"Everybody knows THAT..."

[sergebroom]

Most of my work is done on unix servers that use the Solaris O/S, but some of the applications are Windows-based. I've always found it a bit of a pain when, for example, I need to take a query out of a unix program so that I can run it standalone on Excel to generate a spreadsheet. The process was kind of convoluted, with me using FTP to download the program into a TXT document on my laptop before I cut/paste it into Excel. This morning, I accidentally discovered that I can use Solaris's CUT option after selecting the query out of the unix program, then I use Window's own PASTE option in a Windows document. That's it. I know, some of you are going to say that everybody knows that trick.

Another wonderful aspect of telecommuting has revealed itself to me.

If ever you find yourself considering a working arrangement where you'd physically be quite far from your co-workers, don't. If the thought persists, take a very cold shower. If that doesn't do the trick, work a few months in a closet at your current office, but you're never allowed to come into physical contact with the others. Your only way to communicate is by email, or by phone. And make sure that teleconferences and team-training sessions involve a room with bad accoustics and a so-so speakerphone. Oh, and the person doing the training must send you a document to follow during the training but doesn't tell you which page you're supposed to look at. Not that that matters because most of his/her important stuff will be written on a white board that you can't see.

That'll cure you.

Comments

[fledgist.livejournal.com]

You make telecommuting sound pretty awful, surely there must be some advantages?

[miltonthales.livejournal.com]

Yup. And the people who ARE in the same room tend to forget about you until they absolutely need something only you can provide, which makes you feel like an object rather than a human being.

It's a form of isolation that can happen even in the same building, though. I was Ass't Info Sys Mgr for a while, stuck in the computer room while the boss circulated. Neither of us were supposed to be proactive; the company's system was canned software and we were fire extinguishers. I was bored out of my skull.

[serge-lj.livejournal.com]

That isn't quite my situation, thank goodness. For one thing, I have a tendency to act like the classroom's clown so people are unlikely to not notice me when I am around. In today's case, I had made some assumptions about the porosity between Solaris and Windows, a porosity that works well going from Solaris to Windows, but not the other way, interestingly. Had I been physically close to my buddies and buddettes, I'd have quickly realized my mistake. Also, when I work remotely, I tend to be leery of asking for people's help. At the beginning of my telecommuting situation, 7 years ago, my manager's manager emphatically told me not to bother the others with questions, a situation that soured me right off the bat. I eventually did get back to asking questions, but... Besides, while most of my teammates like me, there is one who thinks I'm an idiot and, when I send an email to the team, he responds with a you-should-have-known-this-already attitude and makes sure to incldue the whole team. That happened today. Oh well. He's taking an early retirement one year from now. Good riddance.