I am re-learning some tips for Zoom etiquette for professional settings.  This tip has always made sense:

#5. Mute the microphone until it’s your turn to speak

Important for: All participants.

By far, keeping the mic on all the time is the number one source of the most embarrassing moments during Zoom calls. It’s one thing when the microphone picks up everyday sounds – kids playing in the room next door, conversations, or a radio playing in the kitchen. But it can also let others hear what you sound like when belching after gulping a soda, for example. And that’s rarely a pretty sound.

The good news is that you can avoid all that by following a simple rule – Keep your mic on mute unless it’s your turn to speak. Mute yourself when you’re not talking, and you’re eliminating a serious source of embarrassment.

TIP: Some laptops feature a mute microphone button. You can find it among the function keys in the top row of your keyboard. This makes muting and unmuting microphones during Zoom calls a breeze and doesn’t require you to click a relevant option in Zoom’s interface to block background noises.

Click here for the rest of the tip from the article.

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