Dearest Zoom, 

I don’t know how I could have got through this year without you. Yes, we spent a lot of time together at home—a lot of time—but I seriously couldn’t have kept going and stayed connected if it weren’t for you. 

I’m filled with nostalgia thinking back to when we first met seven years ago. It almost seems like a dream now. The novelty of stable, easy-to-share videoconferencing took my breath away.

But as the world changed, so did we. You evolved; your feature set matured, but you kept your sense of humor. Self-selecting breakout rooms are brilliant, and virtual backgrounds and the "touch up my appearance" feature helped me look professional, even in my jammie pants, rockin’ the Zoom mullet. Just last week we had a communication breakthrough, live transcription; your “active listening” makes me feel like you’re really hearing me.

A man in love. Zach Carnagey can't contain himself when rhapsodizing about his long-term relationship with Zoom.

But it’s not all serious work. We laughed to the point of tears from video filters and now, studio effects—how else would I ever get to see Julie Johnston with a chevron mustache?! Your playfulness is one of your best qualities. 

But you weren’t the only one who changed. I had to grow and change with you. Spending so much time together— meetings for work or teaching/taking classes—meant that I had to be creative and spice things up. The Zoom Alchemy webinars helped, as did the Zoom to the Next Level ebook. You were a rock, stable and crisp as always, no matter how adventurous the idea. 

It wasn’t all work, of course. We played, too. Who Would Win  [note: please download and open in Excel if you want to play] was a blast, as was Scattergories. Not to mention kids’ birthday parties and virtual Thanksgiving. It was great to still have a “seat at the table,” and you’re so transparent and easygoing that even my non-techy parents had you all figured out in minutes. 

Last year made you famous. You’re on "The Tonight Show" almost every night. Your name has even become a verb—“I Zoomed with my brother in Montana yesterday”—joining the austere ranks of other ubiquitous technologies like Google, Xerox, and Weed Eater. And why? Because you’re that good. You’re easy to work with, safe, open to everyone, and don’t suck up all the bandwidth in the house. 

Let's be honest, nothing compares to you. 

Happy Valentine’s Day 2021, dear Zoom. I hope we have many more to come.  

Yours truly, 

Zach Carnagey 
Principal Digital Learning Consultant 
Digital Education Programs and Initiatives