Topic: Working From Home

[Peabee]

I'm in tomorrow huzzah!

We have a PID issue with a flow-weigher and I have to be there to make sure, that things are made sure and I'm chuffed to bits that I have appointed myself the maker-surer and I'm staying till about 5 because I didn't get where I am today you know without making sure things are made sure.

I'm going to bed early and everyfin. Can't wait.

It's like Chrimbo eve!

Lucky bastard. Never thought I’d be jealous of people going to their workplace.

I may throw my laptop out the window ...

[CHOPPER]

Lucky bastard. Never thought I’d be jealous of people going to their workplace.

I may throw my laptop out the window ...

Can't wait to hear the beep as I swipe in. I may even lick the swipe machine with lust (and then clean it hygienically of course).

I may even work through my breaks as well, because, I, am a rebel. 

[Lush is the best medicine...]

Lucky bastard. Never thought I’d be jealous of people going to their workplace.

yeah actually starting to miss some of the twats who’ve helped my hair falling out

[Peabee]

Can't wait to hear the beep as I swipe in. I may even lick the swipe machine with lust (and then clean it hygienically of course).

I may even work through my breaks as well, because, I, am a rebel.

Start early, leave late. Have a shit at home, so you’re not wasting time at work.

[Peabee]

yeah actually starting to miss some of the twats who’ve helped my hair falling out

We had an accidental group call on Teams today because someone pocket dialled the group. It was quite funny and a bit of light relief, as we all tried To work out whether we’d actually arranged it or not.

[Lush is the best medicine...]

We had an accidental group call on Teams today because someone pocket dialled the group. It was quite funny and a bit of light relief, as we all tried To work out whether we’d actually arranged it or not.

im enjoying the video calls, lads look like saddam hussein after they found him in that hole in the ground and the ladies are all wearing headwear as their roots have grown out

[Peabee]

im enjoying the video calls, lads look like saddam hussein after they found him in that hole in the ground and the ladies are all wearing headwear as their roots have grown out

I am actually looking like Saddam Hussein. Good call. Haven’t bothered shaving my head or beard. I was thinking of wearing something stupid for the call tomorrow, like a straw hat. But then I may end up being furloughed...

[Crosby Nick]

im enjoying the video calls, lads look like saddam hussein after they found him in that hole in the ground and the ladies are all wearing headwear as their roots have grown out

excellent description!

[Lush is the best medicine...]

I am actually looking like Saddam Hussein. Good call. Haven’t bothered shaving my head or beard. I was thinking of wearing something stupid for the call tomorrow, like a straw hat. But then I may end up being furloughed...

get a Ronaldo 2002 haircut done at home

[Peabee]

get a Ronaldo 2002 haircut done at home

I’ll get me clippers out at the weekend mate.   

[soxfan]

I'm on at least 2-3 webinars or video meetings every day. I managed to avoid a MAJOR career-killing horror yesterday.

About 25 of my coworkers, boss included, and I were waiting for a video meeting to start. I took a quick phone call from a work friend (not in the meeting) while waiting, not realizing my computer mike was on. Everyone was listening to my phone call as I paced the room. A few people frantically texted me to shut my mike off, but I didn't notice. Somehow I avoided dropping f-bombs, calling my boss a jerk, saying a female coworker looks like hell without makeup, etc. SO LUCKY.

[kavah]

^ ha ha

[afc tukrish]

I'm on at least 2-3 webinars or video meetings every day. I managed to avoid a MAJOR career-killing horror yesterday.

About 25 of my coworkers, boss included, and I were waiting for a video meeting to start. I took a quick phone call from a work friend (not in the meeting) while waiting, not realizing my computer mike was on. Everyone was listening to my phone call as I paced the room. A few people frantically texted me to shut my mike off, but I didn't notice. Somehow I avoided dropping f-bombs, calling my boss a jerk, saying a female coworker looks like hell without makeup, etc. SO LUCKY.

Did you show everyone your nuts?

Some precedent there, as you've allowed...

[Peabee]

I'm on at least 2-3 webinars or video meetings every day. I managed to avoid a MAJOR career-killing horror yesterday.

About 25 of my coworkers, boss included, and I were waiting for a video meeting to start. I took a quick phone call from a work friend (not in the meeting) while waiting, not realizing my computer mike was on. Everyone was listening to my phone call as I paced the room. A few people frantically texted me to shut my mike off, but I didn't notice. Somehow I avoided dropping f-bombs, calling my boss a jerk, saying a female coworker looks like hell without makeup, etc. SO LUCKY.

There was a clip of a video meeting shared on twitter where one of the participants thought his camera was off. He was bollock naked.

[deFacto please, you bastards]

Finally convinced the powers that be to have me work at home.

[MBL?]

I started on Tuesday after a weird three weeks when I didn’t know what day it was due to a lack of Work and sport for reference.

Great so far and the commute has been reduced by about three hours a day which is sound. I can’t imagine what it is like to look after kids at the same time but I do have a yearning to get a dog. I need a dog.

[PaulF]

I’m having to this evening once they’re in bed. Although have the option of a pub quiz too and again I’m easily swayed!

Have you tried that app where you partner up with someone and you can keep an eye on each of other to make sure you stay focused?
I must admit I saw someone suggest doing it for three hours to get a couple of tasks done but in do busy I'm doing five hour full on stints and getting nowhere.

I had my first day back in the office, having worked at home for the last week after isolating. The job has certainly changed in my absence, amazing how little is the same now. We have been told this arrangement is due to happen for quite a while.

How is the arrangement? Better or worse

[PaulF]

I wrote a little script for a mate that moves the mouse every ten seconds....

Create a txt file in notepad. Paste this into it:

Code: [Select]

Clear-Host

Echo "Moving mouse in 10 seconds..."

Add-Type -AssemblyName System.Windows.Forms

Start-Sleep -Seconds 10

Echo "Starting.."



$PlusOrMinus = 25

while ($true)

{

  $p = [System.Windows.Forms.Cursor]::Position

  $x = $p.X + $PlusOrMinus

  $y = $p.Y + $PlusOrMinus

  [System.Windows.Forms.Cursor]::Position = New-Object System.Drawing.Point($x, $y)

  Start-Sleep -Seconds 10

  $PlusOrMinus *= -1

}
Rename it to mouse.ps1 (or anything, as long as it's not .txt, it's .ps1)

When you want it to run, right click on it and select Run with Powershell (windows 10) - the mouse'll move every 10 seconds 

Better to move mouse every 25 minutes or so. If boss sees you online all the time but you never pick up her Skype call...

[ToneLa]

Better to move mouse every 25 minutes or so. If boss sees you online all the time but you never pick up her Skype call...

That can be changed easy enough, you just need to specify the amount of time in seconds for it to wait, the (second) start-sleep near the end:

Code: [Select]

Start-Sleep -Seconds 300

300 seconds would be 5 minutes,

Code: [Select]

Start-Sleep -Seconds 1500

Would be 25 minutes.



So the full thing as 25 minutes would be:

Code: [Select]

Clear-Host

Echo "Moving mouse in 10..."

Add-Type -AssemblyName System.Windows.Forms

Start-Sleep -Seconds 10

Echo "Starting.."



$PlusOrMinus = 25

while ($true)

{

  $p = [System.Windows.Forms.Cursor]::Position

  $x = $p.X + $PlusOrMinus

  $y = $p.Y + $PlusOrMinus

  [System.Windows.Forms.Cursor]::Position = New-Object System.Drawing.Point($x, $y)

  Start-Sleep -Seconds 1500

  $PlusOrMinus *= -1

}


[PaulF]

I prefer cls to clear-host. Reminds me of my zx spectrum days

[Jm55]

I’m currently using a work PC during the lockdown to work from home.

I use my own broadband, log onto the work VPN and from there remote in to my usual work PC which is still at my desk.

My question is this - if I download say, rollercoaster tycoon, onto the regular desktop (not the remote one) is there any way they can tell that I’ve done it?

[Elmo!]

I’m currently using a work PC during the lockdown to work from home.

I use my own broadband, log onto the work VPN and from there remote in to my usual work PC which is still at my desk.

My question is this - if I download say, rollercoaster tycoon, onto the regular desktop (not the remote one) is there any way they can tell that I’ve done it?

There are loads of ways they can do this. There are plenty different IT inventory tools out there (for example SCCM) that monitor what has been installed on computers and what is being used. There are other tools for monitoring web activity, file downloads etc. Whether you have any of these and whether your IT department gives a crap is a different matter. We have several different tools running that could track this at my work but no one assigned to actually monitor it proactively.

Also, does your work give you admin rights to install software?

[soxfan]

There was a clip of a video meeting shared on twitter where one of the participants thought his camera was off. He was bollock naked.

I always keep a piece of black tape over my camera. I don't rely on computer settings. If I want the camera on for a meeting, I remove the tape, but it goes back on the instant a meeting ends. And it's not even about being naked. You just don't want to look like a doofus chewing on food or playing air guitar or something.

[Jm55]

There are loads of ways they can do this. There are plenty different IT inventory tools out there (for example SCCM) that monitor what has been installed on computers and what is being used. There are other tools for monitoring web activity, file downloads etc. Whether you have any of these and whether your IT department gives a crap is a different matter. We have several different tools running that could track this at my work but no one assigned to actually monitor it proactively.

Also, does your work give you admin rights to install software?

Thanks for this.

to be honest I don’t know if I have the admin rights. I haven’t even started to try to do it I just thought I’d check if they could find out, which it seems that they can!

[King Kenny 7]

I’m currently using a work PC during the lockdown to work from home.

I use my own broadband, log onto the work VPN and from there remote in to my usual work PC which is still at my desk.

My question is this - if I download say, rollercoaster tycoon, onto the regular desktop (not the remote one) is there any way they can tell that I’ve done it?

Do you have your own pc/laptop at home? Add something like a netgear switch and hook up a tv as a screen and operate both systems at the same time?


Not a very teched up guy but did this for my son as I didn't believe his work wouldn't be looking in.   

[Riquende]

Thanks for this.

to be honest I don’t know if I have the admin rights. I haven’t even started to try to do it I just thought I’d check if they could find out, which it seems that they can!

We have a zero tolerance approach to giving users admin credentials on devices like laptops (there are a few regulated on-site cases where it's permitted). About 4 years ago one of our teachers convinced us to give them admin access on their laptop so they could install their home printer on it that evening. The next day the shared folder on the database server became infected with malware that deleted all the files and replaced them with .lnk files with the same names... needless to say it was traced to that user's laptop.

[12C]

I always keep a piece of black tape over my camera. I don't rely on computer settings. If I want the camera on for a meeting, I remove the tape, but it goes back on the instant a meeting ends. And it's not even about being naked. You just don't want to look like a doofus chewing on food or playing air guitar or something.

I think it was Toshiba Customer support, a few years back, who asked a customer to grant them remote access to their machine, and they turned on the webcam as part of the support. The customer was sitting naked in front of her computer.
I recall it because the customer tried suing Toshiba for violating her personal privacy. Toshiba argued that she had given the technician remote access, and he was merely trying to solve her problem.

[Jm55]

Do you have your own pc/laptop at home? Add something like a netgear switch and hook up a tv as a screen and operate both systems at the same time?


Not a very teched up guy but did this for my son as I didn't believe his work wouldn't be looking in.

I do have a laptop but it’s shite, hence why I wanted the work pc to play rollercoaster tycoon!

I’ll just use my laptop, just thought it was worth a try as there’s a good 50 hours of gameplay minimum in RCT and it’s pretty cheap to download.

[PaulF]

I always keep a piece of black tape over my camera. I don't rely on computer settings. If I want the camera on for a meeting, I remove the tape, but it goes back on the instant a meeting ends. And it's not even about being naked. You just don't want to look like a doofus chewing on food or playing air guitar or something.

I've been a remote worker for years, but since the whole company got sent home, the bosses want video calls for some reason. I only have my laptop camera, so I just chuck my glasses lens cloth in front of it most of the time. 

[Crosby Nick]

Literally impossible to work like this.

[soxfan]

Another point about laptop cameras -- they should make the "on" light larger. We're talking about personal privacy here. I think they can splurge and make the light larger than a pinhole! There should also be an equally large light for the microphone. Hell, if they can do it properly for "Num Lock" and "Caps Lock" on a keyboard, I think it's a bit more important to have larger lights for your camera and microphone? I'm sure the battery could handle it.   

[CraigDS]

Another point about laptop cameras -- they should make the "on" light larger. We're talking about personal privacy here. I think they can splurge and make the light larger than a pinhole! There should also be an equally large light for the microphone. Hell, if they can do it properly for "Num Lock" and "Caps Lock" on a keyboard, I think it's a bit more important to have larger lights for your camera and microphone? I'm sure the battery could handle it.

On all the ones I’ve seen they’re usually pretty bright and you’d have to be blind not to see it.

Plus they can be turned off and people still access your webcam anyway... 

[12C]

Another point about laptop cameras -- they should make the "on" light larger. We're talking about personal privacy here. I think they can splurge and make the light larger than a pinhole! There should also be an equally large light for the microphone. Hell, if they can do it properly for "Num Lock" and "Caps Lock" on a keyboard, I think it's a bit more important to have larger lights for your camera and microphone? I'm sure the battery could handle it.

My Mac asks me for permissions whenever an application tries to access the camera or microphone. I’m sure Windows has the same facility somewhere, unless of course it has been locked/hidden disabled by tech support, along with access to any customisation.

[Elmo!]

Go to Settings > Privacy > Camera to turn off or on access to the camera for apps in Windows 10. You can set it for all apps or individual apps. The same can be done for the microphone.

[OOS]

Literally impossible to work like this.

Easy for us, here.

However, I have no idea how going paperless completly will work with regulators and such. Not for me to worry about, so I don't care. 

Probably a much needed kick up the arse for companies to modernise, improve technology and working practices into 2020...

[Crosby Nick]

Easy for us, here.

However, I have no idea how going paperless completly will work with regulators and such. Not for me to worry about, so I don't care. 

Probably a much needed kick up the arse for companies to modernise, improve technology and working practices into 2020...

I can work from home, alone no problem! But both kids had loads of work sent through to them last night. They were meant to have a Teams call each in the morning with a group of pupils and teacher and we couldn’t get in. Then have to half monitor what they’re doing, mark some work and upload it back to their Teams page.

If I have a chance I might try and do some of my own work at some point.

[afc tukrish]

I can work from home, alone no problem! But both kids had loads of work sent through to them last night. They were meant to have a Teams call each in the morning with a group of pupils and teacher and we couldn’t get in. Then have to half monitor what they’re doing, mark some work and upload it back to their Teams page.

If I have a chance I might try and do some of my own work at some point.

Daddy daycare, in effect...

[Crosby Nick]

Daddy daycare, in effect...

Turns out I’m as bad at that as I am my real job. At least I’m consistent.

Tough trying to be all things to all people and failing miserably though!

[kavah]

Anyone got a good image of the Kop to use as background on Zoom?
Better than the clothes drying / unmade spare bed I have at the moment 

[Iska]

Anyone got a good image of the Kop to use as background on Zoom?
Better than the clothes drying / unmade spare bed I have at the moment 

This would look good I reckon.