What I don’t like about working at a remote job • Hacker News Board

Re: What I don’t like about working at a remote job

#121

Post by eyelidlessness » Sat, Jul 23, 2022, 4:06 AM UTC

slategruen wrote: post #86

tpmoney wrote: post #71

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>There is also a somewhat of divide between introverts and extroverts between which they prefer, but of course - there are many in either camp leaning the other way too. Yeah, as an introvert, seeing the constant assertion that only extroverts want to work from the office is very frustrating. It is because I am an introvert that I want to work from the office. Sure, I struggle with interacting with people in general…

I'm not sure if there's any study to back this up but aren't introverts generally more sensitive to social cues? As an introvert myself, we have similar frustrations. In-person communication is just more effective in some cases.

> aren't introverts generally more sensitive to social cues?

Maybe, if you don’t open a whole neurodivergent can of worms. (Speaking for myself, autistic and ADHD, I’m more sensitive to some social cues than others, and quite a lot less for other cues; my sensitivity to specific cues is often different if subtly from most of the neurodivergent people I know.)

Re: What I don’t like about working at a remote job

#122

Post by eyelidlessness » Sat, Jul 23, 2022, 4:09 AM UTC

yieldcrv wrote: post #37

rubicon33 wrote: post #31

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I’ve found the best option to be a hybrid. 2 days remote, 3 in office.

But only if everybody else is on the same schedule

I’m in UTC-7 (currently) and I have a Monday meeting with someone in UTC+3. Neither of us expressed concern about that.

Re: What I don’t like about working at a remote job

#123

Post by ayushnix » Sat, Jul 23, 2022, 4:11 AM UTC

slothtrop wrote: post #41

akmarinov wrote: post #19

They should get a dog - it forces you to wake up at a certain time - you get some exercise in - you go outside and have micro social interactions - if you take them out at a certain time after work, it’ll come let you know that it’s time, so you won’t overwork - they’re great antidepressants - great for company when your partner is gone 4AM to 7PM

Counterpoint: they require a lot of care and attention, and expense. You can't easily just pick up and go, you now need someone to look after the animal, every time. You can get exercise and social contact besides (although on the latter point, animals can provide some comfort, but they don't sub for a social life). I think the valid reason for wanting a dog is wanting a dog, and tolerating if not enjoying the lifest…

> Counterpoint: they require a lot of care and attention, and expense. You can't easily just pick up and go, you now need someone to look after the animal, every time.

I'm being pedantic here but not all dog breeds require the same level of care, attention and expense. For example, in India, an Indian Pariah Dog is probably the most healthy and behaviorally balanced dog breed you can get. They don't have any exotic food requirements, they don't need regular grooming, they shed minimally, and they're happy with decent exercise. I've heard Greyhounds are somewhat similar but I don't have experience with them so I'm not completely sure.

But yeah, I agree that people shouldn't get dogs on a whim. When they do, those dogs almost always end up on the road or in a shelter.

Re: What I don’t like about working at a remote job

#124

Post by eyelidlessness » Sat, Jul 23, 2022, 4:16 AM UTC

wokwokwok wrote: post #47

It’s not an unfair set of points and this one rings true harder than most: > It’s extremely hard to be friends with your co-workers. You have to go out of your way to reach out and be available. Friendships don’t happen “organically” like they do in the office …because, most people seem to think they can just on their asses all day, don’t post on slack, don’t talk to anyone other than on standup and just get work don…

> So many tickets done. So totally miserable.

Sorry, I can’t hear you over having a life outside of work. (That life is almost entirely centered around my dog, we have amazing adventures almost every day, AMA)

> Sitting all day is bad for you, and it forces you to take breaks.

So it’s only mostly bad for you ;)

Re: What I don’t like about working at a remote job

#125

Post by IncRnd » Sat, Jul 23, 2022, 4:18 AM UTC

> I have solutions to a lot of these problems. I just don’t always have the mental strength to actually use the solutions. And the weeks when I slip feel like I'm falling.

People who compete in the Olympics had to work very hard to get there. People who manage their time needed to learn how to do so, and then actually do it.

Like Nike said, "Just Do It." There is no secret. Nothing you learn will make this magically happen. Just do it. There is no shortcut.

It takes some people decades to learn this. Others seem to know it subconsciously and appear to live a charmed life. The secret is that there is no secret. Just do it.

Re: What I don’t like about working at a remote job

#126

Post by dheera » Sat, Jul 23, 2022, 4:29 AM UTC

Blahah wrote: post #100

I've been working remotely on and off for 20 years, and consistently for the last 10 years. A few suggestions: - Choose to not make every day the same. You're free! Once or twice a week, take a train or bus to a different place for the day, somewhere with good cell signal. Work from a national park, or a beach, a café, pub, museum, library, take a river cruise... whatever. There's nowhere in the world that has nothin…

> national park

I've been trying to keep track of park locations near me that have

- restrooms

- tables with shade, if shade comes from tree there must not be lots of birds shitting from tree

- 4G/5G signal

- not hot mid-day

It's hard to actually get work done without all of the above.

Separately, an EV makes an excellent mobile office. You can use the car's power and air conditioning all day without "idling" an engine. Just pack a lunch, drive to a scenic vista point that has a restroom and cell signal and you're all set.

Re: What I don’t like about working at a remote job

#127

Post by j7ake » Sat, Jul 23, 2022, 4:39 AM UTC

The author mentioned that they have lots of time but cannot commit to new hobbies.

This does not seem like a problem due to remote work. Presumably, working in office still permits people with time to pursue hobbies.

Or are the number of hours vastly different working remote versus office ?

Re: What I don’t like about working at a remote job

#128

Post by Apocryphon » Sat, Jul 23, 2022, 4:43 AM UTC

throwaway821909 wrote: post #23

peoplefromibiza wrote: post #16

Earlier quoted context omitted.

as someone who has no problem with WFH, working from home for (and with) someone you don't ever encounter in real life can easily get people depressed. most people seek for meaningful relationships and purpose in life, not just paychecks. it's not people's fault if that particular way of working can lead to depression.

There are exceptions and I see how it can act as a sort of safety net group of acquaintances on which you can build... but for most people, work has got to be the worst place to find meaningful relationships and purpose, hasn't it? You can be made redundant in a moment and lose contact, there's money, an explicit hierarchy, and competition making everything awkward, and the purpose is usually questionable (hence the…

Yes, but you spend so much time at work it's natural to want meaningful relationships and purpose.

Re: What I don’t like about working at a remote job

#129

Post by philsnow » Sat, Jul 23, 2022, 4:50 AM UTC

jcims wrote: post #89

twelvechairs wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Exactly - it varies person to person and company to company. Personally I'm changing my lifestyle to have a small urban apartment in the city close to work, shops and services; and a house close to the beach around 1 hr by car / 1.5hrs by train away. I plan to move back and forth around once a week. For me this ticks a lot of boxes and I'm happy to overcome the hassles involved. I can see it becoming a more popular l…

I just signed a lease on an apartment to do something very similar. House out in the country, apartment in a very walkable town just outside a major metro area. The motivation was to help a family member in that town but I’m stoked at the prospect of having both. It’s definitely a bit of an indulgence but i could downsize both once my youngest is on her own.

If you care to use an established term for it, there's https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pied-%C3%A0-terre

Re: What I don’t like about working at a remote job

#130

Post by hosh » Sat, Jul 23, 2022, 4:51 AM UTC

gernb wrote: post #26

hosh wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Have you considered coworking at a closer destination? I've been working on distributed teams since around 2011, though I have been contracting from home for five years before that. In the very first distributed team I joined, the eng director made it a point to: - Have everyone gather in-person periodically by flying everyone to HQ - Making coworking spaces available - Traveling to the different cities to meet with…

Co-working is not a substitute for working with teammates. To give an extreme example, "Hey, I wish I had a live in partner who gave me hugs and shared in my ups and downs but I don't" -> "You could hang out at a coffee shop and talk to random people" (not as a way to meet someone but as a substitute for having a partner) There's something about working on the same project, collaborating, brainstorming, in the same s…

Yes, having a shared purpose for a team working together in the same place is difficult to replicate.

I'd argue though that, people used to have that with their local community, and it has since been replaced with working in jobs far away from home and the local community. This shift in working has not always been the default mode that civilization has collaborated, and a remote-first culture might enable some of the good things that come with being a part of a community along with modern technology.

In my other comment, I suggested reconnecting with that local community. Maybe if you never felt that camarderie with the community you live with, then perhaps you don't know what you've been missing.