General Chit Chat

If you have a life outside of BWFC, then this is the place to tell us all about your toilet habits, and those bizarre fetishes.......

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BWFC_Insane
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Re: General Chit Chat

Post by BWFC_Insane » Tue Jul 06, 2021 10:17 am

Worthy4England wrote:
Tue Jul 06, 2021 9:01 am
First time down to London and an office in 20 months.

Not missed this one bit, the most unproductive use of time. Travel 8 hours for a 2 hour meeting.

Bit apprehensive about train, no chance I'm venturing near tube.

The Marketing Dept might describe the suit as "snug"

Still, pays the Bill's.
Not to London but had similar last week - 6 hours round trip for sitting in a room for a meeting we could have easily had on Zoom or Teams. Was it any better? No. The after chat of course was there and productive but the cost and time in no way justified. It blows my mind that in the last 18 months people haven't in many cases just realised that we are flogging ourselves for no good reason at times. The tech which previously we probably wouldn't have bothered with proved itself more than adequate so I find it odd that many want to return to 'exactly how it was'. Not that I'm advocating a huge change - just that large meetings and getaways are still of course productive in person - but smaller meetings that are shorter and don't really need or benefit from increased interaction - where there is a lot of travel involved - lets do them remotely. Its the same with working from home I don't think permanent full time working from home is good for many people other than in limited circumstances, but we've seen that it certainly won't harm many roles (and possibly enhances some) to allow small amounts of working from home and flexibility where possible.

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Re: General Chit Chat

Post by dave the minion » Tue Jul 06, 2021 10:41 am

See, I'm the opposite. I've been going down to London most weeks since we were allowed to (stuck entirely at home prior to that). I've benefitted massively from this. Yes there's a cost for travel, but you can work on the train, and I don't think there is any substitute for being in meetings in person. Zoom calls all too often end and you jump straight into another one on a different subject, and you never get the opportunity to discuss it afterwards more informally over a coffee. Plus, just being around in an ope-plan office means you pick up on so many other things - we've picked up on issues just from being around people and managed to intervene, when if people were remote this would have been missed.
Its not the same for everyone I am sure, and I guess I'm lucky that I get the benefits of WFH 2 or 3 days each week, but I'm so pleased to be able to be back in.
Plus - tube isn't too bad to be honest. I'd previously been getting a cab from Euston to the office, but now its getting busy I've been on the tube. I'm double jabbed so feel as safe as I can be, and in general people are heeding the advise for masks etc. We've got to get back to normal at some point for so many reasons, and for me its just nice to be around people again!!!

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Re: General Chit Chat

Post by BWFC_Insane » Tue Jul 06, 2021 11:02 am

dave the minion wrote:
Tue Jul 06, 2021 10:41 am
See, I'm the opposite. I've been going down to London most weeks since we were allowed to (stuck entirely at home prior to that). I've benefitted massively from this. Yes there's a cost for travel, but you can work on the train, and I don't think there is any substitute for being in meetings in person. Zoom calls all too often end and you jump straight into another one on a different subject, and you never get the opportunity to discuss it afterwards more informally over a coffee. Plus, just being around in an ope-plan office means you pick up on so many other things - we've picked up on issues just from being around people and managed to intervene, when if people were remote this would have been missed.
Its not the same for everyone I am sure, and I guess I'm lucky that I get the benefits of WFH 2 or 3 days each week, but I'm so pleased to be able to be back in.
Plus - tube isn't too bad to be honest. I'd previously been getting a cab from Euston to the office, but now its getting busy I've been on the tube. I'm double jabbed so feel as safe as I can be, and in general people are heeding the advise for masks etc. We've got to get back to normal at some point for so many reasons, and for me its just nice to be around people again!!!
I don't think we're disagreeing at all. We all want to be back to 'normal' but lets take some of the benefits of the situation we've learned from to improve things. I don't think anyone disagrees on in person meetings being beneficial - simply that it isn't sensible now to hold short meetings that require extensive travel in person when the tech can alleviate costs and time. But larger meetings or day long stuff - sure. And back in office is good - but as you say with some WFH thrown in where it makes sense. People will produce more I feel when there is a mix than they will in either situation completely.

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Re: General Chit Chat

Post by Worthy4England » Tue Jul 06, 2021 12:16 pm

Sure, I don't disagree there are balance elements and that hybrid is the way to go. I'm actually designated a home worker. Folks talk up the benefits of "office" but generally miss all the downsides. Many areas of my business measurably increased productivity during the hiatus (because they're not all parked around the coffee machines discussing each others dog and not having to travel 8 hours for a 2 hour meeting). It needs different techniques for managing to pick the bits that might fall in the gaps. I'm happy for folks who enjoy offices, just think it's so 1980's :-)

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Re: General Chit Chat

Post by BWFC_Insane » Tue Jul 06, 2021 2:38 pm

Worthy4England wrote:
Tue Jul 06, 2021 12:16 pm
Sure, I don't disagree there are balance elements and that hybrid is the way to go. I'm actually designated a home worker. Folks talk up the benefits of "office" but generally miss all the downsides. Many areas of my business measurably increased productivity during the hiatus (because they're not all parked around the coffee machines discussing each others dog and not having to travel 8 hours for a 2 hour meeting). It needs different techniques for managing to pick the bits that might fall in the gaps. I'm happy for folks who enjoy offices, just think it's so 1980's :-)
Yeah I'm not saying personally that office or home is better. I think a mix for me is best. And I also think that different business cultures will effectively dictate what works. I know a few people in 'creative industries' like marketing and video game development and they absolutely thrive best in situations where they can just quickly set up meetings round the coffee table or whatever to go through stuff or jump into someone's office space to look at where they are up to (in a creative way - sparking ideas type of thing). And they are really keen on office working but they acknowledge that during asset creation it might be better for people to work at home as these are long days to produce stuff and there is little benefit in the office.

I like working at home but I do see the downside in some aspects - and equally I do agree the office isn't some productivity panacea - probably the opposite in many cases - people do less but they're more connected and possibly sometimes that engagement drives energies towards the most needed projects rather than the ones that can distract from those which sometimes home working can lead to - people do great stuff its just not always addressing the most pressing problems.

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Re: General Chit Chat

Post by Bruce Rioja » Wed Jul 07, 2021 3:49 pm

Worthy4England wrote:
Tue Jul 06, 2021 9:01 am
First time down to London and an office in 20 months.
Had my first face-to-face meeting with a client since March last year, yesterday afternoon.

It was only down in Irlam so I was home for 4.

Here's the mindfuck though - getting home for 4, previously known as the 'early dart', is the new 'going back to the office for the last hour'. :?
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Re: General Chit Chat

Post by Worthy4England » Wed Jul 07, 2021 7:37 pm

Bruce Rioja wrote:
Wed Jul 07, 2021 3:49 pm
Worthy4England wrote:
Tue Jul 06, 2021 9:01 am
First time down to London and an office in 20 months.
Had my first face-to-face meeting with a client since March last year, yesterday afternoon.

It was only down in Irlam so I was home for 4.

Here's the mindfuck though - getting home for 4, previously known as the 'early dart', is the new 'going back to the office for the last hour'. :?
Dunno mate, probably like you, I'm employed to work until the job is done, rather than the notional hours in my Contract...

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Re: General Chit Chat

Post by TANGODANCER » Mon Jul 12, 2021 4:45 pm

I worked full time ( as I've done all my life) till 70 year old paying my tax and insurance
like a good little citizen, believing all the guff about benefits for pensioners etc... Just got a bill today for £159 for my T.V licence. No free lunches here....
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Re: General Chit Chat

Post by Gooner Girl » Sat Jul 24, 2021 4:51 pm

Day 1 of the summer holidays and already I want to sell a child. It’s gonna be a long 6 weeks.. 😬

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Re: General Chit Chat

Post by Worthy4England » Sat Jul 24, 2021 10:08 pm

Gooner Girl wrote:
Sat Jul 24, 2021 4:51 pm
Day 1 of the summer holidays and already I want to sell a child. It’s gonna be a long 6 weeks.. 😬
You can't give 'em away. Like parents, we've both tried!

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Re: General Chit Chat

Post by KeyserSoze » Tue Aug 10, 2021 10:12 am

Today I learned by happenstance the origins of the American phrase 'Drinking the Kool-Aid'. That led to some quite startled wikipedia scrolling and a pretty grim read over breakfast.
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Re: General Chit Chat

Post by Harry Genshaw » Tue Aug 10, 2021 2:38 pm

KeyserSoze wrote:
Tue Aug 10, 2021 10:12 am
Today I learned by happenstance the origins of the American phrase 'Drinking the Kool-Aid'. That led to some quite startled wikipedia scrolling and a pretty grim read over breakfast.
Unbelievable isn't it? I'd definitely recommend the book The Raven, or the Storyville documentary that's probably still available. Grim, bizarre, incredible.
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Re: General Chit Chat

Post by Prufrock » Tue Aug 10, 2021 2:44 pm

Wasn't even Kool-Aid. Was "Flavour Aid" a Rola-Cola equivalent.
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Re: General Chit Chat

Post by Bruce Rioja » Tue Aug 10, 2021 3:03 pm

Wowzers. I always had 'Drinking the Kool-Aid' down as being a reference to someone doing something they hadn't thought through properly/considered the consequences, that kind of thing.
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Re: General Chit Chat

Post by Montreal Wanderer » Tue Aug 10, 2021 5:11 pm

I remember the Jonestown massacre well, but must confess I always though Kool-Aid was used until today. Mass suicide was suggested but it was largely murder.
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Re: General Chit Chat

Post by Worthy4England » Thu Aug 12, 2021 5:02 pm

As the annual "everyone just got a little thicker" results have been published, surely we've disproved the notion that schools improve performance? I mean, surely everyone was telling us about a significant dip because so much schooling was lost. But nay! It's improved again...

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Re: General Chit Chat

Post by Harry Genshaw » Fri Aug 13, 2021 8:35 am

Worthy4England wrote:
Thu Aug 12, 2021 5:02 pm
As the annual "everyone just got a little thicker" results have been published, surely we've disproved the notion that schools improve performance? I mean, surely everyone was telling us about a significant dip because so much schooling was lost. But nay! It's improved again...
You could be onto something there! The less time pupils spend in the classroom and with their teachers, the better their exam results.

Provided the borders are open, I imagine Asia and Australia will be full of deferred Leeds uni students next year, all with 10k burning a hole in their backpacks!
"Get your feet off the furniture you Oxbridge tw*t. You're not on a feckin punt now you know"

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Re: General Chit Chat

Post by BWFC_Insane » Fri Aug 13, 2021 9:29 am

Harry Genshaw wrote:
Fri Aug 13, 2021 8:35 am
Worthy4England wrote:
Thu Aug 12, 2021 5:02 pm
As the annual "everyone just got a little thicker" results have been published, surely we've disproved the notion that schools improve performance? I mean, surely everyone was telling us about a significant dip because so much schooling was lost. But nay! It's improved again...
You could be onto something there! The less time pupils spend in the classroom and with their teachers, the better their exam results.

Provided the borders are open, I imagine Asia and Australia will be full of deferred Leeds uni students next year, all with 10k burning a hole in their backpacks!
£10K from where?

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Re: General Chit Chat

Post by Harry Genshaw » Fri Aug 13, 2021 9:21 pm

BWFC_Insane wrote:
Fri Aug 13, 2021 9:29 am
Harry Genshaw wrote:
Fri Aug 13, 2021 8:35 am
Worthy4England wrote:
Thu Aug 12, 2021 5:02 pm
As the annual "everyone just got a little thicker" results have been published, surely we've disproved the notion that schools improve performance? I mean, surely everyone was telling us about a significant dip because so much schooling was lost. But nay! It's improved again...
You could be onto something there! The less time pupils spend in the classroom and with their teachers, the better their exam results.

Provided the borders are open, I imagine Asia and Australia will be full of deferred Leeds uni students next year, all with 10k burning a hole in their backpacks!
£10K from where?
Was an offer from the uni due to demand. Pupils agreeing to defer were being offered 10k and free halls of residence the following year.
"Get your feet off the furniture you Oxbridge tw*t. You're not on a feckin punt now you know"

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Re: General Chit Chat

Post by BWFC_Insane » Fri Aug 13, 2021 10:27 pm

Harry Genshaw wrote:
Fri Aug 13, 2021 9:21 pm
BWFC_Insane wrote:
Fri Aug 13, 2021 9:29 am
Harry Genshaw wrote:
Fri Aug 13, 2021 8:35 am
Worthy4England wrote:
Thu Aug 12, 2021 5:02 pm
As the annual "everyone just got a little thicker" results have been published, surely we've disproved the notion that schools improve performance? I mean, surely everyone was telling us about a significant dip because so much schooling was lost. But nay! It's improved again...
You could be onto something there! The less time pupils spend in the classroom and with their teachers, the better their exam results.

Provided the borders are open, I imagine Asia and Australia will be full of deferred Leeds uni students next year, all with 10k burning a hole in their backpacks!
£10K from where?
Was an offer from the uni due to demand. Pupils agreeing to defer were being offered 10k and free halls of residence the following year.
Wowsers that’s bonkers. Which uni is offering that?

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