The Sitting Hall

[Shujin]

Re: The Sitting Hall

Don,
I have had many of the same issues you're describing, and am also using a logitech cam. I don't have these isseus on Skype or other video svc, either. I have no idea why Mebeam is resizing/messing up the video, although I know it's been brought up before. I don't have any real computer knowledge, so I'm little to no help in that regard.
I'm out of town for a couple more days, but will return to the Sitting Hall this weekend. I expect to find myself shrunken or invisible very soon. :shock:

gassho,
Chris

[Engyo]

Re: The Sitting Hall

I expect to find myself shrunken or invisible very soon.

Don't we all, Chris.
Gassho,
Don

PS ...and Deep Gassho to those who just sat 11-11:30pm (Atlantic Halifax TZ).

[Myoku]

Re: The Sitting Hall

I've again been the mysterious sitter next to you, Don, the last two days, only I changed the camera perspective .
Usually I'm sitting earlier (it was 11 am here we we sat), but currently it fits my schedule nice and I like "not being alone",
i'm on a mac and things are somewhat different there, however, I experience tech problems more often recently, so now
I just enter the zendo and let the mebeam fix itself, sometimes I have no picture when I start but later, sometimes the other
way around, just the dwarfs I saw not yet

_()_
Peter

[Engyo]

Re: The Sitting Hall

Hi Peter,
Yes, I saw you there. This morning there was a third spot taken in the hall. A blue thumbnail was all I could see.
(I think) what I am noticing is related to your remark about letting MeBeam fix itself. If I set up ahead of time, the video stuff settles down a bit. I still can't enter text. The other thing is somehow related to my monitor. If I turn off my monitor while warming up the environment, my camera stays on longer. No idea what that's about. Perhaps just a coincidence?
I also noticed a few more people have booked time. I think that's great, myself. I will try to sit with as many as possible. That will be part of my ANGO, at very least. You know, Sangha is as Sangha does. Solidarity in Shikantaza is a good thing, right? Maybe? To me, it would be nice to see the schedule (and places taken) full. I wonder how many can join one sitting?
I will leave a light on in Zen Hall, just in case.
Gassho,
Don

[Shujin]

Re: The Sitting Hall

I think Mebeam may have been down tonight -- went to the Sitting Hall at my appointed time and saw a black screen. My camera didn't turn on as it usually does, and nothing happened. While this was perhaps some inane lesson on sunyata, it wasn't entirely helpful. On the bright side, I sat anyhow. Thus continues the Saga of Mebeam, which shall be chronicled so that future generations can know of our frustration. :roll:

[Shinko]

Re: The Sitting Hall

I am pleased to be able to book time again. My work schedule is all over the board lately but I have been blessed with a coworker that does not like to seem me forced to take a taxi home from work simply due to a wonky schedule.

SO I will dig the little webcam out from behind the computer where it fell and see if I cant manage to convince it to work on my new Mac.

Look forward to seeing you all in the sitting Hall.. blue thumbnails or in "RL"!!

[Genkai]

Re: The Sitting Hall

My son and I are "backyard camping." If MeBeam and he both cooperate (he fell asleep about 15 minutes ago), I'm going to try Zazen in the Zen hall from a tent!

We are REALLY roughing it -- I don't like to be this close to the edge of our WiFi signal.

[roky]

Re: The Sitting Hall

getting back to you, don, on your post a few posts down, or up, from here -- yes, i also feel the zen hall is way cool, and yes, i'm having the same difficulties, thought it was due to my netbook -- and for the record, this "shrinking" of the video is a new thing, not what we were experiencing last year -- re: the black screen, it always comes back, i think -- and y9ou can go to "view", at the top of your browser window(mine is firefox), and hit "zoom" -- again, though, this is not what we had to do before, it did not shrink the way it is now -- if every9one is experiencing this(and it is great that there is "everyone" in the hall, rather than empty(except ron)), then the guy at mebeam must have done some changes -- there is a forum, but sad to say, i found them very unhelpful when we had previous issues -- that was when we had to have 2 windows open, or would get kicked out in 5 minutes -- that was cured by an upgrade

are you using a netbook, or a laptop? -- i'm wondering if this issue is isolated to those using the small screen netbooks -- is everyone experiencing this shrinking?

wonderful to see everyone in the hall, hope it continues -- since the day i joined the forum, i think 2 yrs ago, i've wondered why it wasn't full -- i initially thought it wasnt working, then, somewhat disappointed, realized it simply wasn't being used -- got tired of sitting alone in there(ron sits too late for this old fart), so i stopped using it -- will start trying it again now

just back from getting a "tune-up" at a 10-day retreat, and i've been on an extended "zen philosophy" fast, so i'd missed this thread -- i'll start paying more attention now -- but mostly, i'll pay attention to the hall

roky

[Engyo]

Re: The Sitting Hall

are you using a netbook, or a laptop? -- i'm wondering if this issue is isolated to those using the small screen netbooks -- is everyone experiencing this shrinking?

wonderful to see everyone in the hall, hope it continues -- since the day i joined the forum, i think 2 yrs ago, i've wondered why it wasn't full -- i initially thought it wasnt working, then, somewhat disappointed, realized it simply wasn't being used -- got tired of sitting alone in there(ron sits too late for this old fart), so i stopped using it -- will start trying it again now

just back from getting a "tune-up" at a 10-day retreat, and i've been on an extended "zen philosophy" fast, so i'd missed this thread -- i'll start paying more attention now -- but mostly, i'll pay attention to the hall

Hello Roky,
Thank you for your reply.
I'm using a desktop. The problems don't seem to be isolated to smaller displays. Some days/times are better than others. A computer tech told me the problems are related to bandwidth and transmission speed. Anyone can go on the MeBeam website and read the notice there about asking questions; then draw their own conclusions.
I noticed in the recent ordinations that the ordainees were well displayed on the laptop sitting in the camera view. I asked about how that was done at the Tea Party yesterday. A different program was used for that. I think I have it correct to say it may be a bit more complicated to use and requires a server, as well as a subscription. The program and subscription (in this case) were generously donated.
I know the policy here regarding dana and respect that very much, but can't help saying I wish we could have some wider discussion about ways and means which might allow Zen Hall and Meeting Hall to function a bit better. I believe there are complications but putting our heads together could (perhaps) assist.
One could say it shouldn't matter. Sitting is just sitting. If I have this inclination to sitting occasionally with Treeleafers in Zen Hall, then I will just accept it may be attachment; one fortunate attachment.
I'll probably hang out there more, not less, despite the challenges.
See you around the Hall, Roky.
Gassho,
Don

***Late Edit***
Couldn't get on Zen Hall at all this afternoon. Tried from 3:24pm to 3:58. Anyone looking for a Meditation Partner on Skype? I found a neat "plug-in" for those with Skype accounts (with multiple video display).

[Shugen]

Re: The Sitting Hall

Hey Roky,

Good to see you're still kicking!!! Too bad the zen-hall is acting up, it went wacky on me last night. It usually sorts out in a few days.

Ron

[roky]

Re: The Sitting Hall

hey ron, i've been checking in now and then, just not posting(as the dude said, "sit down and shut up"), and always glad to see you're "keeping the faith" -- and i think good news -- mebeam/zenhall is back to normal this am, even stayed full size, and then politely shrunk itself, only slightly, when i was joined by, perhaps, nadia? -- and this is double good news for me, as i also found that i can now access mebeam in linux, in my case, linux mint, which i so much favor over windows -- either its a coincidence, or, these changes were bought about by installing the latest adobe flashplayer, 10.1, so if you see this don, you may want to try that, or at least give the hall another try today -- and of course, there will always be performance fluctuations, due to server load -- and the performance on linux is a bit improved ovefr windows, since there is no firewall needed in linux

if this stays as reliable, i will try and use it for the zazenkai this saturday

gassho, roky

[Engyo]

Re: The Sitting Hall

or, these changes were bought about by installing the latest adobe flashplayer, 10.1, so if you see this don, you may want to try that, or at least give the hall another try today

Hello Roky,
Yes, I've had the new Flash Player for a few days...and the Zen Hall worked very well this morning. As I was told by someone in private message, Zen Hall just is as it is and won't be replaced until something better comes along.
That is what prompted me to post "Mini-Zen Hall", to try a new format. No response so far, though. Oh well, nothing ventured...
I'll try Zen Hall again in my second time slot.
Cheers; and,
Gassho.

[roky]

Re: The Sitting Hall

don -- good to hear that the zen hall is working for you -- i'd rather continue with the zen hall now that its working, rather than move into the mini, but thanks for the effort

the history of the zen hall is interesting -- you may find some of the past if you do a forum search, "zen hall", including my somewhat desperate attempt at reviving it, "save the zen hall"

when i joined treeleaf 7/08, it was the main feature that attracted me, but it was empty -- i actually thought it was not working, but it was, nobody was using it, and it has mostly stayed that way except for ron, and occasionally me -- and if i'm going to sit alone, i don't need an internet connection to do it, so i gradually stop , using it -- and then i periodically drift back, and if a new batch of treeleafers have started to use it, i join in, as i am now

the zazenkais, for instance, were done both on ustream, live, and in the zen hall -- at the end, we would all chat briefly, including jundo -- now, zazenkai is one-way tv, with just ustream -- this weekend, if i can do the zazenkai live, i will also open a second window, in the zen hall, as was previously done

i would not expect any improvements to the zen hall -- it basically is not that popular, and jundo certainly doesn't need it to do his daily broadcasts -- each time i return to treeleaf, i half expect it to be gone -- reason for this? -- relative/absolute -- in the absolute sense, we're all sitting together all the time, so who needs the hall -- for that matter, who needs jundo/taigu's talks, since we've already "heard" them? -- for folks thinking this way, the online part of treeleaf is for posting -- but, for those of us for whom that reasoning is a bit "silly", there is also the other part of life(jundo's "other channel"), the relative -- in that part, seeing someone else sitting with you online, listening to jundo talk, helps to make a connection, and inspires practice -- its called sangha, as i'm sure you know(having just completed a 10-day retreat, i can assure you that i might have made 5 on my own, but the sangha got me through all 10) -- summary: most feel they don't have a need for the zen hall, but many do

ok, time to shut up

roky

[Engyo]

Re: The Sitting Hall

Thank you very much, Roky.
Gassho,
_()_

[Myoku]

Re: The Sitting Hall

Roky,
i like the zen hall, it gives me a more "real" feel of belonging to a sangha, it
just feels better, though yet I only see Don and Taylor there :-) But thats also
probably because of our different time zones and schedules.
_()_
Peter