Don’t zoom from your bedroom without putting up a background pic

[Anonymous]

I'm team OP 100 percent. And I don't even care how nice and neat your bedroom is -- I don't want to see your bed, ever. It's entirely unprofessional.

I have a nice curated bookshelf behind me, with a couch, but confess that I sometimes forget to put the coffee mug or empty cans away, and that my cushions get messed up by the dog and kids and not always put back properly. Whenever I realize I've neglected to tidy up my mess before a Zoom, I alway feel self-conscious. But this is my living room, not a bed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Jeez. I do this. I mean, there’s no piles of laundry or dishes or mess like that, but yeah, you can see my bed, and yeah, sometimes it’s not made. Who cares? All my meetings are internal or with consultants working for us. If I’m talking to a client, I make sure the bed is made.

I don’t like the backgrounds. They always end up looking so fake and blurring weirdly around your hair. It’s just a bed, what is so bothersome about that?

Loosen up.

No loosening up necessary. Be a professional. You need a little more pride in yourself and image. Imagine if the President zoomed in his PJs with his feet up on the desk while munching a PB&J. Is that OK, if he says the right things?! Decorum, people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The wall behind where I sit to Zoom is a carefully curated bookshelf with a few decorative items. Like I am on MSNBC or somthing.

You're showing your privilege. I lived in the world's smallest 1 bedroom in NYC with my husband in 2020. I worked from our bed for a year based on outlet placement.

And this is why there is the option to change your background.

And I did. But don't act like everyone can just carefully curate a bookshelf.

I don’t think they did. You should find an outlet for your anger.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Jeez. I do this. I mean, there’s no piles of laundry or dishes or mess like that, but yeah, you can see my bed, and yeah, sometimes it’s not made. Who cares? All my meetings are internal or with consultants working for us. If I’m talking to a client, I make sure the bed is made.

I don’t like the backgrounds. They always end up looking so fake and blurring weirdly around your hair. It’s just a bed, what is so bothersome about that?

Loosen up.

No loosening up necessary. Be a professional. You need a little more pride in yourself and image. Imagine if the President zoomed in his PJs with his feet up on the desk while munching a PB&J. Is that OK, if he says the right things?! Decorum, people.

PP here.

??

Having a bed in the background is nowhere close to being in PJs with your feet up and snacking.

As you may know, the President has an office right in his home (the Oval Office? Perhaps you’ve heard of it?) but if the president is working from the residence one day for some reason and gets on a zoom with his internal White House staff, I actually think it would not be a big deal if you could see his bed in the background? I mean, yes, keep your space neat and presentable, but it’s just a piece of furniture that literally everyone has. Who. Cares.

[Anonymous]

So why not Zoom from the bathroom? We all poop. Why keep it secret from your co-workers?

Because it's incredibly easy NOT to give your co-workers a visual on your freaking bedroom! Have a tiny bit of decorum and at least fuzz it out!

All I do when I see someone talking on Zoom from their bedroom is look at their bedroom. So you're basically defeating whatever purpose you had in getting on this call.

[Anonymous]

I've been working on my bed everyday since 2020. I use those backgrounds you're talking about, but it isn't great when those backgrounds stop working in the middle of the call.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Jeez. I do this. I mean, there’s no piles of laundry or dishes or mess like that, but yeah, you can see my bed, and yeah, sometimes it’s not made. Who cares? All my meetings are internal or with consultants working for us. If I’m talking to a client, I make sure the bed is made.

I don’t like the backgrounds. They always end up looking so fake and blurring weirdly around your hair. It’s just a bed, what is so bothersome about that?

Loosen up.

Make your bed.Omg,

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The wall behind where I sit to Zoom is a carefully curated bookshelf with a few decorative items. Like I am on MSNBC or somthing.

You're showing your privilege. I lived in the world's smallest 1 bedroom in NYC with my husband in 2020. I worked from our bed for a year based on outlet placement.

And this is why there is the option to change your background.

And I did. But don't act like everyone can just carefully curate a bookshelf.

She didn’t. You just chose to get offended over a simple comment.

[Anonymous]

And please don't show the Eiffel tower or some silly vacation spot...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The wall behind where I sit to Zoom is a carefully curated bookshelf with a few decorative items. Like I am on MSNBC or somthing.

You're showing your privilege. I lived in the world's smallest 1 bedroom in NYC with my husband in 2020. I worked from our bed for a year based on outlet placement.

My husband and I both worked from our bedroom in 2020 as well. I created a little setup with curated visuals on the wall behind where I sat so that I had a professional setting for Zoom and so that it didn't look like I was working from my bedroom. It can be done, no privilege required.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Jeez. I do this. I mean, there’s no piles of laundry or dishes or mess like that, but yeah, you can see my bed, and yeah, sometimes it’s not made. Who cares? All my meetings are internal or with consultants working for us. If I’m talking to a client, I make sure the bed is made.

I don’t like the backgrounds. They always end up looking so fake and blurring weirdly around your hair. It’s just a bed, what is so bothersome about that?

Loosen up.

No loosening up necessary. Be a professional. You need a little more pride in yourself and image. Imagine if the President zoomed in his PJs with his feet up on the desk while munching a PB&J. Is that OK, if he says the right things?! Decorum, people.

The President’s job comes with a mansion, servants, and the expectation of being filmed in that space.
DP

[Anonymous]

Some jobs and meetings require more professionalism than others.

[Anonymous]

It's one thing if you absolutely must work in a bedroom. But not making tbe bed!?

[Anonymous]

I don’t understand why everyone wouldn’t at least blur the background, is that hard? If I have to look at your bedroom I am definitely judging you as unprofessional, I don’t care if it’s a casual internal call I never want to see your bed.

[Anonymous]

Sit on the floor in front of a bare wall or your closed bedroom or closet door. The background should be completely uninteresting.

I can't believe anyone on this thread is excusing a business call made with your bed in the background. We are not doing phone sex here. No beds allowed.