Online conferences

A few recommendations

• Make sure that you are in a quiet place. Avoid noisy environments. Make sure your doors and windows are closed. 
• If several people are participating in the same videoconference and at the same location, make sure you are in a suitable room. Place the mic as close as possible to the speaker. Be careful not to generate any unwanted sound when your microphone is switched on. 
• Do not connect multiple computers without headset in the same room. The risk of acoustic shocks can be serious for all users. 
• Use a USB headset with your computer.
• Close other applications that might produce notification sounds. 
• We strongy recommend using the browser Google Chrome (make sure you have the latest version). Allow to Google Chrome the access to your mic and camera.  Click on the padlock in the address bar, then make sure your microphone is authorised:
• Use a wired connection instead of WiFi if it's possible. 
• Take part in tests ahead of your meeting.  
• Test your microphone and camera. You will be able to record and listen to your voice to evaluate the audio quality. First click onthen scroll down to "Audio/video settings" to test your microphone and camera.

Connection to the Kudo meeting

1. Copy the link you received. Open Google Chrome and paste said link into the adress bar

2. You will find informations about your meeting (date, times, languages)

3. Enter your first and last name (and the country or the organisation you represent, if necessary). The "display name" is the name under which you will appear in the virtual meeting

4. Enter your email address  IMPORTANT : if you have to vote during the meeting, make sure that this e-mail adress is the exact same as the one you communicated to your secretariat. The slightest mistake would make you unable to vote.

5. Click on "Join" when you have filled in the fields. 

Optional : if you are connecting to a hybrid meeting with votes, you will have an additional choice to make between online or on-site

You are an online participant:
Select I'm an online participant. You will be able to follow the meeting with all its features.

If by mistake you selected "I'm an on-site participant", you will be in a restricted version of the meeting, unable to see or hear anything. To go back, click on "Log out" and reconnect with your name and e-mail to select I'm an online participant.
 

Setup and test your equipment before entering the meeting.

Follow each step before joining the meeting :

1. Access permissions for your equipment.

Make sure your microphone and camera are always allowed. There are also permissions for screen sharing and document uploading. Click on "Site Settings" to check all your permissions.
1bis. If a pop-up window "Vmeeting.coe.int wants to Use your microphone / Use your camera" opens, click "Allow". 

2. Activate the microphone and camera on this screen to verify that your equipment is working properly. 

A blue icon means your device is activated. A red icon means it is disabled. When you speak during your meeting, your camera and microphone will be automatically activated if you have already done so on this page. This will save you having to reactivate them each time you speak.

3. Open the drop-down menu in the "Microphone" section and check or select the device you connected.

Do not use the microphone of your computer, but a microphone suitable for videoconferencing, (e.g. headset with microphone connected via the USB port or the jack socket). Run your finger over the microphone you are using. If it is successfully connected you will see the blue sound bar moving. If the blue sound bar is not moving then your microphone is not properly connected or is not compatible.

4. Choose the language of the interface.

5. Once you have made sure that your equipment is working properly, click on "Join" to enter the virtual meeting.

Different options on the participant page of Kudo

1. Video display, drop down menu.
(feature only available on web application and not on Kudo Live)

• Top: The active speaker is displayed in the main view. All the other on-screen participant thumbnails are displayed on the top.
• Side : The active speaker is displayed in the main view. All the other on-screen particip ant thumbnails are displayed vertically on the left.
• Speaker : Only the active speaker is displayed on the side with the presentation in the main view.
• Presentation only : Only screen sharing.
• Gallery : All on-screen participants' thumbnails and screen sharing if there is are displayed and distributed across the screen.
• Full screen : Full screen of the video display.

2. Refresh your web page 

3. Media settings: Verify your settings of your mic and camera.

4. Choose the language of the interface.

5. Listen to the speaker or the interpreting. Click to open the drop-down menu and choose the language you want to listen to.

6. Turn on/mute audio.

7. Turn on your microphone and camera.

8. Raise Hand (feature only available on web application and not on Kudo Live)
When you are active (already accepted), click raise your hand to visually indicate that you want to intervene. If more than one participant raises their hand, the names appear in chronological order. The places of the vignettes follow also the chronological order.

 User List: when a participant raises their hand, a notification appears next to their name. 

9. Request to speak / cancel (if necessary)/ done speaking. 3 steps for this button :  

10. Screen sharing (only available from a computer)
Your request to speak has to be accepted. To find out more, please consult the practical guide to the screen sharing option.

11. Messaging. Send a message to all participants or in private.
Use the "Technical Support" for any problem related to the platform.

12. Polls. The vote will be visible once it has been opened by the technician.
To find out more, please consult the practical guide to voting

13. Documents. Download the documents uploaded for the meeting.

14. Request List. View your position in the speaker’s list. The order is chronological.

15. User List. You can see who is connected to the meeting.

16. Leave the meeting. Allows you to leave the session.
As long as the meeting is not closed, you can reconnect to the meeting anytime.

How to vote on Kudo ?
 

How to submit your vote?

• Voting is accessible from the "Polls" button.
• Wait for the chairperson to open the vote. Once it's open you can see it in the Polls tab. As long as the vote is not open, you will not see anything in the Polls menu, this is normal.
• Depending on your internet speed, there may be a bit of latency.
• Choose your answer(s) and then click on Submit.  This is very important, if you don't click on Submit, your vote will not be taken in account.
• Once the vote is closed, the results will be visible in the Results tab.
• When a vote is started or published, a red dot appears next to the "Polls" button.

Polls tab                                                          Results tab   

  Important note: For each vote below, parliamentary votes (nominative and secret) and multiple-choice votes, once you have submitted your answer, you will not be able to change it.

Types of votes : 

 Parliamentary votes (nominative):
Select your answer (YES - NO - ABSTAIN)
Click on the blue button "Submit" to validate your vote.

 The result is not anonymous.
 

 Parliamentary vote (secret):
Select your answer (YES - NO - ABSTAIN).
Click on the blue button "Submit" to validate your vote.

 The result is not anonymous.
 

 Multiple choices vote:
You can select one or more answers..
The total number of answers is visible below the question.
Click on "Send" to validate your vote.

The result is not anonymous.
 

How to share the screen on Kudo 
Only possible from a computer.
 

To share a presentation, first you have to request for the floor.

• Click on the Request to speak button and wait for the moderator to accept you.
• Prepare your document so that it is already open.
• Once you are accepted on the floor, you are now able to share your screen.
•  You can click on this icon in the top right corner of your page. 

3 types of sharing are available : Click on the visual you want to share and then click on "Share".

How to stop sharing : If you are looking at your powerpoint in full screen, press the Esc key on your keyboard and close your document.
Then return to the Kudo page and click on Stop sharing.
The Stop sharing button is located at the same place as when you clicked on Share screen in the beginning.

Please note:
Other participants have different options of display, as you can see below:
The other participants have different choices for viewing their screen, as you can see below:

• Top: The active speaker is displayed in the main view. All the other on-screen participant thumbnails are displayed on the top.
• Side : The active speaker is displayed in the main view. All the other on-screen participant thumbnails are displayed vertically on the left.
• Speaker : Only the active speaker is displayed on the side with the presentation in the main view.
• Presentation only : Only the shared presentation is displayed.
• Gallery : All on-screen participants' thumbnails and presentation (if there is one) are displayed and distributed across the screen.
• Full screen : Full screen of Kudo without any buttons or interface.