Working From Home Tips
Jun 6th 2020, 12:16 am
#121
Stand-up Philosopher
Joined: Apr 2009
Location: Regina Saskatchewan
Posts: 16,344
Re: Working From Home Tips
,
Good luck with Rogers; most of the people I know who used them didn't like it.
Ha ha....only you could link cell phone plan negotiations to a rub and tug 
I created a dummy account this evening on Twitter (don't have a real account and not interested in one), went to the Rogers Helps twitter feed, engaged in some back and forth discussions and saved $30 a month on the cell phones we have (4 in the house) and increased the data on mine (can use Waze now a lot more) and then saved $17/month in cable/internet costs and kept with our current plans. It took about a half hour.
I created a dummy account this evening on Twitter (don't have a real account and not interested in one), went to the Rogers Helps twitter feed, engaged in some back and forth discussions and saved $30 a month on the cell phones we have (4 in the house) and increased the data on mine (can use Waze now a lot more) and then saved $17/month in cable/internet costs and kept with our current plans. It took about a half hour.
Jun 17th 2020, 2:58 pm
#122
Slightly Canadian
Joined: Jul 2005
Location: St. John's, Newfoundland
Posts: 10,129
Re: Working From Home Tips
Inter-rest-ing.... We're in the process of moving from Webex to Teams so are at the opposite end of that curve. Webex is godawful shite, Teams seems to work better.
Skype for business works well as a messenger service but is useless for audio or video. Zoom is banned from our corporate PC's / Network for security concerns but we use it at home for everything from virtual dance lessons (for the kids not me I hasten to add) to socials. Mrs AX uses google meet because she's a teacher and education boards have sold their souls to Google (Classrooms, Chromebooks etc)
In truth all of the video meeting apps are problematic at some time or other. Tens of minutes lost to "I can't hear you", "You are on mute", "Could you go on mute because there is background noise (kids, typing, screaming, drilling etc) etc etc. However these are primarily user issues rather than the platform itself. They certainly show the disparities in internet connectivity around the world. I'm particularly amused by colleagues in London (the Engerland one rather than the Ontario one) with grainy, pixellated pics as their broadband, in a major city is sh1t. "Oh you are on Virgin Internet" they say to each other, with eyerolls. Well I assume eyerolls as I can't actually see them move at that point. I get all smug about my Fibre to the Home internet here in Nfld. In these days of the plague it seems to be worth the small fortune one pays for it.
EDIT to add.... On phones,since I work in the basement, I have dodgy cellular coverage. The workaround is Bell's "Calls over Wifi" functionality but thats a bit of a faff as you then need to dial the full 10 digit code for any call you make ever even when on actual cell service.
Skype for business works well as a messenger service but is useless for audio or video. Zoom is banned from our corporate PC's / Network for security concerns but we use it at home for everything from virtual dance lessons (for the kids not me I hasten to add) to socials. Mrs AX uses google meet because she's a teacher and education boards have sold their souls to Google (Classrooms, Chromebooks etc)
In truth all of the video meeting apps are problematic at some time or other. Tens of minutes lost to "I can't hear you", "You are on mute", "Could you go on mute because there is background noise (kids, typing, screaming, drilling etc) etc etc. However these are primarily user issues rather than the platform itself. They certainly show the disparities in internet connectivity around the world. I'm particularly amused by colleagues in London (the Engerland one rather than the Ontario one) with grainy, pixellated pics as their broadband, in a major city is sh1t. "Oh you are on Virgin Internet" they say to each other, with eyerolls. Well I assume eyerolls as I can't actually see them move at that point. I get all smug about my Fibre to the Home internet here in Nfld. In these days of the plague it seems to be worth the small fortune one pays for it.
EDIT to add.... On phones,since I work in the basement, I have dodgy cellular coverage. The workaround is Bell's "Calls over Wifi" functionality but thats a bit of a faff as you then need to dial the full 10 digit code for any call you make ever even when on actual cell service.
Jun 17th 2020, 3:04 pm
#123
Joined: Dec 2001
Location: Dixie, ex UK
Posts: 52,446
Re: Working From Home Tips
An update to add .... colleagues have discovered that you can change the background in teams video calls. (as you can with Zoom I think). I was puzzled why one, based in the US appeared to be in the London office on a call last week before I realised. If you are going to choose a funny background for god sake make it more interesting than the bloody office!
It was several weeks later when we discovered where the idea for the pattern came from!
Last edited by Pulaski; Jun 17th 2020 at 4:18 pm.
Jun 17th 2020, 7:59 pm
#124
Account Closed
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 0
Re: Working From Home Tips
My experience with Rogers as long as their is never an issue they are fine, and good network at least out my way, but pray nothing ever goes wrong because trying to get an error fixed is an uphill battle with them.
Jun 17th 2020, 8:07 pm
#125
Professional Cat herder
Joined: Apr 2007
Location: TORONTO- yay!!!
Posts: 5,707
Re: Working From Home Tips
I’m frightened to upgrade my phone at the moment as last time it took 6 months to sort out the billing **** up
Jun 17th 2020, 9:44 pm
#126
BE user by choice
Joined: Oct 2010
Location: A Briton, married to a Canadian, now in Fredericton.
Posts: 4,854
Re: Working From Home Tips
I hate Rogers with a will...being where we are we either have to go for Bell or Rogers effectively, I suffered Rogers and their non transparent and slippery billing cycle for far too long. Bell have, for me, been better.
i
Jun 29th 2020, 2:25 pm
#127
Oscar nominated
Joined: Jan 2008
Location: Moncton, NB, CANADA
Posts: 50,829
Re: Working From Home Tips
Howard the Contract Killer
Jul 3rd 2020, 5:37 pm
#128
Oscar nominated
Joined: Jan 2008
Location: Moncton, NB, CANADA
Posts: 50,829
Re: Working From Home Tips
Earlier this week councillors in Torrelavega gathered online to hash out some of the latest issues facing the municipality of some 52,000 people. Following the protocols put in place as the coronavirus tightened its grip on Spain, half a dozen councillors dialed into the videochat at 8am, streaming it online for journalists and residents.
As the meeting stretched past midday, Bernardo Bustillo, who works part-time with the municipality, began to fret that he wouldn’t have time to shower and shuttle his daughter to her commitments before heading to his other job as a swim instructor. He came up with what seemed to him the perfect solution to multitask; hauling the computer into the bathroom and minimising the chat screen so that he could listen in on the meeting as he showered.
As the meeting stretched past midday, Bernardo Bustillo, who works part-time with the municipality, began to fret that he wouldn’t have time to shower and shuttle his daughter to her commitments before heading to his other job as a swim instructor. He came up with what seemed to him the perfect solution to multitask; hauling the computer into the bathroom and minimising the chat screen so that he could listen in on the meeting as he showered.
The sound of running water drowned out the constant ringing of his mobile phone, as frantic colleagues tried to warn him that the camera was still rolling. A wave of discomfort rippled across the videochat as he got out of the shower. “Say something to Berni. Say something to him quickly,” one colleague could be heard saying.
Bernardo Bustillo mistakenly left his video on while attempting to multi-task by showering while listening to an online meeting
Jul 21st 2020, 2:12 pm
#129
Tea Drinker
Thread Starter
Joined: Nov 2006
Location: Kamloops, BC
Posts: 5,387
Re: Working From Home Tips
True dat.
I submitted an expense claim last week for 12 packs of chocolate digestives.
https://news.sky.com/story/coronavir...cuits-12033104
I submitted an expense claim last week for 12 packs of chocolate digestives.
https://news.sky.com/story/coronavir...cuits-12033104
Jul 24th 2020, 3:09 pm
#130
Tea Drinker
Thread Starter
Joined: Nov 2006
Location: Kamloops, BC
Posts: 5,387
Re: Working From Home Tips
Jul 27th 2020, 10:42 pm
#131
Tea Drinker
Thread Starter
Joined: Nov 2006
Location: Kamloops, BC
Posts: 5,387
Aug 11th 2020, 4:30 pm
#132
Tea Drinker
Thread Starter
Joined: Nov 2006
Location: Kamloops, BC
Posts: 5,387
Re: Working From Home Tips
'Fake background office chatter helps me work from home'
https://mynoise.net/NoiseMachines/op...eGenerator.php
https://mynoise.net/NoiseMachines/op...eGenerator.php
Aug 28th 2020, 2:17 pm
#133
Tea Drinker
Thread Starter
Joined: Nov 2006
Location: Kamloops, BC
Posts: 5,387
Re: Working From Home Tips
Anyone else here returning to the office anytime soon?
https://news.sky.com/story/coronavir...fices-12058176
https://news.sky.com/story/coronavir...fices-12058176
Aug 28th 2020, 2:21 pm
#134
Lost in BE Cyberspace
Joined: Sep 2013
Location: SW Ontario, Canada
Posts: 6,960
Re: Working From Home Tips
'Fake background office chatter helps me work from home'
https://mynoise.net/NoiseMachines/op...eGenerator.php
https://mynoise.net/NoiseMachines/op...eGenerator.php
Aug 29th 2020, 6:49 am
#135
.
Joined: Sep 2008
Posts: 20,185
Re: Working From Home Tips
Biggest tip for work from home, is get a big bottle of nice smelling baby lotion.