of meetings with others present? Did you try this part? > [@](#): > > Sign in to the Zoom web portal. > You can view the list of public meetings and webinars that you can join by signing into your Zoom account and hovering on the JOIN A MEETING link at the top of the page. > Click Public Event List. > > Note: If this option is not available, the public event list has not been enabled for your account. I’ve only used it for work related stuff and don’t seem to have that option through my work account, so I can’t say if there is actually anything there. ---
**Author:** ![CCitizen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@CCitizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CCitizen)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2020, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-open-zoom-meetings-to-join/853217/5 "2020-05-05T23:09:39Z")
> [@naita](#): > > Did you try this part? > > > [@](#): > > > > Sign in to the Zoom web portal. > > You can view the list of public meetings and webinars that you can join by signing into your Zoom account and hovering on the JOIN A MEETING link at the top of the page. > > Click Public Event List. > > > > Note: If this option is not available, the public event list has not been enabled for your account. > > I’ve only used it for work related stuff and don’t seem to have that option through my work account, so I can’t say if there is actually anything there. Thanks. It asks me to give a meeting ID or Personal Link Name. ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-open-zoom-meetings-to-join/853217/6 "2020-05-06T15:35:04Z")
Okay, I re-read the help page and PastTense’s post is a bit misleading, unless you are the kind of person who immediately has the correct interpretation of “vanityurl”. The start of that page goes: > [@](#): > > **Overview** > > Zoom can enable an option that lets you schedule Zoom meetings on a public calendar associated with your vanity URL, then makes public meetings and webinars available on a public calendar for up to 12 months. Users both on and outside of your Zoom account can see the list, and can join or register for a meeting or webinar by clicking a link in the list. So to find a public event you need the url for a specific organisation creating public events on zoom. There is no way to find such events just through zoom, other than if you are in an organisation with such a public calendar. ---
**Author:** ![Pasta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@Pasta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pasta)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-open-zoom-meetings-to-join/853217/7 "2020-05-06T17:52:48Z")
**CCitizen** , can you clarify what you are looking for? Zoom is a communication tool, and while it has scheduling and invitation features, it is not like social media or a public interaction space. The typical usage is where folks schedule private virtual meeting that colleagues, friends, or other pre-associated people organize for themselves for some set purpose. It’s not like Twitch or YouTube live streaming or chat rooms or IRC or whatnot, if you are familiar with any of those. Rather, it’s like a conference call, and conference calls are scheduled between people who will participate. Zoom does have a “webinar” feature, but again that will usually be private. There are probably some public webinars offered by universities or the like, but I’m not sure if that’s what you’re looking for. (Webinars are very different from a typical Zoom meeting. You don’t interact with other participants, and mostly you’re just watching a presentation, but if they allow it, you can ask moderated questions.) Are you looking for a Zoom meeting where people talk about Zoom? Or a meeting where people are just hanging out? Or something else? It isn’t fully clear to me. ---
**Author:** ![CCitizen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@CCitizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CCitizen)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-open-zoom-meetings-to-join/853217/8 "2020-05-06T18:54:49Z")
> [@Pasta](#): > > 1. Zoom is a communication tool, and while it has scheduling and invitation features, it is not like social media or a public interaction space. The typical usage is where folks schedule private virtual meeting that colleagues, friends, or other pre-associated people organize for themselves for some set purpose. > > 2. It’s not like Twitch or YouTube live streaming or chat rooms or IRC or whatnot, if you are familiar with any of those. Rather, it’s like a conference call, and conference calls are scheduled between people who will participate. > > 3. Are you looking for a Zoom meeting where people talk about Zoom? Or a meeting where people are just hanging out? Or something else? It isn’t fully clear to me. 1. I am trying to learn Zoom in order to meet friends and escape Loneliness. 2. I have posted about 40 videos on YouTube – mostly in Russian. 3. I would like to participate in a meeting for Zoom beginners. ---
**Author:** ![Pasta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@Pasta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pasta)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-open-zoom-meetings-to-join/853217/9 "2020-05-06T19:29:13Z")
> [@CCitizen](#): > > 1. I am trying to learn Zoom in order to meet friends and escape Loneliness. > > 2. I have posted about 40 videos on YouTube – mostly in Russian. > > 3. I would like to participate in a meeting for Zoom beginners. Thanks for the clarification. If you mean “meet _new_ friends”, then that’s just not what Zoom is made for. It’s not designed for nor intended for meeting new people, meeting people with similar interests, or anything like that. If there is a scheduled zoom event hosted by some group or organization, you would know only because you are already a part of that group or organization, and you just just click the URL to join, and you would be in the meeting. There’s nothing else to it for beginners. Any tutorial you find about Zoom will be talking about features you probably don’t care about beyond that. In short, you probably don’t want to focus on Zoom here to find relief, anymore than you would focus on Skype or FaceTime or other tools that are just fancy telephones at the end of the day. Zoom is just that – a fancy telephone – and it doesn’t really suit what you’re looking for. If you are looking to meet people with certain interests, you might consider posting some of those interests and asking what outlets there are for meeting people with those interests. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-open-zoom-meetings-to-join/853217/10 "2020-05-06T20:20:21Z")
What OP wants is [Discord](https://discord.com/). Find a subreddit on Reddit for whatever interest or hobby you have. There’s a very good chance that they’ll have an associated Discord you can join and escape Loneliness. ---
**Author:** ![CCitizen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@CCitizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CCitizen)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-open-zoom-meetings-to-join/853217/11 "2020-05-06T20:23:54Z")
> [@Pasta](#): > > In short, you probably don’t want to focus on Zoom here to find relief, anymore than you would focus on Skype or FaceTime or other tools that are just fancy telephones at the end of the day. Zoom is just that – a fancy telephone – and it doesn’t really suit what you’re looking for. OUCH! I was looking for telephone friends since 2010, could not find any lasting friends. ---
**Author:** ![CCitizen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4af34b/32.png) [@CCitizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CCitizen)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2020, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-can-i-find-open-zoom-meetings-to-join/853217/12 "2020-05-06T20:25:03Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > What OP wants is [Discord](https://discord.com/). Find a subreddit on Reddit for whatever interest or hobby you have. There’s a very good chance that they’ll have an associated Discord you can join and escape Loneliness. I have an account. I talked to some people there – very little in voice. :mad::mad::mad: My laziness to learn Discord better is 50% my fault and 50% Autism’s fault! :mad::mad::mad: