Gather makes it easy to talk to your coworkers, both for spontaneous chats and scheduled meetings.
To start a conversation, all you actually have to do is walk up to someone. This is part of the magic of a virtual office with spatial audio and video!
This guide will explain how that works, along with a few other ways you can get someone's attention in Gather.
Walk Up To Someone
When your avatar walks up to another avatar, the two of you will connect thanks to spatial audio and video. Your colleague will be able to see and/or hear you, depending on whether you have your camera and microphone turned on. When one of you walks away, you’ll disconnect and end the conversation.
This spatial audio and video is how you can experience chance encounters on Gather. Moments like running into a member of your leadership team in a hallway, walking up to your manager’s desk, or catching up with a teammate after an all-company meeting.
The colored circle next to someone’s name shows their Availability Status. Green means they’re Available, Yellow means they’re Busy, and Red means they’re in Do Not Disturb. We recommend looking at this before walking up to someone to start a conversation – it’s like checking if their headphones are on in a physical office!
Wave at Someone
When you hover your mouse over someone’s desk or avatar, you’ll see the option to Wave. This sends a delightful little notification that looks like this:
This is the most lightweight way to get someone’s attention in Gather. If they wave right back, you can assume they’re around and available for a quick chat. If they don’t wave back right away (or at all!) it might be better to talk to them later.
Send a Chat Message
When you hover your mouse over someone’s desk or avatar, you can also send them a chat message. This message will appear in the Chat Panel on the right as a private message between the two of you.
This is a better option for providing context to your request, such as saying: “Are you available for 10 minutes to prepare for that meeting later today?”
Ring Someone
When you walk up to another avatar, you’ll see the option to Ring them. Think of this like calling someone – it plays a sound on their device, so they know that someone wants to talk to them in Gather. This is the most direct way to get someone’s attention if you’re trying to talk to them.
If someone is in Do Not Disturb mode, you will not be able to Ring them and they won’t be able to hear your audio if you walk up to them and start talking. Most people use this mode when they’re on a separate call, step away from their desk, or are in a deep focus mode. We recommend being mindful of this and trying to talk to them later.
<%= heading %>