Great Western Coffee Shop

We held the first Coffee Shop Zoom meeting today - calling it the "Tuesday Club" and planning - for the moment - to meet for about an hour every week.   If you might like to join in some times, please select all the start times that would be good for you.   We'll set the time for next Tuesday when this poll closes in 3 days time.

From http://www.passenger.chat/23434 :

First try out today was for Frequent Posters and is written up at http://www.passenger.chat/23433 but from next Tuesday all registered members are welcome along, though not guests - forum registration is required.

Actually I could do an evening one too if that would help us get more people involved after days work which seem sensible. Sorry not to have made today’s when I was busy arranging the webinar for Friday

You can go back in, delete your vote and then vote again.   We've using the parliamentary "keep voting until you get it right" system - but we'll just count once at the end of the day like a general election. 

I have signed up for Friday via EventBrite - https://www.facebook.com/events/575235696692690/

I will always follow the write ups of the meetings with interest but I've always seen the Coffee Shop as something that primarily informs me rather than the other way round so I'll leave a bit of space to the very numerous members who can better contribute.  I might make an exception if there's a way of sitting in to listen without crowding any other contributors out.... which I suppose shows how much I know about Zoom*.




*]How many people can say they had heard of Zoom before the current unpleasantness?

Online meetings and talks here are just an extra 'on the side.  No obligation on anyone what so ever to come along and indeed just 10 out of about 100 different posters came along yesterday.  But you will find explanations, invites to try and encouragement to overcome hurdles if you wish to ... also summaries like Red Squirrel's excellent one from yesterday if you just want to find out what went on later.

Zoom - even on the basic level - can take up to 100 in an event, and there is little danger of there being a shortage of places in our use.  Numbers at events can be stepped up higher - not sure what package it was, but I attended a Transport for London event run as a webinar last week with over 200, and the only way I could be 'seen' was if I typed a question into a side 'chat' column.   The meeting organiser can default video off or on and audio off or on for attendees,  and can allow (or not) their inputs.  It's rather like meetings in real life - the same 'rules' still apply and you can have fireside chats, committee meetings, bigger presentations and so much is down to the host how he / she plays it.   TravelWatch SouthWest last week - a very interesting meeting ( notes at http://www.passenger.chat/23456 ) and a follow up discussion between a handful of the TWSW team looking at the metrics of how the meeting went and learning for next time.

Plan is to vary Coffee Shop "Tuesday Club" between chats with everyone, talks, and question / answer sessions. Clear agenda and running order each time so we know where we're headed.  Members welcome to join to watch and listen without saying much (though a "hi, welcome" at the door for everyone as we start is no bad thing to ensure that everyone, even if just there to listen, feels welcome).

The link (which includes the meeting password) will be in Member Services so that only signed up members of the forum can join in, but there is no pre-requisite number of posts as there was for yesterday.

More to follow ... please, all members, feel free to pop in next Tuesday ... to add your own comments as we run, or post them up later or use the content to purely inform if you prefer.   The only input I would request is a minimum polite "hello" when we say "hello" to you when you arrive.

I don't have a webcam or mic on this computer, but would be happy to simply watch & listen.

Also, oddly. many of us are working from home....a weekend day would be welcome.

Lastly, the free zoom only allows meetings of 40mins duration.

Free zoom 40 minute limit tends to be extended by them as a "gift" if you overshoot but I would much rather run meetings from the lowest of the paid accounts which offers:
* Meeting duration limit is 24 hrs
* User management
* Admin feature controls
* Reporting
* Custom Personal Meeting ID
* Assign scheduler
* 1GB of MP4 or M4A cloud recording
* REST API
* Skype for Business (Lync) interoperability

I don't know what all of those are but I do know that some would be VERY useful.  I did bring up the subject in conversation yesterday - only one member came back with any response and he felt that we should carry on with the free account.   It wasn't really a vote / proper test of views, but it does mean on the session and password admin side I've noticeable extra work to juggle various meetings / keep having to change common settings, and there's a risk of us being timed out.

Noting the day-of-week issue.   I have offered an evening time too and we could and should look to do wider surveys.   Many people who work from home can be flexible in their hours though I appreciate that some cannot.

Bumping this poll ... ends tomorrow.   "What time is best for YOU on Tuesdays?"

Result:

10 a.m.   - 2 (5.7%)
11 a.m.   - 2 (5.7%)
2 p.m.   - 5 (14.3%)
3 p.m.   - 5 (14.3%)
4 p.m.   - 8 (22.9%)
5 p.m.   - 6 (17.1%)
7 p.m.   - 4 (11.4%)
Only some other time/day   - 2 (5.7%)
Won't be coming - sorry   - 1 (2.9%)
Number voting: 16

We are sticking with 4 p.m. for next Tuesday - joining details for 19th May at http://www.passenger.chat/23477

Interesting to note only 35 votes over 16 voters - which suggests that people's schedules are still very full. Taking out the "sorry not coming" vote, the typical respondent could only make 2 of the 7 times offered, so (I suppose) 8 out of 15 for whom 4 p.m. works is remarkably high.

As someone getting used to the new world of remote working, and enlarging on Chris B's comments, it is not necessarily as flexible as you might think.

My new firm has quite a number of regular weekly video conference calls, for a number of reasons - to keep everyone abreast of developments, share knowledge, undertake team meetings and (from a pastoral point of view) just keep an eye on colleagues who might be struggling to cope with their new remote working conditions. It is good to see that there is a lot of concern about the potential problems of social isolation. All these go in the diary, and have to be fitted in with other non-work video appointments.

As it happens, Tuesday is meant to be one of my "days in the office" when I am meant to be working, now that I am part time, so I feel a little uneasy about taking time out. There's also the complication of switching from work laptop to home laptop too!

You may be right ... it differs for everyone.  Working it out, I first (formally) worked from home in 1980 and have had all sorts of different arrangements since.   Some were flexible, others absolute in terms of time that had to be worked, but I suspect I was very much a "trustee" and in a. small group where there was no precedent issues in relation to other people working from home and 'pulling a fast one'.   When I looked after people working from home, it frankly worked a treat. And, yes, I have been through 'staff issues' in my time.

Working from home ...  4 p.m. on a Tuesday ... yes, "I should be working", right through to "I have a work conference" and "I am on call centre duty at that time".    The world does not stop from early in the morning until late at night, and I suspect those messages could be said at any time.   I did consider offering 4 a.m. as an option, but guessed that would have been minimally acceptable to the extent of being considered a silly suggestion.

But to come along to the Coffee Shop at 4 p.m. on a Tuesday?   Won't suit all - I don't think any time would; noting the 7 p.m. got less votes though, and only 2 of 16 ruled out all Tuesday times.   We probably have the best of a difficult job, unless we switch between Tuesdays and another day (and then we get double continuity issues) or start a second group on a weekend day (and that's too much too quick, perhaps).

I work with (for?) a lot of people who work Monday to Friday and volunteer in their spare time in the field I am involved in. Therefore tomorrow I have a virtual meeting at 10:30 with them.  The bonus is I don’t have to travel 100 miles for it but I do miss out on a roast dinner.  Personally I feel the virtual meeting is a better use of my time but the volunteers will miss the meal which recognises their unpaid contribution. 

The next meeting is scheduled for late November - I wonder how the land will lie then?