---
# System prepended metadata

title: Workflow for holding webinars on discourse
tags: [APC]

---

# Workflow for holding webinars on discourse

###### tags: `APC`

## Roles

### Organizer

Is the one that triggers the webinar, so will have to set everything up put things in motion, and coordinate actions to get to the webinar.

Actions:

#### Creation of the webinar

1. Go to the events category.
2. Create a new topic, use the topic title for the event's title.
3. Add post content based on the template provided:
   ```
   
   When: date and time, and length
   Where: here, connection information will be provided here
   Description
   Guests introduction
   Facilitator introduction
   
   
   In order to register to the event you first need to [sign-up](/signup) or [sign-in](/login).
   ```
4. Add an event at the end of the text of the post content.
![](https://i.imgur.com/vHY4tOO.gif)

It is important to note that there needs to be a newline in between the event creation and the content that is added. It will not work if that is not the case.

5. Add an introduction post for the guests (if there will be, or relevant): Format and example can be seen here: 
https://communitynetworks.group/t/mobile-telephony-cns-in-the-global-south/511/2
6. Add response for the principles of participation: you can copy them from here: https://communitynetworks.group/t/mobile-telephony-cns-in-the-global-south/511/4
7. Add a response for the notes after that, and enable shared-edits: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6A7ZRnY-iI
![](https://i.imgur.com/0TtTE6g.gif)

8. Make sure that the note-taker is a moderator in the forum, so they can do the shared-editting.

#### Share instructions with Facilitator and Guests

[Listed here in this roles section](#Roles).

#### Send invitation to already registered users

Using the Events invite functionality.

If you are making a private group, the users need to be intr... [TODO]

#### Initiate the webinar

You do this by editting the original post adding the bbb button in it.

#### Posting the webinar video at the end of the webinar

You do this by editting the original post replacing the bbb button with the link to the webinar video, ideally hosted in archive.org or something of the sorts.

#### Logistic information sharing

You do it by posting a response to the events topic, and editing the initial post (so newcomers have all the information synthesized).
Everyone participating in the event will receive a notification (unless they have explicitly disabled the notifications for the topic, that get enabled by default for the event topics).

#### Let users know that the webinar is happening that day

You do it by sending a private message to the attendants.

### Facilitator

Is who is going to facilitate the interaction amongst guests. It is for all intents and purposes, the host of the meeting.

You will be received by an email from the Organizer:
![](https://i.imgur.com/aJVvM4Z.png)

Will be highlighted with a star within the platform.
![](https://i.imgur.com/PH0fJr6.png)


#### Bring people into the conversation

People they know might be interested in the topic, aware of a question, or an answer, can be invited to join the conversation to the forum in this way: https://meta.discourse.org/t/how-to-send-configure-and-accept-discourse-invitation-emails/124096

#### Introduce guests to the attendants on the webinar

Will happen within the webinar platform, bbb.

#### Introduce the interaction mechanics

You can let them know via a slide or similar, that the way to interact is by posting questions as responses to the webinar thread in the forum, that you will be monitoring that and highlighting the most relevant ones, and that everyone is also invited to chime in and post their felings about that.



### Attendant

Actions:

#### Register to webinar

You will RSVP in the post.

#### Register to forum if new

You will be invited to creat a user in the platform.
After you do that, you bo back to the post and do the RSVP.

#### Saving event on calendar

By using the already existing ics export feature.

![](https://i.imgur.com/DQxxrAY.gif)


#### Post questions before the webinar

By replying to the event post with your questions.

#### Login to the webinar

Through the email received, or through the calendar reminder.

#### Join via voice in the webinar

BBB allows attendants to speak if needed.

#### Post questions during the webinar

By replying to the event's topic with a new post.
It might get selected by the moderator or guests for being replied live, or it can trigger a conversation fork in the forum to a new thread for guests and attendants to discuss about.

### Guest

Similar to the Attendants, but needs to happen before them so they can be mentioned in the initial event's post.
They might be registered by the organizer directly, and might only need to activate their account.

### Documentator

Actions:

#### Take notes during the webinar

When you take notes, you can:
1. mention the person by its nickname: that will create a reference to its profile. In order to aid you in that you can check the guests list at the beginning of the post and a popup will appear in the editor when you input the '@' symbol: https://youtu.be/BZ-rd4aevOU
![](https://i.imgur.com/hBISIqz.gif)

2. 

Edit the shared-edit note-taking post.
![](https://i.imgur.com/g0pvANV.gif)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIg3iQbW8jE


### Moderator

The role of the moderator is to make sure that everyone gets along nicely as per the feminist principles of participation, and that the information is in the right place.

Guide: https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-moderation-guide/63116

It will be very needed, as questions regarding the event, the topic might happen at the same time.
1. during the event: should be replied in the same thread, and update the FAQ entry in the event description.
2. about the topic before the webinar: should be forked conversations to the wider forum, and invite guests and facilitator by mentioning them to reply to it.
3. about the topic during the webinar: same as the previous ones, but posting the response from the guests if there is one, taking it from the documentor. Maybe even later posting the video fragment of the response.
4. Improper behaviour moderation

### Tech support

1. troubleshooting: can happen off-site via private communcation, and if needed update the FAQ. messages should be removed. You do this by removing the message and sending a private message to the sender to guide them through it. You can use [canned replies](https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-canned-replies/48296) to speed it up.

## Moments

### Event creation

Create a topic in the `Events` category and add an Event element with all the info related to the event.

![](https://i.imgur.com/vHY4tOO.gif)

Once created the topic will appear with a `time to event` tag in the topic listing:

![](https://i.imgur.com/8rvFZQc.png)


and it will show in the events calendar:

![](https://i.imgur.com/pvc8KKX.png)


### Subscribing to the event

People will have to RSVP by creating a user on communitynetworks.group and then clicking on the `Going` button:
![](https://i.imgur.com/WuZYZ3n.png)

When you RSVP you receive any news from the topic, you are also considered in the notifications

### Questions regarding the event prior it

Questions regarding the event can be posted as posts responses to the event topic, or can be sent as Private Messages to the event organizer.
If the questions are relevant to the general audience, you can edit a post to update with relevant information, and post that you editted the topic with new updates as a new post responding to the event's topic (so everyone that is attending receives a notification about it).

![](https://i.imgur.com/gzvFw3D.gif)

### Comunication prior to the event

This post explains how to send a Private Communication to all the attendants to the event, by using the Private Messages functionality and the attendees export feature of Events Calendar:

https://forum.openhardware.science/t/how-to-create-an-event-on-the-forum/2381

You can also reply to the event's topic, as everyone that is `Going` to the event is subscribed to updates on this thread, and those `Interested` will also be notified if they are mentioned.

![](https://i.imgur.com/TjUEmTy.gif)

### Letting people know about how to access the event

You can use the same [edit and notification used in the questions regarding the event](#Questions-regarding-the-event-prior-it) to add the bbb room and let them know that the room has been added (maybe even post the whole thing in the new post again).

You can use the [Communication prior to the event](#Comunication-prior-to-the-event) to make sure they pay attention to it.

### During the event

The online gathering will happen on bbb accessed through the initial topic.

The questions asked throughout the webinar will be noted, deduplicated, and added as topics of discussions on the forum as topics.

#### Questions

The topic can be used as a place for people to ask questions, and if the questions require a proper space, [they can be moved to a specific topic](https://meta.discourse.org/t/move-posts-to-a-new-or-existing-topic/136733). As new topics need to live in a category, you can create a specific topic for the event. You can also get familiar with the category structure of 

### The after event

You can follow-up on those that have registered by following the `Communication prior to the event` section.
In the same way, you can reach those that were `Interested`.
There might be a way of checking who wanted to attend but havent, by

## Plugins used

- Discourse event: https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-event/149964
- BigBlueButton integration: https://meta.discourse.org/t/bigbluebutton-video-conference/148050

## Theme components used

- https://github.com/tshenry/discourse-trust-level-avatar-flair

## TODO

- Check how to know who hasn't attended that wanted to (to follow-up with them): https://meta.discourse.org/t/bigbluebutton-video-conference/148050/28
- Sending a message when they RSVP so we can make sure they will receive this and further communications over email (not getting to spam): https://meta.discourse.org/t/discourse-event/149964/292
- BBB recording
- check who is connected on bbb
- check why the `Bulk invite` functionality of discourse events is not working.


## Reflections

name: reflection

