Ask HN: If you're in a 100% remote role, should you turn your camera on?

Now that we're a bit further removed from the immediate onset of Covid and everyone being forced to work from home, there are many roles that are being created with the expectation of being able to work remotely indefinitely.

Recognizing the inappropriateness of generally asking someone to turn on their camera during a small group discussion or client meeting in which they are contributing, I'm wondering if signing up for a fully remote role silently stipulates that you'll make a reasonable attempt to be "visible", and turn your camera on?

I'd expect people to have the camera on in a discussion they are actively participating in. If it's an all hands meeting or something I don't think it's fair to make people sit there on camera.

Edit: I guess I should add though, I have never encountered a problem with the former situation, ie never been in a small discussion where anything is weird or we miss something because someone's camera is off. I have been in the latter situation, where people were told they have to sit and watch hours of administrative or "vision" type presentations and keep their camera on.

I don't like being on camera and I'd wager many (if not most) people don't. We do it because we have to, not because we want to.

And I don't have to because I don't work with clients or take roles in which me being on camera for more than 5 minutes during the entire duration of the role is a requirement.

Between voice and screen sharing, we can handle all business without monitoring each other's 2-dimensional faces.

I've been remote for quite some time now. For run of the mill discussions with 2-3 people, I generally keep my camera off and would be annoyed if someone asked me to turn it on. I've also set an expectation that for impromptu discussion I'll be wherever I want to be and dressed however I want to be dressed.

But there are times when it's helpful, and I think it's appropriate for more structured meetings. I think a blanket policy either way would be a mistake.

Much of communication is non-verbal. Why not increase the bandwidth of person-to-person communication?