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Amazon, Google, Facebook, and Microsoft are asking staff to work from home

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Re: Amazon, Google, Facebook, and Microsoft are asking staff to work from home

#101

Post by freepor »

animalnewbie wrote: post #39
freepor wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If this works well I will eat my hat. This represents: companies with no remote-work culture (thus systems that are not fully documented, etc.), forcing employees into this suddenly (so they will not have a proper space at home set up for this... some of them will be in the same room as a crying baby), while their spouse may also be working from home due to the virus, while everyone is also thinking about getting a d…

Which of these companies have you actually worked for? Microsoft, intel and Google, (3 I've worked for) can go 100% remote in the software side anytime.

They do have the ability to go remote, and they do have remote engineers, but the dominant culture is not remote.

Re: Amazon, Google, Facebook, and Microsoft are asking staff to work from home

#102

Post by JoeAltmaier »

EForEndeavour wrote: post #96
JoeAltmaier wrote: post #86

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My library is a no-go in my opinion. They have meeting rooms, sure, but each 6-8-person room is occupied by one college student studying alone. So its share a table with strangers or nothing.

Do they not have communal tables out in the open?

So, its sit at a table shared with strangers.

Re: Amazon, Google, Facebook, and Microsoft are asking staff to work from home

#103

Post by goombastic »

I've worked remote very often and ive always felt that the current open plan offices are way too much of a distraction to get work done. This is the right change and remote working needs this change to happen despite the whining by the usual suspects of people sitting in office until late for no other reason than pleasing their bosses.

Hopefully, the focus will no move to tangible results being delivered than what dress you wear and how much time you spend at office.

Re: Amazon, Google, Facebook, and Microsoft are asking staff to work from home

#104

Post by chronofar »

Debogue wrote: post #95
chronofar wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> many of the game developers and designers need special hardware (different game consoles, VPN routers, high speed Internet, interactive pen displays, additional software licenses, etc) that the company would have to buy for every single person to maintain the quality and development speed they have from working on-site. Buying individuals what they need is likely still cheaper than maintaining a large office space.…

I'm not sure the stimulation of creativity can be improved much with process and management. Just like bouncing off ideas, brainstorms etc. works best in-person. Physical contact is something that is hard to replicate or work around with technology. Everyone has experienced the difference between webconferencing and real person meeting and can tell that one has more weight than the other. Maybe VR could be of use her…

> Just like bouncing off ideas, brainstorms etc. works best in-person.

You seem set on this notion, but I very much disagree. Bouncing ideas and brainstorming can be just as productive remotely. In fact creativity can be stronger when your can more freely choose when to isolate yourself from other noise and when to socialize.

> Everyone has experienced the difference between webconferencing and real person meeting and can tell that one has more weight than the other.

You sure about everyone? I can tell you I personally think most in person meetings are unnecessary and distracting, and would've been better conferenced or even better not had at all. Even meetings that need to take place, I actually value in person less than conference, as it comes with various baggage of posturing and appearances.

This sounds like you just have a preference for in person, likely because it's just more comfortable for you from an interpersonal standpoint. And that's fine, but don't mistake that preference for blanket effectiveness measures for the rest of your team, company, or industry.

Re: Amazon, Google, Facebook, and Microsoft are asking staff to work from home

#105

Post by inferiorhuman »

rsynnott wrote: post #67
inferiorhuman wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not exaggerating when I say it hasn't effected my life at all, except for the effort it took me to write this comment. I live in San Francisco, if it matters. San Francisco just reported its first cases today, but there's definitely been panic shopping. The city closed down Lowell today as a precautionary measure (but that leaves nearly 200 campuses open). Even if you don't suffer any health or financial effects…

> if our idiot president succeeds in closing the Mexican border Wait, is he trying to do that? Why is that his solution to everything?

https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/10/cdc-director-border...
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