Court hearings are undoubtedly grave proceedings that carry life and death consequences; yet for lawyer Rod Ponton, one video call went terribly awry when his filter turned him into an animated kitten.
He struggled for less than one minute to remove a feline avatar from his Zoom screen, leading to an unforgettable and viral cat-astrophe that provided valuable lessons.
Behavior
Rod Ponton became an overnight celebrity following his appearance as a cat during a Zoom video call that went viral, yet his cat avatar wasn’t some complex piece of deepfake technology; rather it was preinstalled software on Dell laptops for decades – as seen here. This film explores this longstanding filter’s long and complicated history as well as providing insights from its original software-design manager who helped design it.
As soon as Rod Ponton, attorney for Presidio County in Texas, heard from the judge in this case that they may have accidentally enabled a cat filter during a video conference, his reaction was one of disbelief and shock. Unfortunately he’s not the first unseasoned Zoom user to encounter filter issues; such was seen with that Italian priest livestreaming Mass while cycling through filters like boxer, wizard and wolf during Mass broadcast; yet perhaps most notable of all is Paul Bracher an assistant professor of chemistry who accidentally transformed into cat form during job interview in 2012. Sadly he did not get this position either!
Intelligence
Intelligence (IQ) refers to an individual’s capacity for perception and reasoning about the world around them, such as using language to describe things or make decisions, understanding abstract concepts or principles and recognising patterns and similarities in stimuli such as rhyming words or solving crossword puzzles or anagrams. Public policies concerning military service, education, public benefits or capital punishment often incorporate an individual’s IQ as part of their decision-making processes.
Rod Ponton of Texas attorney fame became an Internet meme when he inadvertently appeared as a cat while participating in a court hearing held via videoconferencing software Zoom. Now known as the “Zoom Cat Lawyer,” this viral video depicts Ponton attempting to remove a kitten filter which appeared during his session as part of Zoom videoconferencing software Zoom.
Communication
No event can match the gravity of a court hearing, where lives may depend on it, yet you can maintain composure and even find moments of humor even in difficult circumstances – this is what makes Rod Ponton’s story such an enjoyable read.
Ponton was delighted to find himself welcomed with a cute kitten filter when logging onto his Zoom call for his civil forfeiture hearing in Presidio County, Texas. This filter superimposed over his face to give him the appearance of being an animated talking cat!
Ponton attempted to remove his filter with difficulty while looking incredibly flustered – and this made the judge laugh out loud at Ponton’s peril. It was hard not to smile as Ponton struggled against time to rectify his error!
I was struck by the professionalism of both lawyers, as well as how well-behaved the judge was during this case. This incident serves as a good reminder to always check your Zoom video options prior to entering any call, and to choose your cat-themed filters wisely.