Everything said here is absolutely correct, and yet getting people to actually adopt this practice is going to be a fight up-hill. Here's why:
- Many people will get nervous about the idea that someone can instantly watch them without warning, and simply refuse to buy in.
- Coworkers will start playing pranks at who they can spy on without them noticing, catching someone at an embarrassing moment, or snapping photos of the dumb look on someone's face when they're in deep focus.
- At most companies, there isn't just one person who needs to get ahold of you. If I walk to your desk and there's someone there already, I come back later. Auto-video lets you see one person only, rather than the whole environment.
- It's awkward to show your face, see they're busy and disappear, especially multiple times, and eventually you'll stop trying and just send an email. At most organizations, the good times to just barge in are rare, and the miss-to-hit ratio will get quickly discouraging.
All that said, I applaud the goal, and I might try using this anyway. I've worked with people remotely often and have wondered about how to establish the correct social conventions for chat/audio/video to mitigate some of the loss of subtle information cues you take for granted in an office environment. Keep experimenting, there is promise to the core idea.
Upon reflection: I think automatic audio might be the better approach. Say "hey, you busy?" and either jump right into audio/video discussion, or dismiss without awkwardness or feeling intruded upon.
- Many people will get nervous about the idea that someone can instantly watch them without warning, and simply refuse to buy in.
- Coworkers will start playing pranks at who they can spy on without them noticing, catching someone at an embarrassing moment, or snapping photos of the dumb look on someone's face when they're in deep focus.
- At most companies, there isn't just one person who needs to get ahold of you. If I walk to your desk and there's someone there already, I come back later. Auto-video lets you see one person only, rather than the whole environment.
- It's awkward to show your face, see they're busy and disappear, especially multiple times, and eventually you'll stop trying and just send an email. At most organizations, the good times to just barge in are rare, and the miss-to-hit ratio will get quickly discouraging.
All that said, I applaud the goal, and I might try using this anyway. I've worked with people remotely often and have wondered about how to establish the correct social conventions for chat/audio/video to mitigate some of the loss of subtle information cues you take for granted in an office environment. Keep experimenting, there is promise to the core idea.