With the Covid-19 Pandemic throwing everything into chaos, many people had to get used to working from home, using technology in ways they had never used it before. Whether this was using Zoom, a website and app most people had never heard of before the pandemic or figuring out how to set up audio and visual equipment for a new home office. Car accident lawyers, like ourselves, are no different.
This has culminated in several frustrating situations for all involved. Sometimes Zoom has internet trouble, or sometimes a microphone or camera does not work as intended. This has resulted in much troubleshooting, and many people slowly but surely learning more about how to work the technology in their homes.
One group that the pandemic has hit the hardest in terms of working from home is attorneys. Attorneys are used to practicing in courtrooms, or in offices where they can meet with other attorneys or clients. However, attorneys have adopted zoom for office calls, pre-trial proceedings, and in some cases, trials themselves.
For attorneys, this has resulted in frustrating situations, but funny ones as well. The most famous situation that garnered a lot of laughs was the attorney from Texas who could not figure out how to remove the cat filter from his Zoom call. The attorney, Rod Ponton, was attending a pre-trial conference via Zoom. On Zoom, there are features that are more fun incorporated into the app that can allow for a funny or joking atmosphere on a Zoom call. One of these features is the ability to put a filter on your own face, to change your appearance.
Ponton had the misfortune of accidentally applying one of these filters, a cat, to himself. His entire screen was filtered, and on screen he appeared with the face of a cat. He did not know how to remove this filter, and this led to the line that everyone now knows, “I’m not a cat.”
The judge in this case did not appear to be very amused, nor did the other attorney on the call. Ponton attempted to get his assistant to help him remove the filter, but they were initially unsuccessful in doing so. However, in interviews after the call, both Ponton and the judge did see the funny side of the call and attempted to tell others to make sure filters were turned off in Zoom calls for the future.
How Can I Avoid This Viral Fame (or Infamy)?
It’s all about learning the technology you’re using! Make sure you know how everything on Zoom works, and ensure you know where all the settings are. By understanding Zoom at the very least, you can ensure that you will not turn into the next viral video that everyone gets a good laugh at.
Another thing you can do to prevent something like this from happening is ensuring that your Zoom settings are the same that they were the last time that you used Zoom. If you have a child or other family member who also uses your computer, make sure that there are no filters that they have applied, and you will most likely avoid also being, “not a cat.”