From: malassQRMimilation@gmail.com   
      
   I apoligize to the Telecomd Digest readers. I have noticed some errors   
   in the post I sent yesterday, and I hope this post will make my   
   remarks more clear.   
      
   I also noticed that I used too many "bold" or "italic" formatting   
   marks, so I'm going to cut way back on them. I'm sorry if I seem   
   strident, but there's a good reason: in the late 90s, I broke my leg   
   very badly, and had to work from home for almost a year. I learned a   
   lot about the equipment needed to be productive, and even more about   
   the tricks you need to know about when doing your job from home, and I   
   like to spare others the need to learn it all the hard way like I had   
   to.   
      
   Bill Horne   
   (Remove QRM from my email address to write to me directly)   
      
   On Sat, Apr 03, 2021 at 10:40:46PM +0000, Bill Horne wrote:   
   >   
   > 10 Dual Monitors   
      
   I forgot to mention that you can usually borrow someone else's monitor   
   to test if you like the look and feel. It's also an easy way to find   
   out if your system can handle two monitors, if you already have a   
   spare video jack available.   
      
   >   
   > 9 Ergonomic Keyboard and Mouse:   
      
   I also forgot to mention that the most important "ergonomic" change   
   you can make is to have your keyboard at the proper position, which is   
   almost always below the table-top. Your elbows should be at a   
   right-angle to your upper arm when you position your hands over the   
   keyboard, so you're less tempted to rest your palms on the table while   
   you type. Most tables made for use as workstations have a keyboard   
   shelf to make this easy.   
      
   > 8 USB Hub   
      
   There's a great money saving idea: get some longer USB cords for   
   the hub, so that you can place phones, tablets, etc., at arm's length   
   while they charge. Not only will it keep unused devices from crowding   
   the oh-so-precious deskspace near your keyboard, but the cords can be   
   replaced cheaply and quickly if a USB plug gets bent or crushed, and   
   the hub won't be any the worse for wear.   
      
   > 7 Laptop   
      
   >   No matter what use you intend for a laptop, please learn from my   
   >   mistake, and get one with the touchpad and mouse-keys mounted out of   
   >   the way of the keyboard. [snip]]   
      
   If you are in this situation, as I am, you might be able to work   
   around it. I have a laptop with an hdmi port, which I can plug in to   
   my TV set so as to use the TV as a giant screen. It's a bit of a hack,   
   and takes a while to get used to, but I can set the laptop on the   
   table next to my easy chair, and use a wireless keyboard to do my   
   work: I have a Logitech keyboard with a built-in mouse pad that's NEXT   
   TO the keyboard, instead of in front of it.   
      
   There's a bigger point here: working at home is all about being   
   willing to try different things and innovate to get what you want.   
      
   > 6 USB Webcam With Built-In Microphone   
      
   I also forgot to mention that when you use a headset with its own mic,   
   you'll need to get in the habit of testing the audio connection before   
   joining a video chat. Zoom, and the other video services I've used,   
   make it easy to switch from the built-in mic to your headset mic when   
   you are in the "test" screen.   
      
   > 5 Bluetooth Headphones   
   >   
   > ... be sure it has a separate "MUTE" switch on the headset or the   
   >   cord, where you can jump in to make a quick remark without having   
   >   to run back to your desk to unmute. ...   
      
   There's a problem I should mention: when you're depending on your   
   local "mute" button to keep others on a video chat from hearing your   
   sink running, you'll sometimes get stranded when a "moderator" mutes   
   everyone on the call to cut down on noise from other attendees.   
      
   So, if you use your local "mute" button, and then you're asked to say   
   something, and folks don't take the hint of seeing your chair empty or   
   your video off, you'll just have to wait until the moderator figures   
   it out, or until you're done with the sink and can get back to your   
   PC.   
      
   > 4 Wireless Laser Printer   
      
   I'm not anti-printer: I'm just reluctant to imply that printing   
   something means the job is done. If you must prepare printed output   
   for someone you can't send a file to, be sure to have the Post office,   
   UPS, FedEx, and DHL drop off points and pickup schedules handy. Be   
   sure to have pre-paid shipping labels ready, along with appropriate   
   envelopes, so that you can be sure whomever couldn't print your paper   
   locally has it in front of them before the associated meeting.   
      
   Here's another trick you may find comes in handy: if someone calls you   
   up and says that they can't print your presentation, just send them a   
   copy that you saved in HTML format. When they open it, it will come up   
   in their browser, and they can almost always print it from there.   
      
   There's also another work-around that few people realize is   
   available. If someone can't print your file, just ask them to open up   
   a video conference right then, with just the two of you participating,   
   and then ask them to turn on the "record" feature of the video meeting   
   software, and make you the "presenter," so the video software will   
   record the screen and your voice while you page through the file for   
   their benefit. The recordings come out in mp4 or similar "portable"   
   format, which almost any computer can open, so they can replay the   
   meeting and make all the notes they want before the actualy video   
   conference starts.   
      
   > 3 Backup Driver   
      
   I won't add anything here: just remember to rehearse recovering a   
   drive before you need to.   
      
   [snip]   
      
   > 0 Last, a couple of "think outside the envelope" options.   
   >   
   >   A. No matter how much it costs, pay for the "Within-24-hours"(3)   
   >      *ON* *SITE* maintenance for your PC, monitor(s), printer, and   
   >      router, and /always/ keep a /new/ keyboard and mouse on hand! You   
   >      are *WORKING* at home, not studying computer maintenance! You need   
   >      to have someone to call when something breaks!   
      
   There's something else to consider: you may be able to get your boss   
   to loan you a machine, or borrow one, while yours is being   
   repaired. As I wrote before, you can build a spare machine that's   
   "good enough" to keep your boss happy while you wait. Old, but still   
   serviceable, PC's can be had from a number of sources, sometimes just   
   for the asking.   
      
   Just set it up and test it in advance: it's all about having options.   
      
   - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -   
      
   While on the subject of disaster-recovery methods, I'll touch again on   
   the WiFi connections available at many libraries. You might wonder why   
   I don't recommend just going in and signing up to use one of the   
   public computers?   
      
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)