GIFs in Zoom chat

Dear MAPE members,

We have all been there before: Starting a Teams meeting, chatting a bit with colleagues, feeling a bit lighthearted and connecting with folks in the virtual world. Then we start posting emojis and popping gifs into the chat because it is a great way to add to a conversation in the online environment.

We have seen, however, that we need to think twice before posting some gifs, even with the state’s filters on our accounts.  

The Employee Rights Committee discussed a recent trend in discipline regarding the use of GIFs. A few of our members have received significant discipline for using inappropriate GIFs in Microsoft Teams. Of note, MNIT has the strictest filter selected for the GIFs, yet there have been several inappropriate ones come up.

Make sure you watch the whole gif before you post. Sometimes the gifs end much differently than they begin.

So please, keep our meetings engaging using all of the online tools at our disposal. Just make sure you know what you are posting before you post it.

Solidarity,

Angie Halseth
MAPE Statewide Vice President