(*) First, full disclosure: by "Hack" - I mean "Socially Hack" - not steal passwords or anything, but simply offer and derive greater value from you Zoom session (or any other vid-con system)
These days, it seems we all host online video-meetings.
Maybe a business meeting. A family reunion. A drink with friends you haven't seen in a while - online. A workout.
And as host, you have power. You can start the meeting. You can end the meeting.
But most importantly - you can Mute All!
Oh, the sweet power. The ability to make people quiet - and have them listen to you. The power to decide who-speaks-when (and maybe even more intoxicating - who-stops-speaking!).
So the first feature you can use - is your self-restraint. Don't Mute All! At all costs.
Unless it's a lecture, with a pre-defined Q&A session at the end, you want to allow people to talk to you, to each other, to voice thoughts and opinions that may be different from yours. That may sometime be unpleasant - but always will be of greater value than the alternative - rehashing your own ideas over and over again.
The second feature, is the almost opposite of the Mute All button - it's the Mute Self.
Learning to be quiet is the first step in learning to listen - which is great step in learning anything.
So much for how to better utilize your online sessions by avoiding Mute All and endorsing Mute Self.
This post was "born" during a fevered discussion about freedom-of-speech, and its limits (if any), and the power-of-censorship (and when to use it, if at all).
The similarities are obvious.
I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it [Evelyn Beatrice Hall, 1868-1956]
This quote says it all - I believe it, and believe we should all practice it. It needs a lot of practice.
If you practice it enough - you just may improve enough to have a positive impact on your environment.
Good Luck!