Skype / Zoom / Teams Lockdown / WFH interesting experiences
Discussion
1) Guy sat in his PJs, in his bed at 2pm. Not quite what I would have expected from the site Nominated Responsible Electrical Engineer.
2) Salesperson, with neat CV stubble, designer causal Ralph Loren shirt, 'been drinking until 4 am when gave up drinking for a skag habit' eyes. Sofa behind had the contents of his wash basket on it. And it wasn't pleasant. Think the "poo scene" in Trainspotting and cross that with an IRA prisoner dirty protest and you still are not anywhere near what I saw.
3) At least only on audio, was on a call with 26 people when someone went for a dump! At least the chair lightened the moment (like the protagonist had just done) by exclaiming "we all like to use company time to go to the toilet, but can people do it on mute please".
For my sins.
1) I've been presenting when a cat walked over my laptop keyboard (I was using a full sized USB wifi keyboard) and turned off the laptop.
2) Before a work call with a couple of rock climber colleagues (and others) I suspended myself in a harness upside down from a bunk bed and placed my laptop upside down on a shelf so that my face and shoulders were the right way up on screen, but my room backdrop was upside down.
3) Been nude. Late for a call after being in the shower in one of those cooking hot days early lockdown. Stayed mic only for that call, but was getting nervous I'd hit the wrong button.
4) Forgot my headset so used the Laptop speaker and microphone. When one person starts slagging off the "Covidiots who want to be back in the office" I had to point out to them I was in the office as was our directors and six socially distancing colleagues all one the call.
2) Salesperson, with neat CV stubble, designer causal Ralph Loren shirt, 'been drinking until 4 am when gave up drinking for a skag habit' eyes. Sofa behind had the contents of his wash basket on it. And it wasn't pleasant. Think the "poo scene" in Trainspotting and cross that with an IRA prisoner dirty protest and you still are not anywhere near what I saw.
3) At least only on audio, was on a call with 26 people when someone went for a dump! At least the chair lightened the moment (like the protagonist had just done) by exclaiming "we all like to use company time to go to the toilet, but can people do it on mute please".
For my sins.
1) I've been presenting when a cat walked over my laptop keyboard (I was using a full sized USB wifi keyboard) and turned off the laptop.
2) Before a work call with a couple of rock climber colleagues (and others) I suspended myself in a harness upside down from a bunk bed and placed my laptop upside down on a shelf so that my face and shoulders were the right way up on screen, but my room backdrop was upside down.
3) Been nude. Late for a call after being in the shower in one of those cooking hot days early lockdown. Stayed mic only for that call, but was getting nervous I'd hit the wrong button.
4) Forgot my headset so used the Laptop speaker and microphone. When one person starts slagging off the "Covidiots who want to be back in the office" I had to point out to them I was in the office as was our directors and six socially distancing colleagues all one the call.
I don't do many group video calls, although at the beginning of the lockdown, I did have a group video chat with my dog in the background. I didn't even see he was there. Spent 20 of 60 mins talking about dogs 
My one-on-one video calls however - guy who was smartly dressed - shirt + tie sitting at his desk. Door bell rang, he goes to get up, sits back down again, looks awkward, door bell rings again, he gets up, wearing sweatpants.
One-on-one video calls seem to have plenty of dogs barking in the background...and for more than just a second.
Kids walking around. My daughter has just learned how to open doors and she bust into one call last week...however she didn't make it into shot.
One woman who thought she muted her mic and then let one rip (although that was just a voice call).
My one-on-one video calls however - guy who was smartly dressed - shirt + tie sitting at his desk. Door bell rang, he goes to get up, sits back down again, looks awkward, door bell rings again, he gets up, wearing sweatpants.
One-on-one video calls seem to have plenty of dogs barking in the background...and for more than just a second.
Kids walking around. My daughter has just learned how to open doors and she bust into one call last week...however she didn't make it into shot.
One woman who thought she muted her mic and then let one rip (although that was just a voice call).
On a 'town hall' style call in the early days of lockdown, with several hundred people listening in and a senior director leading the call. Someone took a call in their mobile and was heard to say 'nah mate that's fine, I'm on a conference call but I'm not really listening anyway'. I don't quite know how they managed it as you were auto-muted on going onto the call so a double fail really. I didn't know the person so can't say if there were any repercussions.
Year ago we had a finance manager who lived at the other end of the country so pretty much always dialled into meetings rather than travelled. We were all on a conference call and a doorbell rang in the background somewhere. Someone said, whoever that is you can go and get if you like. She replied, 'No, it's the postman and I haven't got anything on.' Very stunned silence!! Quickly followed up by 'By which I mean i'm in my pyjamas.' Never found out the truth, and as nice a person as she was I was happy not to.
Back to just before lockdown, on a Skype call to a colleague who was a homeworker anyway. Within 30 seconds of the call starting her cat starts meowing and I could hear the noise of it clambering onto her desk. Apprently if she was the only one in the house the cat would assume she was talking to it and immediately come looking for attention as soon as she joined any calls.
Year ago we had a finance manager who lived at the other end of the country so pretty much always dialled into meetings rather than travelled. We were all on a conference call and a doorbell rang in the background somewhere. Someone said, whoever that is you can go and get if you like. She replied, 'No, it's the postman and I haven't got anything on.' Very stunned silence!! Quickly followed up by 'By which I mean i'm in my pyjamas.' Never found out the truth, and as nice a person as she was I was happy not to.
Back to just before lockdown, on a Skype call to a colleague who was a homeworker anyway. Within 30 seconds of the call starting her cat starts meowing and I could hear the noise of it clambering onto her desk. Apprently if she was the only one in the house the cat would assume she was talking to it and immediately come looking for attention as soon as she joined any calls.
I think it shows we're all human and a little bit of home real life trickling through isn't too bad. I've heard babies crying and dogs barking in the backgrounds of some of mine. I had a 1 on 1 web meeting recently with a potential client and he excused himself to sign for a parcel (I was perfectly fine with that). Although as I work remotely along with the rest of the team, web-meets is nothing new to us. I have noticed a bigger use of webcams now, particularly with clients and potential clients etc who have obviously been told to use them when they themselves have internal meetings.
Prohibiting said:
I think it shows we're all human and a little bit of home real life trickling through isn't too bad. I've heard babies crying and dogs barking in the backgrounds of some of mine. I had a 1 on 1 web meeting recently with a potential client and he excused himself to sign for a parcel (I was perfectly fine with that). Although as I work remotely along with the rest of the team, web-meets is nothing new to us. I have noticed a bigger use of webcams now, particularly with clients and potential clients etc who have obviously been told to use them when they themselves have internal meetings.
I personally love seeing a bit of other people's real life on video calls and my kids do on occasion pop in to say hello on my calls. We had a virtual wander round a colleague's barn conversion in France the other day. Very nice - Would never have happened in a non-video world.My place issued a guide for video at home and it positively encouraged letting your kids / pets into shot as it recognises that everyone is in the same boat and that as a company we should celebrate those moments of disruption rather than try and hide them away.
I have shirts on a rack to throw on depending on the call I'm on but have shorts on out of shot. I sometimes have a child under the desk playing but I'm one of the lucky ones to have a bit of an office to work from. My immediate boss is on a small table on the landing and others are in the back bedroom surrounded by stuff.
A few years ago, when I'd started WFH, I was on a fairly pointless meeting, when I needed to let one rip. Went on mute, released the hounds, went off mute.
Only I didn't, I'd gotten the statuses mixed up.
It turned out that I'd specifically gone off mute to release some pressure.
This was before the days of 'active speaker highlights' so no-one ever did know that it was me that was doing an impression of a corsa bombing around McDonalds.
Only I didn't, I'd gotten the statuses mixed up.
It turned out that I'd specifically gone off mute to release some pressure.
This was before the days of 'active speaker highlights' so no-one ever did know that it was me that was doing an impression of a corsa bombing around McDonalds.
Edited by devnull on Monday 7th September 11:00
Jasandjules said:
Heard "For God's Sake will you two just play nicely" from a chap who I assume forgot to mute before shouting at his kids.......
I've seen co-workers be real 
s towards their kids. One let his kid have it with both barrels during a daily standup, wasn't even a mute mixup.I've changed my perception of some of my co-workers based on their video call backgrounds. They're all high and mighty in the office, but they live in utter s
tholes. Seen / heard it all over the years.
Right now, I do a lot of work with people in India, always enjoyable listening to the world go by outside.
My all time favourite though was when we had a boss in the US, and whatever the microsoft video thing was that had the big centre table mic/360 camera in the conference rooms. (This was 2009 or so, it was inordinately expensive, I remember that).
We had a important meeting for 9am UK time, and he’d driven into the office in the US to be online with the UK team. These things were audio sensitive, so if you made a noise, the camera would shift to point at you. He was the only one in the room, and (give him his due, it was 4am) obviously forgotten it was on. He was happily mining for nose candy, and was two knuckles deep when our local boss came into the room and said ‘hello’. There were 9 of us in that room watching, spellbound.
To this day, I don’t know if he knows we were watching.
Right now, I do a lot of work with people in India, always enjoyable listening to the world go by outside.
My all time favourite though was when we had a boss in the US, and whatever the microsoft video thing was that had the big centre table mic/360 camera in the conference rooms. (This was 2009 or so, it was inordinately expensive, I remember that).
We had a important meeting for 9am UK time, and he’d driven into the office in the US to be online with the UK team. These things were audio sensitive, so if you made a noise, the camera would shift to point at you. He was the only one in the room, and (give him his due, it was 4am) obviously forgotten it was on. He was happily mining for nose candy, and was two knuckles deep when our local boss came into the room and said ‘hello’. There were 9 of us in that room watching, spellbound.
To this day, I don’t know if he knows we were watching.
Disciplinary hearing last month with my employer... It wasn't going well on the Skype meeting. My wife, sat opposite was having her break (also working from home) decided to watch a White Yardie comedy video without her headphones in... I don't know if the sudden loud burst of Jamaican Patois threw my manager and HR lady taking notes into confusion whilst my wife was scrabbling for the mute button on her laptop... 
Had a particularly late session in London....room sharing with a colleague, think we staggered back around 5-6am.
I managed to get up and out for 8am to get a train.
He managed to wake up and join his 9am call.
Apparently propped himself up in bed.....and then drifted as the call went on.
Luckily it was pre video calls.
Turns out everyone on the call remembers the loud snoring, but no-one knew who it was
Plenty of dogs/kids/postmen joining calls these days....no-one worries too much, and as said above, it is quite a nice bit of real life....
I managed to get up and out for 8am to get a train.
He managed to wake up and join his 9am call.
Apparently propped himself up in bed.....and then drifted as the call went on.
Luckily it was pre video calls.
Turns out everyone on the call remembers the loud snoring, but no-one knew who it was
Plenty of dogs/kids/postmen joining calls these days....no-one worries too much, and as said above, it is quite a nice bit of real life....
Edited by mikeiow on Thursday 10th September 23:21
During a meeting with the entire European and American teams I work with my dog decided it would be a perfect time to sit next to me. Sweet, or so I thought.
Except she decided this was the perfect time to try and vault the coffee table, to land on the sofa, next to me. (sofa is directly in front of the coffee table, and is about a 4ft gap between the coffee table and the sofa) A bit weird, but she does loads of weird things. Except midair she realised her trajectory was off a bit, and was heading for me instead of the vacant sofa real estate next to me.
her paw slammed my laptop closed, and her paw slid over the top of the laptop and she punched/pawed me in the testes. All neatly followed less than a second later with a 35kg hump of daft fur hitting my shoulder and ribs face first. She got up, composed herself, and sat next to me, looked at me, then sneezed on me.
fking dog.
Except she decided this was the perfect time to try and vault the coffee table, to land on the sofa, next to me. (sofa is directly in front of the coffee table, and is about a 4ft gap between the coffee table and the sofa) A bit weird, but she does loads of weird things. Except midair she realised her trajectory was off a bit, and was heading for me instead of the vacant sofa real estate next to me.
her paw slammed my laptop closed, and her paw slid over the top of the laptop and she punched/pawed me in the testes. All neatly followed less than a second later with a 35kg hump of daft fur hitting my shoulder and ribs face first. She got up, composed herself, and sat next to me, looked at me, then sneezed on me.
f
king dog.Never met my new boss in person only remotely so far she has 3 dogs so not a problem.
I think the real life bit is actually quite humbling sometimes.
In regards to WFH generally speaking I feel sorry for those that are working in bodged spaces. I feel grateful I have a "dedicated space" 3 or 4 days a week just to work from. Equally the fact that my employers have provided suitable equipment as in essence my "WFH" setup is pretty much a transplanted one from what would have been my desk.
And for the times when I go to the office I have a nice laptop to use with a few screens based at a hotdesk (clean it before use mind).
I think the real life bit is actually quite humbling sometimes.
In regards to WFH generally speaking I feel sorry for those that are working in bodged spaces. I feel grateful I have a "dedicated space" 3 or 4 days a week just to work from. Equally the fact that my employers have provided suitable equipment as in essence my "WFH" setup is pretty much a transplanted one from what would have been my desk.
And for the times when I go to the office I have a nice laptop to use with a few screens based at a hotdesk (clean it before use mind).
There is a reason to have a wired microphone, for just such occasions so it becomes less likely, although not impossible, to "mis-speak" to use an Americanism as you can just pull the plug! Also I have an EFF camera obscuring sticker on all my devices with cameras. I hate cameras with a passion.
Does everyone not just automatically just turn off their camera in preferences or are you expected to allow video? I can't think of anything worse.
Does everyone not just automatically just turn off their camera in preferences or are you expected to allow video? I can't think of anything worse.
fat80b said:
I personally love seeing a bit of other people's real life on video calls and my kids do on occasion pop in to say hello on my calls. We had a virtual wander round a colleague's barn conversion in France the other day. Very nice - Would never have happened in a non-video world.
My place issued a guide for video at home and it positively encouraged letting your kids / pets into shot as it recognises that everyone is in the same boat and that as a company we should celebrate those moments of disruption rather than try and hide them away.
All of this.My place issued a guide for video at home and it positively encouraged letting your kids / pets into shot as it recognises that everyone is in the same boat and that as a company we should celebrate those moments of disruption rather than try and hide them away.
I'm in IT, so VCs are nothing new to my colleagues and me. Neither is WFH, although we have gone from our senior management being suspicious of people WFH to them fully embracing it soon after lockdown when it quickly became obvious how our productivity was maintained (it even improved) and we could make the situation work.
We have two daily calls, one at each end of the day. The intention is to catch up on the previous evening's changes in the morning and to review the day in the afternoon. But there is an instruction, formalised in company comms from those senior managers, to chat and catch up with our colleagues' lives as well as work.
When I say "calls", all of our calls are VCs - we use BlueJeans which is absolutely excellent.
One of my colleagues brings his baby to the morning calls once a week, and it's the most attended call - with everyone interested in seeing her. We also see people being handed coffees and other refreshments from an unseen/off screen third party. We all love it when people excuse themselves to answer the door to the postie and this usually triggers calls of "what have you have delivered?", followed by the unboxing of whatever it is.
One of the more exceptionally well groomed chaps in our team was becoming annoyed by his lockdown hair. He was late to start a meeting so I pinged him a reminder, only for him to join from his garden, sat (embarrassed) with a towel around his shoulders while a neighbour cut his hair.
Another joined us on an inflatable sofa, bobbing away on his garden swimming pool (it was a weekend and he hadn't expected to be joining us).
It's all really good, and we have learned more about our colleagues from this. It feels as though everyone is less stressed and yet our productivity is higher than ever. I'm saving £12 from not commuting any more, and my car's annual mileage has dropped considerably.
But, as others have said, after 6 months of this, there are still some who haven't got the etiquette of VCs quite right yet. I'm talking about muting when not talking, and using headsets to stop echoes. It's a small minority but it's the same people time and again despite corporate instructions reminding us all how to conduct successful meetings.
Edited by Watchman on Sunday 13th September 09:06
Over the last two weeks I have also had a Teams-based parents' evening for my lad's school, and a Zoom-based doctor's appointment, both of which worked perfectly and I now wonder why we didn't do that previously. I know people expect to present themselves to a doc in person but I bet 9/10 could make it work with a VC.
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