Basically, working at home is not in any way good for the company, and it's usually not good for the employee at all, so most companies won't let you do it.
Modded to 5 completely without citation and from what I assume is mostly conjecture. Nice job.
1) Most people are not most productive at home. In fact, most people are significantly less productive at home due to many more distractions around them.
I have seen this first hand. IBM came into our company, hired all of us and then sent everyone home to telecommute. About 1/3 of the people could not cope and got fired; Your statement seems to imply that people are inherently incapable of working remotely, which is complete crap. It's a learned behaviour. The other 2/3 of my colleagues and I went on to have lengthy productive tenures at IBM (without seeing an office or each other for up to 6-10 years at a time).
2) Commuting (at least relatively short commutes) has been shown to be a good way of clearing your brain, and getting it into or out of work mode. It doesn't really hurt productivity unless you're doing it for hours.
Citation please? I'll settle for an anecdote. While this may be a way of "clearing your brain", "getting into the zone", or whatever you call it: It's a learned routine that tells your brain "it's time for work". You do this when working remotely as well. You get a routine in place that get's your mind ready for work (even when you work at home, it's very important).
3) Skype does not make communication with coworkers a snap. It imparts a major cognitive overhead.
Cognitive overhead? If operating Skype is too difficult or a cognitive overhead for you, then yes you will need to remain on-site to flip the burgers and operate the fryer. While I personally don't like Skype I feel that a telephone call is just as effective as an in person meeting (except I can't punch someone in the face... I'll let you decide if that's a positive or negative).
4) Communication does not just come down to a few meetings a week that could (with more effort) be done via Skype. By working at home you remove any chance of corridor conversations, which typically, are by far the most productive communication in an office.
Again I'm going to have to ask for a study that says "corridor conversations" are more productive. How many of you attend 15 minute meetings that regularly sprawl into an hour? "Corridor conversations" happen all the time when you work remote: Believe it or not working remotely I've been able to establish close personal relationships with people I've never met in person, yet talk to on a daily basis (just shoot the shit for a couple minutes before or after a meeting).
The fact is trucking people and resources to a central point for a few hours a day only to then have a mass exodus in the evening is not sustainable. There are more drivers getting on the roads than getting off. We can't build lanes in big cities fast enough. People are going to have to go home.
I know that in my field (Software/Systems Engineering) people aren't all that social in the first place (everyone has their headphones on all day). Nothing I do requires me, my peers or our management to be located in any specific place. All of the tools required to do my job fit in a backpack and can be easily afforded by me if required.
I've been on-site the last 5 years (after a 12 year stretch remotely) and the co-workers I talk to are fairly miserable having to commute and then sit around in a sterile office environment. I see so many people that think because they show up to warm a chair everyday yet fail to produce anything meaningful they can hold a job (and they're mostly correct). When you telecommute the employer usually has strict expectations you need to meet (it's sink or swim).
The only people I know that really push for the 'on site' mentality in my field
Why are they only telling us now of this isolated increase in gravitational pull? Can they even grasp the consequences!?!? How is this even possible!?!?
As someone who used to be opposed to legalization, I have to agree with you.
After many decades in the "war" on drugs, it seems that the "war" itself has done far more harm than good. How many people have died on both sides of this supposed war? For what? Victimless crimes like consuming marijuana? For abusing one's own body? Nearly all responsible drug use is a victim-less crime.
Live's are being ruined, real people are dying and violent crime is proliferated as a direct result of trying to enforce an ethical code.
It took me many years do counter all the programming by religion, public services ads and public schools to finally realize there is no logical reason for the prohibition.
I hope the lives of innocent people (on both sides of the argument) are worth your moral code. Good luck with your war.
It really makes me sad that you have to spell out for people something that is so basic and natural.
We all know it growing up but somewhere this basic knowledge of our symbiosis get's lost or challenged by adults who think they can reinvent our species merely by redefinition. Good luck with that.
Roberts are doing the public a great service by exposing this horrible security debacle.
But joking about possibly taking down a flight (which by all accounts he could possibly do) is no joke. This guy needs to maintain some professionalism.
This is the same reason you can't scream "fire" in a movie theatre
So basically: other than the fact that it can't connect to wifi, has no ethernet, 3d acceleration, and keeps my fans don't cool correctly which resulted in leg burns and a melted case, it's perfect.
I totally agree with you. However, if so many people feel this way (just about everyone I know in the industry would agree with you), then why are so many more work places trending in the opposite direction (read: dot-com like, longer hours, less privacy, getting rid of cubicles and moving to benches) ??
Slashdot Mirror
Basically, working at home is not in any way good for the company, and it's usually not good for the employee at all, so most companies won't let you do it.
Modded to 5 completely without citation and from what I assume is mostly conjecture. Nice job.
1) Most people are not most productive at home. In fact, most people are significantly less productive at home due to many more distractions around them.
I have seen this first hand. IBM came into our company, hired all of us and then sent everyone home to telecommute. About 1/3 of the people could not cope and got fired; Your statement seems to imply that people are inherently incapable of working remotely, which is complete crap. It's a learned behaviour. The other 2/3 of my colleagues and I went on to have lengthy productive tenures at IBM (without seeing an office or each other for up to 6-10 years at a time).
2) Commuting (at least relatively short commutes) has been shown to be a good way of clearing your brain, and getting it into or out of work mode. It doesn't really hurt productivity unless you're doing it for hours.
Citation please? I'll settle for an anecdote.
While this may be a way of "clearing your brain", "getting into the zone", or whatever you call it: It's a learned routine that tells your brain "it's time for work". You do this when working remotely as well. You get a routine in place that get's your mind ready for work (even when you work at home, it's very important).
3) Skype does not make communication with coworkers a snap. It imparts a major cognitive overhead.
Cognitive overhead? If operating Skype is too difficult or a cognitive overhead for you, then yes you will need to remain on-site to flip the burgers and operate the fryer.
While I personally don't like Skype I feel that a telephone call is just as effective as an in person meeting (except I can't punch someone in the face... I'll let you decide if that's a positive or negative).
4) Communication does not just come down to a few meetings a week that could (with more effort) be done via Skype. By working at home you remove any chance of corridor conversations, which typically, are by far the most productive communication in an office.
Again I'm going to have to ask for a study that says "corridor conversations" are more productive.
How many of you attend 15 minute meetings that regularly sprawl into an hour?
"Corridor conversations" happen all the time when you work remote: Believe it or not working remotely I've been able to establish close personal relationships with people I've never met in person, yet talk to on a daily basis (just shoot the shit for a couple minutes before or after a meeting).
The fact is trucking people and resources to a central point for a few hours a day only to then have a mass exodus in the evening is not sustainable. There are more drivers getting on the roads than getting off. We can't build lanes in big cities fast enough. People are going to have to go home.
I know that in my field (Software/Systems Engineering) people aren't all that social in the first place (everyone has their headphones on all day). Nothing I do requires me, my peers or our management to be located in any specific place. All of the tools required to do my job fit in a backpack and can be easily afforded by me if required.
I've been on-site the last 5 years (after a 12 year stretch remotely) and the co-workers I talk to are fairly miserable having to commute and then sit around in a sterile office environment. I see so many people that think because they show up to warm a chair everyday yet fail to produce anything meaningful they can hold a job (and they're mostly correct). When you telecommute the employer usually has strict expectations you need to meet (it's sink or swim).
The only people I know that really push for the 'on site' mentality in my field
You forgot to mention IBM.
Almost all of global services is remote.
Parachuting a container full of IT gear into a war zone is challenging enough
Silly me, I thought it would only require attaching a parachute and gravity.
Perhaps you could site some articles so the rest of us can be educated as to why they are evil?
I'm not in the habit of taking people's word for it.
Why are they only telling us now of this isolated increase in gravitational pull? Can they even grasp the consequences!?!? How is this even possible!?!?
Nevermind. Finally read the summary.
As someone who used to be opposed to legalization, I have to agree with you.
After many decades in the "war" on drugs, it seems that the "war" itself has done far more harm than good.
How many people have died on both sides of this supposed war? For what?
Victimless crimes like consuming marijuana?
For abusing one's own body?
Nearly all responsible drug use is a victim-less crime.
Live's are being ruined, real people are dying and violent crime is proliferated as a direct result of trying to enforce an ethical code.
It took me many years do counter all the programming by religion, public services ads and public schools to finally realize there is no logical reason for the prohibition.
I hope the lives of innocent people (on both sides of the argument) are worth your moral code.
Good luck with your war.
You forgot the <sarcasm> tage and were promptly modded to zero.
"We can stop zero day malware — the known unknowns and the unknown unknowns."
This advice is more for the young fold, but just as important for the older folk.
Exercise restraint on-line. Once it's out "in the cloud", there is no going back.
I don't know. I kinda like the boogie, man.
Internet censorship in China is mostly managed by individual websites
Nice to know it's voluntary.
... toe the Party line before the Party steps in to rectify things for them
I wonder just what "Rectify" means in these cases?
Queue the special interest groups to start trying to shut this down.
The pendulum is swinging far into the other direction.
At this point it's more about punishing men for the sins of the past more than it is about equality.
It really makes me sad that you have to spell out for people something that is so basic and natural.
We all know it growing up but somewhere this basic knowledge of our symbiosis get's lost or challenged by adults who think they can reinvent our species merely by redefinition. Good luck with that.
Roberts are doing the public a great service by exposing this horrible security debacle.
But joking about possibly taking down a flight (which by all accounts he could possibly do) is no joke.
This guy needs to maintain some professionalism.
This is the same reason you can't scream "fire" in a movie theatre
The title suggest the ship was lost. Is this now news when something was found right where you left it?
Other than the hardware-specific issues
So basically: other than the fact that it can't connect to wifi, has no ethernet, 3d acceleration, and keeps my fans don't cool correctly which resulted in leg burns and a melted case, it's perfect.
If 70% of your salary is not enough to make ends meet, you are living well beyond your means.
Or a home owner.
I hope you're not suggesting that the defendant was railroaded in this case. Your comment (which lacks context) appears that way.
I totally agree with you.
However, if so many people feel this way (just about everyone I know in the industry would agree with you), then why are so many more work places trending in the opposite direction (read: dot-com like, longer hours, less privacy, getting rid of cubicles and moving to benches) ??
locating it rather than looking incompetent
I hope said client doesn't read Slashdot.
This problem is, everyone wants to be a Steve Jobs, few want to be the grunt engineer.
Quick and effective solution to this problem. Pass a law ....
Since when is passing a law either quick, or effective?
Might as well just proxy all my stuff through the NSA's data compressor while I'm at it.
Why does my Hamburger taste like KY Jelly?