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The working from home thread

I was the first to sign into a Teams meeting today. I realised I needed to turn the music I was playing off, as there was a real risk those entering the virtual room would witness my seated dancing.
 
weirdly IT have set our laptops to not sync time with any normal internet time server. instead will only sync with their own, which is only possible when on the campus network. we're locked out of being able to change that setting to sync to something accessible, or manually change the time without local admin access.
every two months now I've had to open a ticket to say my laptop time has gotten too incorrect to ignore any longer. then I watch as someone from the helpdesk remotes connects to reset the time for me.
it doesn't seem like a particularly efficient use of anyone's working hours to be doing this again and again. but IT won't agree to just relax the group policy restriction that locks me out the settings in the first place.
 
Honestly, people who refuse to switch their video on are the biggest weirdos of all (unless it's a large meeting you're not expected to contribute to, so need to not be seen slacking off while on mute).
Agreed. Yes, in the first few months of lockdown we all had hang ups about it. But now most of us are desperate to actually be able to see each other and humanise the contact a bit. I had one earlier with four of us on camera and one not and it definitely made the one off camera feel like a bit of a voyeur or something.
 
Honestly, people who refuse to switch their video on are the biggest weirdos of all (unless it's a large meeting you're not expected to contribute to, so need to not be seen slacking off while on mute).
why? i can’t stand it, can’t stand seeing rows of other people’s faces gawping at the webcam, I have to switch everything off but the voices if I’m gonna be able to concentrate on what people are saying
 
why? i can’t stand it, can’t stand seeing rows of other people’s faces gawping at the webcam, I have to switch everything off but the voices if I’m gonna be able to concentrate on what people are saying
If there are more than 6 or 7 then it’s best for only the speaker to have their camera on. But in small meetings, why not make it as friendly as possible? We generally have a laugh in our small meetings, and that’s not so much the case if cameras are off.
 
Agreed. Yes, in the first few months of lockdown we all had hang ups about it. But now most of us are desperate to actually be able to see each other and humanise the contact a bit. I had one earlier with four of us on camera and one not and it definitely made the one off camera feel like a bit of a voyeur or something.


Be honest here, now you use video, how do you choose to position your camera? Show-offing your lovely garden, bookshelf with carefully arranged titles, your selection of butt-plugs..?
 
We have to the camera on for everything. Luckily my job is mainly doing work rather than talking about it so only one or two meetings a month. When I call people I use the camera. There’s a totally blank wall with a filing cabinet behind where I sit at home so I don’t mind if it’s on or not!
 
If there are more than 6 or 7 then it’s best for only the speaker to have their camera on. But in small meetings, why not make it as friendly as possible? We generally have a laugh in our small meetings, and that’s not so much the case if cameras are off.
it’s very off putting for some. i find it intolerable having to see all those faces - i dunno some sort of sensory overload. If I turn the camera off and read the paper while listening, I am able to comprehend most of what’s said. if i’m looking at a gallery of gormless faces, that’s all i’m going to be thinking of so won’t take in anything that’s said. Probs an ADHD thing, though quite a few of my colleagues hate the camera being on too. i’m going to try a still selfie of myself fit next week’s meeting and see if that gets noticed
 
SiL has a little home office that is only about 6x6 so he leaves the door open so it isn't claustrophobic. He told us that he was in a Zoom conference and one of the others in the meeting kept leaning over to one side, It took a bit before he twigged that Eldest and Youngest were both visible in the living room across the hallway in leotards working out to Joe Wicks and this guy was trying to peer round SiL to get a better view, obviously not thinking about it much since the camera wouldn't move.
SiL said he just got up and shut the door without saying anything.
 
Be honest here, now you use video, how do you choose to position your camera? Show-offing your lovely garden, bookshelf with carefully arranged titles, your selection of butt-plugs..?
It looks like I’m in a shed, because I kind of am (garden office). I just have white painted wooden slats behind me. Funnily enough, I just bought some artwork today to hang up there because after 18 months I’m tired of looking at those painted white boards all the time!
 
Honestly, people who refuse to switch their video on are the biggest weirdos of all (unless it's a large meeting you're not expected to contribute to, so need to not be seen slacking off while on mute).
Many of us had a valid excuse about 15 months ago, when the barbers had been closed for months and we looked like the missing link.
 
There are 9 of us in my team and since I joined in September last year I haven't seen any of them live. We are all just a collection of photos and voices over the web.
 
We're now doing hybrid working for the foreseeable future. I'm going in to the office twice a week, which suits me fine. It's nice to have the social interaction on those days, but I find it tiring too. Can't imagine working all week in the office any more.
Just had a message sent around on our internal messaging service . They basically said the future is Hybrid meetings 🤔 they've invested in fancy tech to facilitate this . Basically an acknowledgement that there will be no mass return to the office. I have been coming in more (find I can do more when there's not a comfy sofa to lounge about on nearby ) and there are still very few people here.
 
Got an email this morning from the job I start on Monday that due to a busy sales meeting next week, Il be working from home for the first few days (it's only going to be 2 days in the office anyway) but the new laptop may not be ready so I have to use my own PC to start.
 
I was the first to sign into a Teams meeting today. I realised I needed to turn the music I was playing off, as there was a real risk those entering the virtual room would witness my seated dancing.
never switch the camera on - I was once in a meeting and forgot my personal mobile had the volume up high - and i was playing a game whilst half listening - suddenly there was loud cheering from my phone as I scrambled to turn it down - I didn't apologise , just assumed no one would know where it was coming from - and no one else mentioned it 😎
 
never switch the camera on - I was once in a meeting and forgot my personal mobile had the volume up high - and i was playing a game whilst half listening - suddenly there was loud cheering from my phone as I scrambled to turn it down - I didn't apologise , just assumed no one would know where it was coming from - and no one else mentioned it 😎
Cameras on is compulsory at my place. Doesn’t bother me too much.
 
I’ve just started a new job. Most of my meetings and calls are with my team/other colleagues but also customers and other professionals.
They're small meetings and about quite personal stuff, I think it would be weird to have cameras off in that situation. Facial expressions say a lot too, we already miss out a lot by not meeting in person.
I don’t mind it and as we don’t have an office, I’ll see colleagues f2f very rarely.

Now I’m permanently home working I’m going to sort my office out properly. I’ve been given a monitor, mouse and keyboard. I’ve also ordered some storage and other bits and we’ll paint it soon.
I get a home working allowance which helps.
I might need to ask for a chair.

I’ve been WFH for ages anyway but it does feel weird not having the option to go to an office if I wanted to.
 
Apparently, our CEO is doing his nut in that people aren’t following his pass-agg orders and coming back into the office. He’s raging about “this Tue-Thu bullshit” and that people will come in “when WE tell them”. This is stupid. You can’t run by dictat unless you have a police force and penal system. If people continue to just not come in, what does he think he’s going to do? Put 75% of the company on a warning?
 
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Apparently, our CEO is doing his nut in that people aren’t following his pass-agg orders and coming back into the office. He’s raging about “this Tue-Thu bullshit” and that people will come in “when WE tell them”. This is stupid. You can’t run by dictat unless you have a police force and penal system. If people continue to just not come in, what does he think he’s going to do? Put 75% of the company on a warning?
What is the Tue-Thu Bullshit? Is it just coming in those days ?
 
I went in to work by mistake today. Both my manager and I thought I was on shift today, and I even had an early meeting with her, then when I went to do some paperwork I saw that I'm listed as being on holiday. :facepalm:

Bonus is that to make up the extra time I get to sleep in for two hours tomorrow.

And WFH all it meant was getting up early, which I would have done anyway because my GF was here and leaving for work.
 
it’s very off putting for some. i find it intolerable having to see all those faces - i dunno some sort of sensory overload. If I turn the camera off and read the paper while listening, I am able to comprehend most of what’s said. if i’m looking at a gallery of gormless faces, that’s all i’m going to be thinking of so won’t take in anything that’s said. Probs an ADHD thing, though quite a few of my colleagues hate the camera being on too. i’m going to try a still selfie of myself fit next week’s meeting and see if that gets noticed
Can’t you just set it to only show you the active speaker?
 
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