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Post by Thomas fka Lance on Jan 23, 2021 10:24:11 GMT -5
Anyone know why we have to have full one-hour mock hearings just to test the video equipment? As I understand it four people are going to need to be involved in each of these.
Four man hours of work lost for each ALJ seems to be a bit of a waste of time and resources.
Thoughts?
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Post by hopefalj on Jan 23, 2021 10:54:54 GMT -5
I didn’t know it had to be an hour, but I haven’t read the emails super closely, either. I suppose the counterpoint is that it’s better to waste it on the front end rather than when we’re actually doing the hearings. Just my opinion, but I think there are plenty of greater wastes of everyone’s time than this. Judge meetings come to mind for one. Not to “whatabout” it by comparing, but I’m just not terribly bothered by it at this point.
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Post by nylawyer on Jan 23, 2021 13:29:16 GMT -5
Anyone know why we have to have full one-hour mock hearings just to test the video equipment? As I understand it four people are going to need to be involved in each of these. Four man hours of work lost for each ALJ seems to be a bit of a waste of time and resources. Thoughts? If they are the full hour, then I agree. |
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Post by Thomas fka Lance on Jan 23, 2021 13:55:49 GMT -5
There is a full script on the chief judge's website and it appears a report is submitted afterwards to TPTB that it was done.
Approximate number of ALJs is at least 1300 x 4 people for each mock hearing equals 5200 man hours. If each employee works approximately 2040 hours each year, that's more than two and a half years of one person's work time spent of these.
As the "newest" judges have been doing hearings for more than three years, the purpose of conducting a full "hearing" escapes me.
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Post by nylawyer on Jan 23, 2021 14:54:09 GMT -5
Really, only the tech aspects should be practiced.
Kind of a waste too that we are required to do these now instead of a couple of weeks prior to whenever we actually start having these hearings.
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Post by mindthegap on Jan 23, 2021 15:53:19 GMT -5
I offer this to avoid unnecessary worry or concern. The mock hearing does not have to take a full hour, and you are not required to use the script, or every word of the script if you choose to use it. It is good for the Judges to get some exposure to Teams prior to real hearings. However, it is even more important for the HCSRs serving as VHR to get exposure to the new technology in a mock setting. It is a bigger change for the staff than the Judges, having sat through the training for both. Stay safe, everybody.
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Post by Thomas fka Lance on Jan 23, 2021 16:09:32 GMT -5
I agree we should all be playing with it to ensure we know what we are doing and that the VHRs know how to do it, too.
If indeed these are not to be full one-hour hearings involving a total of four participants, may I suggest this be communicated? As this doesn't seem to be what's occurring in practice.
The "script" is 14 pages long.
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Post by barkley on Jan 23, 2021 19:15:18 GMT -5
I for one would be glad to have an hour long trial hearing, though I'll probably just chat with everyone rather than follow a script. The reason is my internet is so bad, there are some days I cannot use the phone app on the computer and have to have the HR call my cell phone. I will be glad to document whether I can even do a video hearing.
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Post by Thomas fka Lance on Jan 23, 2021 22:26:11 GMT -5
500 kbps is the speed we need for video hearings.
That is one-half mbps.
Netflix (HD) requires 5 mbps. (Non HD is less around 2 mbps)
If you can stream HD movies/shows, you have 10 times the streaming capability needed to conduct hearings. If you can stream non-HD movies/shows you have 4 times the speed needed.
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Post by elninost0rm on Jan 24, 2021 14:15:45 GMT -5
So I'm basically the one "spearheading" these in our office (alongside the HOD), mainly with respect to MS Teams issues, audio, etc., and I cannot figure out for the life of me why this isn't a 10 minute ordeal.
"Can you hear me?"
"Yes."
"VHR, is the DRAP picking up the audio?"
"Yes."
"Judge, do you have any questions about the lobby, participant list, or how any of this is going to work?"
"No."
I'm usually one of the participant roles for these and they're extremely painful.
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Post by redsox1 on Jan 24, 2021 17:40:28 GMT -5
FWIW - Friday training told just run through the intro. 30 mins.
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Post by Thomas fka Lance on Jan 24, 2021 18:10:14 GMT -5
Everyone receiving the same information might solve some issues. Ok, lots of issues, but I digress.
As it is now, some are taking up one hour from four different employees (4 man-hours) to "test the equipment", if this is wrong, clarification would go a long way to avoid any further waste of time and resources.
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Post by shoocat on Jan 25, 2021 18:44:17 GMT -5
I haven't looked that closely at it but if the video script is like the phone script , it is actually four scripts--repped adult, unrepped adult; repped child and unrepped child.
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Post by marathon on Jan 25, 2021 22:33:54 GMT -5
Everyone receiving the same information might solve some issues. Ok, lots of issues, but I digress. As it is now, some are taking up one hour from four different employees (4 man-hours) to "test the equipment", if this is wrong, clarification would go a long way to avoid any further waste of time and resources. Some people and judges are going to pick up the tech faster than others. Anyone that sat in on the MS Teams video hearing training will understand the challenges for some of our colleagues. |
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Post by hopefalj on Jan 25, 2021 22:59:00 GMT -5
Everyone receiving the same information might solve some issues. Ok, lots of issues, but I digress. As it is now, some are taking up one hour from four different employees (4 man-hours) to "test the equipment", if this is wrong, clarification would go a long way to avoid any further waste of time and resources. Some people and judges are going to pick up the tech faster than others. Anyone that sat in on the MS Teams video hearing training will understand the challenges for some of our colleagues. Yes. It was like being in a Progressive commercial with Dr. Rick. “I don’t have a mute button.” “What’s a WiFi?” “Is this Snapchatting?” |
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Post by patiently on Jan 26, 2021 6:58:13 GMT -5
After sitting through the "training" (which did not actually train on the software itself), my take away is that there is no way these hearings don't end up on YouTube, I don't care what the revised "script" says.
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Post by nylawyer on Jan 26, 2021 14:57:24 GMT -5
After sitting through the "training" (which did not actually train on the software itself), my take away is that there is no way these hearings don't end up on YouTube, I don't care what the revised "script" says. My favorite moment was when someone asked a question about how the agency was going to avoid these being recorded. The answer was, we've got that covered- we've put in these sentences at the beginning of the hearing script where you tell them not to. So, that solves that. |
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Post by rusty on Jan 30, 2021 10:36:15 GMT -5
Some people and judges are going to pick up the tech faster than others. Anyone that sat in on the MS Teams video hearing training will understand the challenges for some of our colleagues. Yes. It was like being in a Progressive commercial with Dr. Rick. “I don’t have a mute button.” “What’s a WiFi?” “Is this Snapchatting?” This^. The nuts and bolts of my video/Teams training session was informative. It was also revealing that a number of ALJs were pre-occupied with more basic misunderstandings. My session was filled with chat questions about how to use multiple monitors, how to resize a window, and other questions mostly related to operating the system. The presenters did a good job of keeping things on track. Adjusting to not printing out notes and managing screen space was a challenge for phone hearings while teleworking. The video hearing will further complicate this issue, even for those of us familiar with using multiple windows on a screen at the same time. Some of the functions referred to for the Teams video are on the main meeting video window and some are on the Teams page which is hidden generally on my screen behind the meeting window. Bouncing back and forth or side to side with these windows, plus HACPS, doc viewer and prep notes will take practice and ingenuity. My HOSA is very helpful, but is very discouraged about instructing ALJs on the basics of re-sizing, moving about and generally operating basic Windows functions. I expect some of the longer mock hearing training will be due to a learning curve for these issues. The nut/bolts of using the script essentials and operating the hearing process should not be too complicated. |
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Post by redsox1 on Jan 30, 2021 18:57:21 GMT -5
After sitting through the "training" (which did not actually train on the software itself), my take away is that there is no way these hearings don't end up on YouTube, I don't care what the revised "script" says. My favorite moment was when someone asked a question about how the agency was going to avoid these being recorded. The answer was, we've got that covered- we've put in these sentences at the beginning of the hearing script where you tell them not to. So, that solves that. In today’s world everything is recorded. If you have a middle schooler, as I do, it’s pretty clear that privacy as we know it is a dying concept. Other than the obvious danger of editing, which can be addressed by the “official” recording, not sure why people are so concerned. |
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Post by hopefalj on Jan 30, 2021 20:06:37 GMT -5
My favorite moment was when someone asked a question about how the agency was going to avoid these being recorded. The answer was, we've got that covered- we've put in these sentences at the beginning of the hearing script where you tell them not to. So, that solves that. In today’s world everything is recorded. If you have a middle schooler, as I do, it’s pretty clear that privacy as we know it is a dying concept. Other than the obvious danger of editing, which can be addressed by the “official” recording, not sure why people are so concerned. Plus, it might kick off a successful YouTube career. |
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