The Volokh Conspiracy
Mostly law professors | Sometimes contrarian | Often libertarian | Always independent
Zoom Per-Speaker Timer?
I've been on many Zoom panels, and I've thought it would be good to have an easily visible speaker timer option—and maybe even one that shows the aggregate time used by each speaker during the whole panel (and not just on this particular turn). That would help remind speakers when they are going on too long, and can help moderators balance the times given to the speakers. (For webinar options, the times might be available just to the speakers and the moderator, and not to viewers at large.) Think of it as a sort of chess clock, if you're familiar with those, though Zoom would push the button for you when you start talking, and you won't lose just because your five minutes are up.
Is there such an app available on Zoom? If you've seen it operating either on Zoom or on some other platform, have you found it useful?
I should note that I don't think I tend to get shorted on time in such panels; indeed, I expect that sometimes I'm the one who goes on too long. But part of the value of such a timer would be that it can help remind speakers like me that they should be more concise, or yield time to a colleague.
