Pandemic personal consequences

[existentialist]

I'm sure this is small (or no) consolation but I have been put off any type of videoconferencing, possibly for life, by using it a lot in my last job.

I never want to see a pixelated room full of people again, or spend ten minutes having a conversation that consists almost entirely of 'Can you hear us?' 'Can you hear us now?'.

I'm no tech expert but the tech for multi-way video calls seems to lag behind others. Even organisations you'd expect to be used to it, and to have the latest facilities (e.g. TV channels) seem to struggle at times.

I think we can expect the tech to make some quite significant leaps forward. But, having just put together a videoconferencing server for my own amusement , I have to say that what they are doing with the tech is pretty remarkable. Something I have noticed is that a lot of people tend to judge the overall quality by the mainstream offerings - the Microsoft stuff, like Skype, and Teams. Compared to Zoom - which has its own issues, but largely not technical - the quality is very poor indeed. So I find myself wondering "what are Zoom doing that Microsoft aren't?". The Jitsi server I'm fiddling around with falls somewhere between the two, probably not helped that I'm on non-fibre broadband.

It's going to get better. Video conferencing is here to stay, and people - people just like you - aren't going to stand for inferior quality, dodgy security, or dubious marketing practices.

 

[gentlegreen]

I have a very old PC and my boss was stumped when she found I didn't have a magic laptop and was simply running MS Teams etc as local apps - on an unencrypted PC which technically was wrong - though I'm not actually working per se ..

EDIT:-
I get perfectly good quality using MS apps - have never had cause to Zoom yet ... but then I have an 80mbps connection - 10 mbps the other way ..

I'm guessing MS apps and Skype feel obliged to have security in place ...

 

[extra dry]

Can you not cable up directly ?

Where I live right now the only internet service is wifi. My computer is a 2nd hand Acer which is about 6 years old being another issue.

My school/employer is a private business that claims he had to stop paying people a monthly salary (the owner is as tight as a camels arse in a sandstorm) so we can get only income if we actually teach students. I have not been paid for April, and I only received half of March pay because we closed 17th march.

The other 8 or 9 teachers who are working do have access to cable internet and these guys have 'better' local networks via family ties.

I am quite happy to sit this out for a month or two - the government here (Thailand) are saying that reopening will happen in June or July, I am in a position that I can wait, unpaid and unsupported by my company. The management even cut medical insurance in the middle of a pandemic, it goes to show tight with money they are and how terrible they treat employees like the office staff and cleaners who have mostly quit now.

I thinking of relocating to another country in any case once this is over.

 

[bellaozzydog]

Day 60 at work on a boat, Minimum 33 days left most likely that will double

They just received/installed a multi gym, it’s like Christmas

I’ve run out of the porridge oats I brought with me and one morning I got up for thebreakfast and the fuckers were cooking up bacon. So I have to lie in passed bacon time every morning to fight the urges it generates

dropped weight from 18+stone to 16.5 with two doses of porridge a day

Ticking along ok, routine makes the time fly but you start forgetting what you did the day before and how you fell asleep

 

[chainsawjob]

Keepin' on keepin' on bellaozzydog? What else can ya do. Enjoy the multi gym

 

[scifisam]

Where I live right now the only internet service is wifi. My computer is a 2nd hand Acer which is about 6 years old being another issue.

My school/employer is a private business that claims he had to stop paying people a monthly salary (the owner is as tight as a camels arse in a sandstorm) so we can get only income if we actually teach students. I have not been paid for April, and I only received half of March pay because we closed 17th march.

The other 8 or 9 teachers who are working do have access to cable internet and these guys have 'better' local networks via family ties.

I am quite happy to sit this out for a month or two - the government here (Thailand) are saying that reopening will happen in June or July, I am in a position that I can wait, unpaid and unsupported by my company. The management even cut medical insurance in the middle of a pandemic, it goes to show tight with money they are and how terrible they treat employees like the office staff and cleaners who have mostly quit now.

I thinking of relocating to another country in any case once this is over.

A lan cable from the wifi router to your computer helps, IME. It probably doesn't help as much with newer systems, but it doesn't sound like you're using one of those. Lan cables costs pennies and are simply plug in and go. Probably worth a try.

 

[MickiQ]

Day 60 at work on a boat, Minimum 33 days left most likely that will double

They just received/installed a multi gym, it’s like Christmas

I’ve run out of the porridge oats I brought with me and one morning I got up for thebreakfast and the fuckers were cooking up bacon. So I have to lie in passed bacon time every morning to fight the urges it generates

dropped weight from 18+stone to 16.5 with two doses of porridge a day

Ticking along ok, routine makes the time fly but you start forgetting what you did the day before and how you fell asleep

Reading about your life is like watching some low budget apocalypse movie, you will get off that boat to find you are the last man left alive

 

[MickiQ]

My current client has sent an email round to all staff warning them there will be no pay review this year due to the coronavirus. Doesn't affect me as I am not permanent but I suspect they won't be the last company to do this.
Skip Hire is apparently classed as essential since the empty house on the corner had a skip dumped in the driveway this morning and 2 men and 2 women have been lobbing stuff in it all day.
One of the neighbours is trying to stir up enthusiam for a social distancing street party a week tomorrow where we all come and out and have picnics on our front lawns at the same time. Like most of the houses in the cul-de-sac, I had my front lawn paved over a good 15 years ago so we would sitting amidst the parked cars.

 

[Artaxerxes]

One of the most irritating parts of this shit is how much I have to spunk on shopping to get free delivery.

Get FREE DELIVERY on orders over £100 delivered on Monday to Thursday after 2pm. Orders below £40 will be delivered for a £7 charge. Charges for orders £40 and over vary according to your chosen slot.

I swear it used to be like 20 quid + maybe 2-3 quid to order groceries.

 

[extra dry]

A lan cable from the wifi router to your computer helps, IME. It probably doesn't help as much with newer systems, but it doesn't sound like you're using one of those. Lan cables costs pennies and are simply plug in and go. Probably worth a try.

That is exactly what the set up is. The issue seems to be to many tabs open, the microphone and web cam slow everything down so....it....be....come....s very slow...in....deed

 

[LDC]

Day 60 at work on a boat, Minimum 33 days left most likely that will double

They just received/installed a multi gym, it’s like Christmas

I’ve run out of the porridge oats I brought with me and one morning I got up for thebreakfast and the fuckers were cooking up bacon. So I have to lie in passed bacon time every morning to fight the urges it generates

dropped weight from 18+stone to 16.5 with two doses of porridge a day

Ticking along ok, routine makes the time fly but you start forgetting what you did the day before and how you fell asleep

Just been offered a medic job in Mali bellaozzydog As much of a mess as the NHS is currently, hmmm, I think not!

 

[kebabking]

Just been offered a medic job in Mali bellaozzydog As much of a mess as the NHS is currently, hmmm, I think not!

Oh go on, you know it makes sense.

You could provide a great morale boost with regular podcasts - stick on a Geordie accent, and do it in a big brother stylee: 'Day 9 of isolation in the uttermost shithole of the world...

Luftwaffe did a Corona evacuation for a German soldier stationed in Mali yesterday - but remember, no one is allowed to say the words Afrika Corps.....

 

[bellaozzydog]

Just been offered a medic job in Mali bellaozzydog As much of a mess as the NHS is currently, hmmm, I think not!

Let me guess. UN through united allied health care?

 

[two sheds]

One of the most irritating parts of this shit is how much I have to spunk on shopping to get free delivery.



I swear it used to be like 20 quid + maybe 2-3 quid to order groceries.

Who's that from? Nowhere near that with Tesco/Sainsburys/Waitrose/Aldi

 

[Artaxerxes]

Who's that from? Nowhere near that with Tesco/Sainsburys/Waitrose/Aldi

Thats direct from the Sainsburys website.

Its between 2 and 5 quid once you hit the magic 40 quid.

 

[gentlegreen]

Bloody hell - this being at home business is giving me a taste of retirement - just had cause to check my electricity usage- it's still nippy enough to be running a fan heater a bit - I'm going to have to start putting on more jumpers ...

 

[LDC]

Let me guess. UN through united allied health care?

Close, was UN with Iqarus. Paint my helmet blue and call me a smurf target.

 

[two sheds]

Thats direct from the Sainsburys website.

Its between 2 and 5 quid once you hit the magic 40 quid.

Ah ok yes I generally aim for 40+ and evening delivery as you say it's only a couple of quid then. Aldi's even better (£20 min and then free delivery). And what with rum being £10 a bottle you're soon there . I've only used them for alcohol for some reason. They've started doing a food delivery package too but it's standard and a few things in there I'm not sure I'd use.

 

[Looby]

I paid 6 quid for an asda delivery this morning as it was all I could get. There was an embarrassing amount of crisps there.

 

[two sheds]

It's the obscene amount of packaging you get with crisps, particularly the 6+ packs that puts me off Which means I go for the "share it round" pack which seems a bit hopeful since I live on my own and end up eating all of them at one go

It's the environmentally friendly option though

 

[FridgeMagnet]

It's the obscene amount of packaging you get with crisps, particularly the 6+ packs that puts me off Which means I go for the "share it round" pack which seems a bit hopeful since I live on my own and end up eating all of them at one go

It's the environmentally friendly option though

Full of e-numbers too What you want is something healthy, like this handy snack sized bag I picked up earlier.

 

[two sheds]

I've just searched for them and they don't exist

 

[wayward bob]

cofresh chilli and lemon hedgehogs ftw

 

[wayward bob]

in covid-related injury news i hurt my ankle getting out of bed this morning there were a couple of boxes of fabric where there aren't usually and i managed to both minorly skin and twist it and it's still a bit sore.

 

[kebabking]

Joyful - is that allowed?

I'm WFH, and have been for months, and so - of course - my work laptop gave up the ghost yesterday afternoon.

Rang IT support, and to my genuine unconstrained joy I was told I could pick one up today from Andover - so I have had a rather fabulous day driving through the Cotswolds and north Wessex downs (I love driving, and I've done very little of it since mid-March) from Worcester to Oxford on the A44, down the A34, then back home on the A419/7 and M5.

And they gave me a spare...

 

[bellaozzydog]

Close, was UN with Iqarus. Paint my helmet blue and call me a smurf target.

Iqarus are responsible for my recent tax rebate

 

[Artaxerxes]

Ah ok yes I generally aim for 40+ and evening delivery as you say it's only a couple of quid then. Aldi's even better (£20 min and then free delivery). And what with rum being £10 a bottle you're soon there . I've only used them for alcohol for some reason. They've started doing a food delivery package too but it's standard and a few things in there I'm not sure I'd use.

I don't booze which saves me a fortune.

Maybe the odd fruity cider (non-alco) once in a while.

 

[Artaxerxes]

cofresh chilli and lemon hedgehogs ftw

YES!

 

[two sheds]

I don't booze which saves me a fortune.

Maybe the odd fruity cider (non-alco) once in a while.

 

[MickiQ]

Joyful - is that allowed?

I'm WFH, and have been for months, and so - of course - my work laptop gave up the ghost yesterday afternoon.

Rang IT support, and to my genuine unconstrained joy I was told I could pick one up today from Andover - so I have had a rather fabulous day driving through the Cotswolds and north Wessex downs (I love driving, and I've done very little of it since mid-March) from Worcester to Oxford on the A44, down the A34, then back home on the A419/7 and M5.

And they gave me a spare...

Is this where my taxes are going? I thought you were spending it on nukes.