Signal is working great for most of our telemedicine folks, but I miss the old Jitsi Meet server and figured out how to get it back on line reliably. If you want to use it:
- Request a link from us by email. The link will connect you directly to a conference room that’s private to you.
- Paste the link into Google Chrome or Chromium on your laptop or desktop computer.
- Give permission for the software to access your microphone and camera.
fascinating information:
The reasons you might prefer Jitsi Meet are that it will work on your desktop or laptop (as long as you have a microphone and camera) instead of just on mobile devices. It doesn’t require special software (except on mobile). It works well on Chromebooks right out of the box. It also doesn’t require any kind of registration, so you don’t have to give up your phone number or other personal information. We have full control of the server; you aren’t involving a third party. Perhaps most important, Signal currently only supports one-to-one visits. If you want to bring a third (or fourth or…) into the conversation, you’ll have to use Jitsi Meet. Just have everybody join the conversation using the same link.
On a desktop or laptop, you have to use Google Chrome or Chromium. Most folks probably have Chrome installed already. Firefox doesn’t work right at this time. Safari requires a WebRTC plugin, the use of which is too much to deal with here. I don’t currently have a platform to test the newer versions of Microsoft Edge, though it’s based on Chromium so it should work. The old Edge and Internet Explorer do not work and never will. (And, really, you should nuke Internet Explorer from orbit if you care at all about privacy.)
If you want to use Jitsi Meet on a mobile device, tap the link you will likely be directed to an app store where you can download the Jitsi Meet app. Mobile browsers don’t directly support Jitsi Meet.
If you have an old link from when we used Jitsi Meet before 2020, it will no longer work. Please request a new link from us.
Please make sure you have read and understand the restrictions on telemedicine that we have on our telemedicine page.
If you want to try the server out, or even use it for group chats while we’re all quarantined, just go to the server in Chrome, name a room, and share it with your friends. Feel free. Have fun. Stay safe. The address is: