Personally, I think a lot of people not used to long meetings are now forced to participate in them. I don't think it's any 'worse' then in-person meetings, it just people are suddenly having to attend meetings everyday. Previously, those same people might have had 1 or 2 meetings a week...

Btw - I don't own a web cam, and I use a wireless headset (2.5Ghz, over the ear). So I can be on meetings and go outside for a smoke, wander over to make coffee, etc. I find it really makes the daily 'status' meeting stuff a lot more bearable.

In face-to-face meetings, you can do the whole body language rapport physical communication thing that is completely lost in a screen wall of avatar-sized facial swatches.

>you can do the whole body language rapport physical communication thing that is completely lost in a screen wall of avatar-sized facial swatches.

I'm not sure I follow? Most meetings I've been to, everyone is sitting at a table, so you only see them from the chest up? I find online to be less stressful then in person. At the very least, you can mute your mike so you don't fart loudly in the middle of the meeting :-P

I think that suddenly having to be on your 'best behavior' or having to 'present to the group' everyday causes most of the stress people talk about. Speaking in front of groups seems to be a big one just by itself. Toss in the fear of doing something stupid and losing a job/customer/contract in the midst of a lousy economy and I could see it potentially being stressful.