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Let’s Talk About…Working From Home

Let’s Talk About…Working From Home

Categories: Past Event Articles

Thursday May 07 2020

On Saturday 2nd May, MEND Manchester hosted another webinar in their Let’s Talk About… series, this time focusing of the tech side of working from home. The session was led by Shaf Choudry, Tech Consultant, and covered all your questions about remote working.

During the session, a range of platforms were covered and their benefits and drawbacks discussed between Shaf and our seminar host. These platforms included Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Slack, Whereby, WhatsApp, Blue Jeans and Google Meet. We discussed which platforms would work well for quick social catch ups with a few friends, which would work well for an online quiz night with family/friends, and which would be best for meetings of a professional nature. With the vast number of applications available, it can be difficult to know which one is best suited to your needs, and this conversational analysis provided attendees with a better understanding of what they can use when.

Shaf also touched on the big question that everyone had regarding the security of video conferencing, especially when it comes to Zoom. This particular piece of software has been used in the media recently as an example of how lack of security can cause major problems. A discussion around this so-called ‘Zoombombing’ highlighted how security can be bolstered on Zoom through the user in an easy and efficient manner. The advice given was ‘Lockdown, Don’t share, Kick them out’. This was in referencing to adapting security controls to allow attendees to have little function on Zoom; not making Zoom meeting links public; and not being afraid to remove any attendees who show any sign of poor Zoom etiquette. It’s also important to remember that, unlike WhatsApp which is end-to-end encrypted, Zoom’s encryption is not end-to-end.

Good remote working habits were also discussed during the webinar, with the ergonomics of working from home being of particular importance. We spoke about ensuring that the top of your laptop or computer screen is at eye level, about using a pillow for lumbar support on straight back chairs, about being conscious of your posture, and about taking regular breaks where you move away from your desk. The POMODORO technique, which consists of working in 25 minute intervals that are separated by short breaks, was mentioned as a way of monitoring productivity and healthy remote working habits.

Many thanks to Aman for hosting the session and for conversing with Shaf on this matter. A very successful webinar and the feedback from the attendees reflected this.

The Let’s Talk About… project is one pioneered by the MEND Manchester Working Group and is part of their action against the impact of Coronavirus. We hope that this endeavour can bring people some comfort during this period and provide them with the knowledge and support that will make this period in history easier for them.

Our next session, on Saturday 16th May, will be looking at the changes in Islamic Burial Procedures during the COVID-19 era. Keep an eye on our social media and website for more details.

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