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Rating: 4 WaterTowers
If you are like us you have some old 33's and 45's collecting dust in a closet. You may, also like us, have tossed your old turntables and have no way of listening to that great music of your youth.
This Christmas, my wife bought me a really cool gadget. The "audio-technica AT-LP2D-USB USB Turntable and Digital Recording Software".
In short, this device, and the included Cakewalk Pyro 5.0 software, allows me to play our old LP's and 45's and, if I so desire, download the music to my computer as a WMA or MP3 file.
Listening to Music
The USB Turntable comes with a USB cable and audio RCA connections. It has an internal pre-amplifier if needed. After I opened the box, all it took was about 5 minutes to install the platter and rubber mat, hook up the audio output to our Bose Audio System, and play an LP. Very cool!
The sound quality is excellent and much better than I remember our LP's sounding. This, I strongly suspect, is largely due to the Bose sound system we have now compared to the relative junk we had 20 years ago, and, also to the quality of the audio-technica USB turntable.
We also quickly found out how lucky we are to have CD's that do not need to be turned over every 10 minutes or so and replaced far too often. My 16 year old daughter has now learned about "phonograph needles", "turntables", "33", "45" and those little inserts that convert the big hole in the 45's to the small hole on the turntable. Hmmmm, why did they make the 45 hole so large? If I remember correctly 45's came out long after 33's and (for the real old timers, 78's). Someone probably had a relative ready to make a killing on those plastic hole converts.
Downloading Music to My PC
I first installed the Cakewalk Pyro software on our Dell computer (no installation problems) then plugged the audio-technica USB cable into the computer. The Windows XP automatic installation procedure continued thru several installations, but, after a few minutes of clicking thru the processes, the USB turntable was ready to go.
I rarely follow directions (there are very good instructions provided) preferring instead to test the ease-of-use process. It was pretty easy. The only problem cropped up when I had neglected to set the audio recording device in my settings to the audio-technica. Once I did that, I started the record, clicked on "record" and was rewarded with a WMA file of my once lost Spyro Gyra music! Super great!!
Other Features
Once the music is in digital form, the Pyro software allows you to edit the tracks, make playlists, move formats (for example between WMA and MP3), and ultimately burn a CD.
One very interesting feature for my daughter, who has been struggling to download a "Halfway to Hazard" ringtone for her Razer, is the ability of the Pyro software to produce a ringtone and deliver it to her phone. We did a test and it worked great, but, will wait until the phone bill comes in before proceeding to make more.....just to see what hidden costs may be involved in this process. ;-)
The software provided by audio-technica works on a Mac as well.
Summary
If you want to listen to your old LP's or 45's or if you want to download the classic music of your youth to your computer, the audio-technica USB turntable will meet your needs. This unit is very easy-to-use and the audio quality is excellent.
One thing that impressed me is that audio-technica included all the cables you need to listen to and/or download your music. The only downside is that the RCA audio cable is very short, so to hook the USB turntable into it's final location (instead of on the floor like we have it now) I will need to visit Radio Shack to extend the RCA cable a few feet. But, that is a very minor complaint. The USB cable is long enough for most applications.
Gotta love YouTube....here is what you are missing if you have never heard Spyro Gyra.
Frustrated with the lack of HD programming from Comcast in Tracy, CA, I had been looking at DirecTV and DISH and was nearing a decision to move.
As luck may have it, last night, Comcast has turned on (at least for now) SIX brand new HDTV options. Since several of them are very good choices, I will keep my service.
Here is the current list of programming options in HD:
903--KCRA NBC 904--KQCA My58 906--KVIE PBS 908--KTXL Fox 910--KXTV ABC 912--KMAX CW31 (NEW) 913--KOVR CBS 914--HGTV (NEW) 915--NGEO (NEW--National Geographic) 916--THC (NEW--The History Channel) 917--NFL (Need to pay extra) 918--A&E (NEW) 919--INHD 920--FSN (Bay Area sports, mostly blue screen logo) 921--VSGLF (Golf and other sports) 922--Discovery HD Theater 923--ESPN 924--ESPN2 926--TNT 927--UHD (Universal) 928--MTVHD 930-HBO (Need to pay extra) 932--MXHDW (Need to pay extra) 934--S-HDW (Need to pay extra) 936--SHO HD (Need to pay extra) 937--USA HD 938--TDC (NEW-The Discovery Channel)
Hopefully they will continue to fill out the HD programming options.
For more information on HDTV, see this blog entry from a couple of years ago.
Save money, time, and the environment, reduce traffic, increase productivity, and maintain business continuity.
As we have seen, telecommuting can have significant benefits for both the employee and employer. But not everyone is allowed to telecommute. Not every company has a telecommuting program. And I can see why.
Starting a telecommuting effort is probably the most complex issue in the telecommuting process. Every situation is different and every company, or management team, has its own culture, fears, and prejudices. Your management may be open to new ideas, or they may stifle anything that is new, or out of the norm.
That said, this article will not try to identify every area of possible concern, but, will give you a broad stroke overview of what it may take to start a telecommuting effort at your company and what you need to accomplish, at home, to start telecommuting.
Fundamental Ingredients
The fundamental management and employee ingredients to a successful telecommuting program can be summed up in three words: Trust, communicate, and quantify.
Without these, any telecommuting effort is doomed to fail.
Management must be able to trust their telecommuting employees and, conversely, the telecommuting employee should trust their manager. This includes trusting the employee to work when not in the office, and trusting management to fairly represent the telecommuting employee when it comes to their career and raises.
Management and the telecommuter must communicate effectively and often. Not every minute or every hour, but, on a regular basis. Part of that communication needs to include feedback from the telecommuter to management if they are feeling telecommuting is not working out, and from management to the telecommuter to help them smooth out any bumps in the road.
If telecommuting is not working, then both may agree to terminate and work together to fold the telecommuter back into the “normal” office work environment.
Before starting to telecommute, management and the telecommuter must agree to the specific goals and deadlines to be met. These can be any well defined, easily measureable, goals or tasks such as: number of sales per week, number of new clients per month, or meeting design deadlines. The manager and telecommuter can adjust these goals as appropriate and should regularly monitor and measure progress. If the goals are not being met, the manager works with the telecommuter to identify the problem and try to fix it. If the problem cannot be resolved the manager, per the agreement, can bring the telecommuter back into the office.
Qualities of the Telecommuter’s Manager
We have touched on the qualities of a good telecommuter, but, have not yet listed what would make a good manager of a telecommuter.
Simply put, the manager should possess many, if not all, of the following traits.
The manager should:
• be comfortable managing by results not by the physical presence of the employee. • be organized and able to set reasonable deadlines for goals and tasks. • be a good communicator. • be trustworthy. • want telecommuting to succeed. • be flexible and willing to make adjustments if needed.
The manager is not a micro-manager, will not demand that the telecommuter be in constant contact or on IM (Instant Messaging) all the time, and does not expect perfection.
A manager who says “They are not working unless I see the whites of their eyes” would not make a good telecommuter manager (unless he meant by videoconferencing). By the way, that came from a conversation I had with someone in line at the Movie Theater in Tracy.
Formal or Informal
The telecommuting effort can be formal or informal. Either way, it is a good idea for the manager and the telecommuter to sit down together and generate a written agreement of what is expected.
This document will list the number of days to be spent telecommuting, what resources are available for equipment, deadlines, goals, and other productivity measures each expect. This document should be mutually agreeable to both, and both should agree to terminate telecommuting should it come to that.
In NO instance should a statement like this be part of the agreement: “The company can terminate telecommuting for no reason”. There has to be a reason. Both manager and telecommuter should agree to the terms and sign the agreement.
If the company is formally starting a telecommuting effort, a “Telecommuting Administrator” should be assigned. This person is then responsible for planning the breadth and depth of the telecommuting effort.
Some of the tasks include, but, are not limited to:
• Evangelizing telecommuting within the company • Developing telecommuting guidelines, agreements, and training material • Recruiting the assistance of Human Resources and the IT Department • Recruiting and training supervisors and telecommuters • Monitoring progress and results • Providing timely information via a blog, newsletters, and / or email
Training is very important for both the manager and telecommuter. Each needs to understand what tasks are involved and what the “do’s and don’ts” are to make the experience the best it can be.
Preparing to Telecommute
As the telecommuter, you are in a position to prove that telecommuting is of benefit to everyone, not just you.
That means you should work extra hard to meet the goals and deadlines you and your manager put down on paper before you started, and you should strive, on your telecommuting days, to remain in close contact with your boss and your colleagues.
What do you need to do at home to prepare?
You should have a work location designated where you can spend eight, or more, hours per day. This location should include an ergonomically correct chair and desk, a computer with the firewall turned on, office productivity tools (document, spreadsheet, email, instant messaging), and antivirus software, a phone line and telephone (or a cell phone), sufficient lighting, office supplies, and an Internet connection.
You need to inform family members, and friends, that you are at work when you are at this location, and that you are not to be disturbed when you are there.
It is important to maintain a set schedule as if you were commuting to work. Get up at the same time everyday, and get ready the same way. Take a shower, get dressed (if you normally wear a tie to work, you can probably be more casual on telecommute days), and “commute” to your work location.
The only difference is that now your commute takes a second (about 5,400 times shorter than a normal 90 minute commute).
Avoid the temptation to work too hard. Take breaks (this is my problem….constant sitting without a break), take lunch, and quit at a reasonable time or quitting point. Turn off the computer, straighten up your desk, and “commute” back over the threshold to the family. Watch out for heavy traffic: two-year olds running back and forth, dog lying in the threshold, etc.
When you are working at home, avoid the temptation to eat too much. Many new telecommuters tend to gain weight. But, do, feel free to take the kids to school, pick them up, and run an errand or two during the day.
Remember….your “goals” are what drive you, not the fact that you are “present” at work. Stick to your goals, meet your deadlines, stay in contact, and everyone will be happy.
If you become lonely, seek out other telecommuters in Tracy and meet for lunch. Or virtually go to work with videoconferencing (Part 5).
Summary
Make sure you and your manager communicate well and have set up reasonable goals and deadlines. Telecommute!
Part 4 of this series will introduce the “basic” technology needed to telecommute.
Reminder: If you telecommute now (or want to) and want to share your experiences in Part 6 of this series, call Mike at 209-836-0472, visit the Tel Bit Consulting web site, or write to Mike at mike@telbitconsulting.com.
Here is a nice ad from Tandberg about telecommuting:
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OK, now you are working at home, saving the environment, and reducing traffic.Now what?You still need to stay in contact with your colleagues at work or around the world.You need to host a meeting, and/or manage and coordinate an online conference or seminar.What do you do?
You use a product like WebEx Meeting Center.
I recently downloaded a free 14 day trial of the WebEx Meeting Center to give it a whirl.Oh how I wish this product was available several years ago when data conferencing finally hit the frontal lobe of collaborators.All we had to offer our users back then were product offerings that were mere shadows of WebEx Meeting Center. But that is how progress goes….time cures all.
Simply put, with a few possible problems with the Mac platform aside, WebEx Meeting Center is excellent.Meeting Center is easy to use, robust, feature rich, and reliable.
To show you how Meeting Center works, let’s step thru the process of setting up and attending a meeting.This meeting will have multipoint video and VoIP voice conferencing as well as data conferencing. The participants will be my friend Sheila at Fermi Lab in Chicago, her colleague Erik, my wife Lori, and I.We invited Christian in Paris, France but he was unable to attend.
I will be the host of the scheduled meeting.I am using a Windows XP Toshiba laptop with Firefox as my browser.Sheila had a Mac in her office running Leopard and Erik had a Windows PC.Their browsers were unknown (but I will find out).
Before you read on, watch this interesting Marketing video from WebEx. It will give you a good feel as to the capabilities.
Schedule the Meeting
Starting a new process is often daunting, but, when I first logged on to the Meeting Center web site, I was greeted with a friendly page that appears to be easy enough to use.
I clicked on “Schedule a meeting” and logged in at the prompts with my email address and password.I was then prompted to install two optional tools:“Integration to Outlook” and “One-Click Meeting”.Since I am not using Outlook, I decided not to click that option.I also decided to wait to click on “One-Click Meeting” until I had experience with the “multi-click” version.J
I clicked on a link that said “Remind me Later”.
I then got a page that was a bit confusing to me.It was asking me to enter a meeting number.Since I had not yet scheduled a meeting I knew this was not right, but, I stuck in a fake number anyway.Nope.It told me I was being stupid. Argggh.
After some clicking around and trying things again, I figured out that I really needed to click on the left most column under “Host a Meeting” then “Schedule a Meeting”.I did that and was magically rewarded with the correct screen.Note: It may be a bit difficult for the unwary to get to this point, so WebEx may want to look at making the arrival here a bit easier.
This is the simple scheduling screen.See the option to go to “Advanced Scheduler”.This takes you to where I really wanted to be.In the “Advanced Scheduler” you can option the living daylights out of your meeting, very cool.
To make a long story much shorter, I entered my contacts into Meeting Center (very easy to do) and scheduled a meeting for a few days hence.This meeting, as I mentioned above, supported multipoint video and VoIP conferencing.
Emails and Reminders
In a few seconds, we all received emails informing us of the meeting.
I had set up the option to send a reminder 50 minutes before the meeting started so we all subsequently received that reminder email.NOTE: It would be good if WebEx had the option to send the reminder the day or even two days before the meeting.When I was running a collaboration service, we had many many people partaking of the 48 hours before option for reminders.
Attend the Meeting
The day of the meeting arrived and I decided to fire up the meeting (I set it up so participants could get on 15 minutes ahead of the meeting start time).
Lori grabbed this screen shot from a meeting she was about to attend.After entering her name and email address, she was placed into the meeting.
Here is a screen shot of the meeting with the four of us.
After we were connected and went thru the audio set-up procedures and could hear everyone (we all had web cams). We pulled up a whiteboard to exchange ideas that only highly intelligent people would exchange using a whiteboard. ;-)
In this screen shot you can see the Chat box in the upper right hand corner and the four video windows in the bottom right corner.There is a Participant list that I minimized so I could see the chat and video windows.The Participant list is very nice in that it not only tells you who is in the meeting, but, also what each participants current status is.
Erik asked for control and I gave it to him.He pulled up his browser and went to the homepage of the project he is Project Manager for: the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) and Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS).At least I know what a solenoid is!;-)
I then took control and marked up the page with the annotation capability.
Very cool.
In addition to browsing, we were able to pull up Word documents and Excel files and work on them collaboratively.We were application sharing, videoconferencing, talking and chatting all in the same meeting.
Here is a shot of Lori’s desktop when we were working on a Word document in another meeting.
And Lori viewing a PowerPoint presentation I was giving in that same meeting.
I could also share my entire desktop pulling up any application I wanted for all to see.
There is a full screen mode for viewing the content.Actually, full screen capability was a much requested feature for our users, so this is a feature that, I'm sure, will be greatly appreciated by many.
Each participant can change their look and feel, and you can disconnect the video windows if you so desire.
Tech Detective (YeOldeTechy)’s Minimum Required Features
This is a list of what I believe are the minimum requirements for a modern web conferencing application.
Meet with at least 5 people at the same time.
Schedule an “immediate” (Ad-Hoc) meeting or a future meeting with a full complement of recurring meeting options
Alert participants via email and then email the participants reminders
Talk to participants via VoIP (Voice over IP)
Share a PowerPoint Presentation (or other application)
Share your desktop
Use a Whiteboard
A chat capability that allows private and public communication during the meeting
Hand-off control of the meeting to another participant
Select a full-screen view
See the other participants via video (point-to-point at least, multipoint preferred)
There are many other capabilities in a fully featured application, but, these are the basics that every product of this kind should be judged.
WebEx has all of the above features and more, including:
The ability to record a meeting
Reach out to participants via Instant Messaging (IM)
Participant web surfing (known as: co-browsing)
File transfer
Closed captioning, and much much more
Possible Mac Problem?
For one meeting, Sheila successfully connected using her Mac (Leopard).Strangely, she did not need to hit the CRTL button to be heard and she also could not see the content that was being displayed (there was an error message saying that the content could not be displayed). Note: I was showing “Web Content” of my Technical Blog at the time.A few minutes into the meeting, I could no longer hear Sheila talking.She had lost her mic.
Overall, from my Windows XP laptop and my home Dell Desktop, running over the same DSL line, everything worked perfectly.The problems are sufficiently “weird” on the Mac to make troubleshooting rather difficult.
Cost
Looking at the WebEx web site they state this as the price point for Meeting Center:
Start with 5 users for $375/mo. Add users for just $75/mo each.
Summary
Although Meeting Center still has a few possible problems, particularly with a Mac platform, and areas where ease-of-use can be improved, it is, in my opinion, a very robust, feature-rich web conferencing application that is for the most part, very easy-to-use.
Remote collaboration has come a long way, and WebEx Meeting Center has set a new standard.
It is a new world, and the Tech Detective (Yeoldetechy) intends to stay at the forefront (sometimes bleeding edge) of technology, as I have for many years now.
I have downloaded a new Google Video Ad on the main page of my web site, to see how it works and what people think of it. NOTE: I took the video ad off my main site, I asked for the smaller size several times and got the big one instead. Until that gets fixed, I will have to wait.
Let me know if this new world of video ad's on the Internet, hosted by small businesses like myself, is the wave of the future, or not.
Here is an interesting blog entry on the topic by Robert Young at Gigaom.
Christmas is fast approaching. In the interest of Geeks everywhere, here are my top 7 gifts that that special Geek on your list may appreciate. Hmmmmm, he/she may even even help you with your homework, and depending on the cost of the gift, that offer may extend for a lifetime!
Visit my web site for more interesting technology trials and articles.
#7
A Terabyte hard drive. Being able to store massive numbers of digital pictures, movies, graphics, and other very large files is fast becoming an necessity. Just a few short years ago, a TeraByte of storage was available only in the largest computing centers. Now you can plop these hard drives on your desk. Truly amazing.
#6
A wireless router for your home network. I love the ability to move my work location around the house. An inexpensive router (like my Linksys $49.00 unit) works really well. Just be sure to secure it properly.
#5
For those of us who refuse to stop and ask for directions, a Garmin nuvi 350 pocket GPS navigator is the answer. Now we can have our own personal, pocket sized, navigator for virtually anywhere we travel.
#4
Apple iPod Touch. The iPod Touch is a neat bit of technology. Using the same (really slick) user interface as the iPhone, Apple has added WiFi connectivity to the iPod making this a wonderful addition for the geek who also loves music. It could use more memory, but, the 16 Gig version is plenty large enough to get started.
#3
Digital Picture Frame. OK, I actually purchased the Phillips digital picture frame last Christmas. My wife thought it was stupid, but, now, every time we take pictures, I simply pop the Sony memory card out of my camera, put it in the picture frame, and we can see the pictures change before us. Super easy to use and very nice quality.
#2
Blu-Ray high definition player. I'm giving my opinion here (one that I have NOT given until now, see this post). If Disney sticks with their choice of Blu-Ray, then I will buy a Blu-Ray. There is no way I will go without seeing "Pirates" in HD.
#1
A 1080p, 1920 x 1080 resolution High Definition TV. It does not matter what kind. The picture quality of high definition TV is an experience not to be missed. I often tell my family that our TV has a better picture than our local movie theater, and we have an HDTV with lesser resolution.
Part 2 of my series is now online at the Tracy Press Web Site. Posted below is the unedited version. Hmmm, I need to finish Part 3 now. I better get to it! :-)
Before you read, this is interesting.
++++
Part 2: Telecommuting wants you!
TeleWork vs Telecommuting
Since I co-wrote a Telecommuting Plan many years ago, a new term has appeared:TeleWork.Some experts argue that “telework” is more accurate than “telecommuting” since it describes the act of “working” while telecommuting emphasizes the act of “commuting”.That may be good for others, but, we live in and around Tracy, CA and the fact of the matter is: We commute.And we commute a lot.Sooooo, for this series, I believe the word “telecommute” is more accurate for our particular situation even though I may insert “telework” occasionally just to keep current.
Who can telecommute?
If your work day is typical of what was described in Part 1 of this series (that is, you spend most of the day on the phone, on the computer, designing or researching, or in meetings) you can telecommute one, two, or more days a week.
The ideal telecommuter is someone who can work independently and is not easily distracted by the need to wash clothes, mow the lawn, or play with the dog.For that person, the telecommute day can, productively, be used to think, to catch up on writing, to place calls to prospective clients, or “virtually” attend meetings anywhere in the world.
Where can you telecommute?
In the old days, a telecommuter had two choices of work location:home or a telecommute center.For various reasons, telecommute centers never really took off, so the vast majority of original telecommuters worked from home using a telephone and a yellow pad.Yeah, the concept of telecommuting has been around a long time.
These days, technology is such that with a cell phone, a laptop computer, and Wi-Fi Internet connections a person can telecommute effectively and fully from virtually anywhere:Hotels, restaurants, airport, train, or the wilds of Montana. In Tracy, I have connected to the Internet, via excellent Wi-Fi connections, at McDonalds, Barnes & Noble, and Starbucks.In fact, since I have been working full-time at home, there have been times when a trip to Barnes & Noble to work has been a sanity/marriage saver.
Telecommuting Benefits
Although many of the benefits listed below focus on the telecommuter (you!), please don’t misunderstand:Telecommuting should not be thought of as a privilege solely for the employee.Instead it should be considered an alternate work environment that has significant benefits for BOTH the employee and the employer.
Save money
One of the most easily definable cost savings for the telecommuter is the money you can save on gas.Since gas prices are being manipulated to higher and higher prices, the less you drive your car, the more you save.
Let’s look at some typical gas costs and savings.
My friend, Clint Wadsworth, drives everyday from Manteca to Berkeley.Clint’s drive is about 150 miles per day round trip.He drives his pickup truck which gets about 15 miles per gallon (not atypical for a commuter with an SUV). At the time of this writing, Chevron, off of 205, was selling gas at about $3.25 per gallon.
Let’s do some calculations (get your calculator out and check my math) based on Clint’s typical work week (By the way, Clint has a job that qualifies him to telecommute):
150 miles per day x 5 days = 750 miles driven to and from work per week.
750 miles/15 miles per gallon = 50 gallons of gas consumed per week.
50 gallons x $3.25 per gallon = $162.50 for gas per week (or about $8125 per year assuming a 50 week work year). Yikes!
If Clint were to telecommute one day a week he would save $32.50 per week ($162.50/5) or about (again assuming a 50 week work schedule) $1625.00 saved per year.If he were to telecommute 2 days a week, double the savings to $3250.00 per year. That works out to a monthly savings of about $135 to $270 per month.That isquite a chunk of change if you were to invest that in an IRA rather than global warming.
Save time
Looking at an even more valuable commodity, Clint can save time by telecommuting.Clint tells me that he takes about 1.5 hours getting to work and another 1.5 hours getting home. He does this by starting his day at 4 AM and leaving work at 2 PM.If he left during the height of rush hour, that time could easily stretch to 2 hours or more.Believe me, I know.
Using his 1.5 hour estimate, the time Clint saves in transit by telecommuting one day a week is about three hours per week, or 150 hours per year.150 hours means that six full days are now available for Clint to be with his family, or to devote extra time working for his boss.If he were to telecommute two days a week, that saving would double to 300 hours per year, or 12 full days.A bit of his life regained.
Over the course of 20 years, Clint regains 3000 to 6000 hours of his life and saves $32,500 to $65,000 in gas (assuming $3.25 is the max price, and we all know that ain’t gonna happen). Imagine how much you could save by telecommuting three or four days a week, or for the whole week!
Other benefits
The above are just the “hard” calculations.What about the “soft” benefits?How often do you find yourself needlessly passing a slower vehicle and cursing at them (and they back at you)?How often do you find yourself in gridlock and stressed to the max because you are going to be late for work or a meeting?How many accidents happen in a typical day on 205 or 580?One or two days a week telecommuting reduces the risks and studies have shown that a telecommuter is less stressed, happier, and works harder.
That is where your employer reaps the benefits, and more:
Employee productivity increases
Employee satisfaction is higher
Employee retention is higher
Office space is freed up, as are parking spaces (Berkeley Lab, where Clint works, has an acute parking problem)
The organization can save money on utilities
The employer can hire qualified people regardless of where they live
The organization can begin to meet anygreen initiative goals they may be striving for
From a state and local government perspective, fewer cars on the road means there is less need to build, or expand, roads.Fewer cars being started and driven means less pollution in the air which means a better environment and a happier Al Gore. Telecommuters may go out to lunch near home helping to contribute to Tracy’s local economy.
Long range pessimists are encouraging telecommuting in the unfortunate event something happens again that prevents people from getting together in a single workplace.
The events on 9/11 decimated entire companies.Because of that day, many companies now understand the benefit of geographically dispersing employees.It is very hard for terrorism to reach everyone when they are scattered.Personal note: The Internet is very robust. That September morning I worked (from home) with folks at Columbia University in NYC to provide them with Internet-based telephony and videoconferencing via our gateway in Berkeley. Columbia was on-line and operational when others were down.
If a pandemic like the avian flu develops (and many experts predict it will) then working from home allows the company to stay afloat, and governments to keep running, while saving lives by limiting the spread of the virus.
What are the downsides?
From the employees’ perspective, there is the fear that their career potential will be negatively impacted if they are away from the office. Unfortunately, this may be a valid concern (see below). They also fear isolation and can miss the camaraderie at work (this is why telecommuting 1 to 2 days a week is a nice balanced approach to start).
Personal Note: When I was telecommuting, there were times when I did get a bit lonely, and I am the type of person who enjoys being alone.However, thanks to videoconferencing, when the lonely bug struck, I simply connected by video to the office. I was “virtually” there.I could hear the cubicle chatter and see people walk by my cube.Occasionally someone would wave to me, or come into the cubicle to chat.Not to get too far ahead of myself, but, it is very easy to set up a videoconferencing system by the watercooler (a virtual watercooler), or in a break room, to encourage interaction with remote personnel.
From the employer’s perspective,the OFB, old fashioned boss, (many of who are still working and teaching young future bosses (YFB) the same values) wants to see their employees “hard at work” in their cubicle.The OFB thinks that if an employee is not there, they are not working.The OFB can also fear the loss of control over the employees work.They like to have their employees close at hand. Word to YFB’s:Telecommuting is good!
There may be costs involved such as:providing support, providing computer and other equipment, or paying for Internet connectivity.There is also the need to develop, and deliver, training to both the employee and employer and the OFB or YFB must work with the employee to set up specific goals to measure the telecommuters’ effectiveness.
In Part 3, we will take a look at what the employer and employee must do to make the telecommuting experience a positive one.
Until then, give telecommuting a try, stay home one day and work!
