Well if your old enough to remember a contact listing website, that actually updated as you requested it (the address we can’t remember) followed by Yahoo! Groups organized by state and countries, followed by a QueerNet mailing list, those systems we looked after.
Yahoo! Groups sadly closed and we understand that QueerNet is closing. The contact site was first started around 23 years ago.
Why call it “Brown Room”?
Well thanks to COVID I’m sure we all watched a lot more TV and movies and we couldn’t help that actors use the term a Green room to refer to a chill out space prior to starting a shoot. Everyone knows American’s call the toilet a restroom or a bathroom, so why not call it the “Brown Room”? This also means we don’t have to mention Zoom, especially if a different/better platform becomes available.
Why bother with Zoom?
The Zoom platform, is popular especially thanks to COVID, and the rooms that have been set up in the past seem to be well liked, unfortunately the free version is limited to a 40 minute meeting and people need to log back in every 40 minutes, which most people don’t mind.
We’re going to try and see if we can make it that the paid for option is available, as best we can – but we could do with some help. If you want to donate to the Zoom charges, you can at https://thescat.org/ but obviously that’s totally optional.
There is a major issue with the free version, there doesn’t seem to be a host and there are issues with the free option, people may not return if their visit wasn’t a great experience (especially if they didn’t get to visit for the full 40 minutes)
The room is popular with “bots” fake people streaming the same pre-recorded material, it’s believed they try and get people to pay for a website (highly illegal material has been suggested) which you need a credit card number or pay for “adult verification” for videos/photos, think, do you really want to your card details to a stranger? There is plenty of free porn on the Internet!
Cams on please!
There are also issues with Zoom users who don’t have their camera on, some never have their cam on. So if you could, mention why it’s off as part of your name. This will help other users understand why, it’s a very common issue were there are more cameras off than on. We totally understand people who have a computer and phone, they choose to show their living/kitchen/bath room – but use their phones for close ups 😉
Something we’re thinking of doing, “locking the room” so only people already in the room are in, new visitors are refused or told the room is locked, but could make this issue of having cameras off even worse, if people understandably want to remain in the room, if they know they can’t get back in.
Choosing a good username
You might want to choose your sb or mbh username so people can check you out if they are also a member.
What happens if the Zoom room gets closed?
We will update the site with whatever the new address is, be it hosted by someone else or us.
We are thinking of starting a mailing list, so if the room does get closed or someone else takes over, we can email you with the new details ASAP or you can checkout this website.