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+--- Thread: telecommuting (/showthread.php?tid=17011)
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telecommuting - shockwave rider - 03-16-2016
Even though we aren't moving to our new house in Kapoho until the tenants' lease is up, and we do some major work on the bathrooms, I am starting to phase in telecommuting now on a part time basis.
Are there other Puna telecommuters out there? I will be doing some of my client meetings by skype and am trying to figure out how to not share too much of my private life with my clients via the webcam. How do others handle pets and family members wandering through camera range, or is that just part of the package when working from home?
A landscape crew showed up in all their mechanized glory next door the first time I tried skype with a client, and we had to reschedule because the sound of chainsaws and weed eaters was just too much! I don't have a designated office space in this house, so will be skyping from the kitchen table. Should I use some sort of screen to block the view behind me of our kitchen and living room?
RE: telecommuting - Tink - 03-16-2016
Go visit Pier One and buy a shoji screen to place behind you as a decorative screen backdrop. Family walks behind it quietly, as noise there is not much you can do except maybe schedule the clients early morning using time changes to your advantage.
Community begins with Aloha
RE: telecommuting - HereOnThePrimalEdge - 03-16-2016
There are noise cancelling microphones, as well as directional mics. Neil Young liked to record both guitar and vocals simultaneously back in the day, with amps stacked up both on his left and his right. The engineers worked around this by setting up a directional mic directly in front of him to isolate the vocal track. Should work well for lawn mowers, chainsaws, etc too, as long as they're not directly behind you.
You are like a hurricane
There's calm in your eye
And I'm getting blown away
"How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives." -Annie Dillard
RE: telecommuting - terracore - 03-16-2016
They shove 100 plus people into crowded call centers and with good quality headphone/mic sets you can't hear the other 99 people. With bad ones you hear all of them.
I second the shoji screen(s). Alternatively I have seen youtubers use green screen and then their computer software puts whatever background on the screen you want (just don't wear green... except for tomorrow of course).
I don't work from home frequently but sometimes when I do there are unexpected noises I need to dodge whether they be neighbor's power equipment or a couple of roosters dueling their crows on either side of the house. I've gone into my car to continue phone calls. You would be amazed how much sound is blocked out being inside a car.
RE: telecommuting - dakine - 03-16-2016
Besides the sound issue... if you are not comfortable with au naturel having a 'professional' background can do it, or a creative one, or pretty much anything you want. But if you do add a custom background you have to make sure the mic doesn't spoil the party and pick up sounds that aren't consistent with where you are 'pretending' to be. A dog's bark? Car door slam? Or as you say chainsaws in the distance?
There are several video background packages that can put you anywhere you'd like.. try this tutorial..
http://classroom.synonym.com/cool-video-effects-skype-14982.html
Or 'google' "video backgrounds Skype" and you'll be presented with all sorts of choices
RE: telecommuting - shockwave rider - 03-16-2016
Thanks for the ideas, my clients will know I am now telecommuting so I don't need to pretend I am in an office, I do like the idea of a shoji screen though. I don't really need my clients to know about our housekeeping level, or what my taste in art is, or who my partner is, so a shoji screen would do the trick. The occasional rooster or dog isn't a big deal, and when I call mainland organizations on behalf of my clients it is early morning usually, but keeping my personal and professional life separate is important to me.
RE: telecommuting - dmbwest - 03-16-2016
I read all above .. Understood .. Not sure your business but if one on one, personal type stuff, ( IMO ) your customers / clients will love to hear the chickens and saws. Its a more endearing experience for them and most will appreciate these kind of things + may even tell you they jealous of you. .. Again I only speak from my own personal experience and donut know yours ... Nor what chu do
Yeah, they gonna analyze what ever is behind you ... So work it to your advantage. Simple is pull your normal desk away from wall, switch chair and spin cam around for when open skype. Just have something you feel they would like to see ... If you smart, you make it subliminal.
RE: telecommuting - ChuckFin - 03-19-2016
@shockwave rider Could you email me through Punaweb. I have some general questions about teleworking and internet access.
RE: telecommuting - leilanidude - 03-19-2016
If I am not telecommuting, I am in Honolulu or Dallas for meetings. Luckily, no need for webcams for me. Toughest part is the hours, especially with the onset of daylight savings time. Many days start at 2 or 3 am.
RE: telecommuting - The_Saints - 03-19-2016
I telecommute full time these days. I prefer to have my webcam background to be out the window behind me, looking into the forest. The far end will regularly hear birds over my headset. That, coupled with seeing the jungle behind, me evidently makes for quite a unique experience for them. I have to answer many questions about where I live, but that provides a good opportunity to build the personal bonds that are so difficult to cultivate when working remotely. It allows us to be personal, without having to display my personal life on camera. I would say that allowing clients and colleagues to see the goings on of the house happening behind you is not a good plan.
Other background noises, such as my wife's activity or our pets, are easier to control in my situation. I have a dedicated office and I can close the door. However, in the past I have had to work from a shared space like you will be doing. The key was to have a signal that indicated that I was on a call, like an improvised 'On Air' sign. I liked to use the stereo and a white noise MP3 track; which is dual purpose, as it would also wash out some of the background noise. If worse came to worse - for instance, if my darling were lying on the couch while ill and wanted to watch the TV - I would go out on the lanai with my laptop. In fact, that type of flexibility is a must. You can only flex your environment so much. And, sometimes it is easier to just be flexible yourself. Such as as the earlier suggestion of using the car as a quiet soundbooth.
Room dividers can work really well to create a neutral backdrop. I have a colleague who has a roll around style clothes rack, which has some sort of a thick black cloth draped over it, which he uses as a backdrop. He states that it has the additional benefit of absorbing sound so that his voice does sound like he is in a box. It also seems to cut down the background noise. I have talked to him without it in place and definity noticed the sound of children more.