In one of our recent surveys, we asked about your experience with webinars. A few people replied that they would like to get some more information about webinars. If you would like to know more about webinars and how to attend them please keep reading. We hope the information below explains how a webinar can help you to improve your DraftSight experience!

Think about a webinar as a way to attend a training session without leaving home. Using your computer and telephone, you can hear a presentation (like a conference call) and also see the presenter's slides (watching over an internet connection). You won't be able to see the presenter or the moderator, or others attending the webinar-and they won't be able to see you. (A plus if you want to attend in your pyjamas!)

For our webinars you need to register ahead of time in order to reserve your space and obtain instructions for how to join the webinar on the scheduled day and time. Note: our webinars are announced in the blog post section of the DraftSight Community and also in Facebook and trough RSS information channel- so keep an eye on the announcements! The registration form might request some basic information about you, and might give you the opportunity to answer some questions to help the presenters prepare for the needs and expectations of the audience.  

Example registration form (format might vary):

After registering you will get a confirmation email which you should keep handy because you'll need the information it provides at the time of the webinar.

Example registration confirmation (format might vary):

Just before the scheduled time of the presentation, sign on to the URL specified for the webinar in the confirmation email you received after registering for the webinar. You'll have to download some software to your computer, so make sure your security firewall settings allow for this (especially if you have Vista or Win7). This software gives you the ability to see the presenters' slides on your computer, plus any highlighting or drawing he/she might do during the presentation. In most cases, before the webinar begins you'll also dial in to a conference call line using the telephone and passcode number provided for that particular webinar. You'll probably hear music or silence until the program begins. Some people prefer to hear the audio using headphones.

In our webinars can type questions for the presenter into the webinar panel, which will be reviewed by the presenter by the end of the webinar. You might be asked to respond (during the webinar) to polling questions; if so, you'll see the responses of other participants, too.

If your internet access is not very fast (dial-up), you can still listen (like a conference call) to the audio presentation by calling the telephone number. In most cases, you'll be charged regular rates for the time you're on the phone. If you have a cell phone with an ample (or unlimited) usage plan, consider using it so that you don't incur expense for the telephone call.

Some people now have the option of VoIP (voice over internet protocol), which allows you to hear the audio program over your computer's internet connection, without dialling in by phone at the same time. This is more likely available on newer computers or in corporate settings than it is with older home computers. If you don't know for sure that you have VoIP, it's probably best to plan to use both your computer and the telephone to access our webinars.

We are looking forward 'seeing' you in one of our next webinars!

Your DraftSight Team