| T.R | Title | User | Personal Name
 | Date | Lines | 
|---|
| 1865.1 | Press KP7 to add TELEWORK to your notebook | VAXWRK::HARNEY | Common man: Homo Ignoramus | Sat Apr 25 1992 07:25 | 4 | 
|  |     There's already a notesfile for this discussion.
    See RUMOR::TELEWORK for more information.
    \john
 | 
| 1865.2 | easy meetings?  you mean Noting? | EOS::ARMSTRONG |  | Sat Apr 25 1992 18:29 | 16 | 
|  |     Perhaps by 'meet' you mean 'engage in conversation'?  I
    often think that the ease of Notes does cause some people
    to direct a LOT of their time and attention in that direction.
    I find the opposite to be true in the traditional sese of the
    word 'meet'.  I began working from home full time in 1980...and
    still am.  I have no real office in DEC (although there is a storage
    area with my name on it and I hang my coat there when i come in).
    So far everyone I 'work' with comes in to work everyday and
    wants 'face to face' meetings.  Many people are VERY shy of using
    the phone.  Most managers are VERY SHY of putting any thoughts
    down on 'paper' (real paper, electronic, etc).
    In 1980 I thought telecommuting was right around the corner...
    that corner now seems further away than ever.
    bob
 | 
| 1865.3 | I'll believe it when I see it | ZENDIA::SEKURSKI |  | Sun Apr 26 1992 16:01 | 23 | 
|  |     
    
    	Yah....
    
    	I don't hold much hope for it.... I'm suprised I was able to get a 
    	line inorder to write this note...
    
    	The area I live in used to have 5 or 6 dial-in lines, last year someone
    	responsible for dial-ins wrote a memo that was forwarded
    	around about how proud they were about saving Digital a couple of
    	bucks a month by cutting the number of lines in half in my area.
    
    	Now most of the time I can't get a line... And most of the time
    	when I do dial-in from home it's with the intention of doing some 
    	real work.
    
    	And another thing why are dial-ins disabled from 8 - 5 Monday -
    	Friday. That's got to be one of the most silliest rules I've ever
    	heard of...
    
    
    						Mike
    						----
 | 
| 1865.4 | on how to handle dial-in disabled solution | STAR::ABBASI | i^(-i) = SQRT(exp(PI)) | Sun Apr 26 1992 20:42 | 17 | 
|  |     >	And another thing why are dial-ins disabled from 8 - 5 Monday -
    >	Friday. That's got to be one of the most silliest rules I've ever
    >	heard of...
    that no excuse, do like me, i live 2 blocks away from work, and
    so it is a local phone call and cost nothing to call any time to
    work direct.
    so, why dont you find an apartment near work? most of the local
    papers have rent ads, there are also magazines about rental
    properties in most area, start from there, you can even bargain
    on the rent now because of the many vacancies, so you can get a 
    good deal, this way you hit the two birds in the one stone.
    and good luck in your search.
    /nasser
 | 
| 1865.5 | Huh? | 16BITS::DELBALSO | I (spade) my (dog face) | Sun Apr 26 1992 23:10 | 5 | 
|  | C'mon Nasser, if the line isn't enabled during certain hours it's not going
to make any difference how close he lives.
-Jack
 | 
| 1865.6 | i explain better | STAR::ABBASI | i^(-i) = SQRT(exp(PI)) | Mon Apr 27 1992 01:49 | 28 | 
|  | >C'mon Nasser, if the line isn't enabled during certain hours it's not going
>to make any difference how close he lives.
    i meant to say, our friend in .3 can call the computer itself directly,
    he dont have to call that dial-in number , he can just call the
    computer directly .
    
    it is like this
    
           --------------------------------------------------
          |                                                 |
          |                                                 V
          |                 #A                              #B
      you are here  o---->DEC dial in o-------------------> work modem
                             phone                          phone
    normally he calls line the A number, then the B number, but he only
    pays for the A call, the B call is paid by DEC.
    but if you live very close to work, you can bypass and call #B directly.
    and so you are not limited by the rules and regulations set by the #A
    number.
    offcourse this makes sense to do only if the distance between you and
    work is such that the call is local and hence free, hence my suggestion 
    that we should live close to work. so that we can dial in free.
    
    thank you very much
    /nasser
                                   
 | 
| 1865.7 |  | SUBURB::THOMASH | The Devon Dumpling | Mon Apr 27 1992 05:58 | 15 | 
|  | 
	I read an article in one of the Sundays which covered some of the 
	work BT are doing in this area.
	They have a pilot in Scotland where their directory enquiries people 
	work from home.  
	When its their break, they press a button
	They can then see pictures of eveyone else, if they are on break the
	picture is framed in one colour, if they are not, it is framed in 
	another. When they touch the picture, they can chat, and the picture 
	is animated.
	They are working on a live video link at the moment. It is not limited 
	to just 1-1 comms.
	Heather
 | 
| 1865.8 | \ | ZENDIA::SEKURSKI |  | Mon Apr 27 1992 08:11 | 5 | 
|  |     
    
    	Ah Nasser, unfortunately I live 35 miles from work where I own 
    	a house. My wife and family might not understand if I left them
    	so I could live within local dialing distance of my site...
 | 
| 1865.9 | Possible security violation | BSS::D_BANKS | David Banks -- N�ION | Mon Apr 27 1992 09:06 | 10 | 
|  | Re:       <<< Note 1865.6 by STAR::ABBASI "i^(-i) = SQRT(exp(PI))" >>>
>    i meant to say, our friend in .3 can call the computer itself directly,
>    he dont have to call that dial-in number , he can just call the
>    computer directly .
    
I think the Digital network police might also have something to say about
bypassing a dialin facility and its supposed additional security... 
-  David
 | 
| 1865.10 |  | MAJORS::ALFORD |  | Mon Apr 27 1992 10:18 | 9 | 
|  | 
Nasser's suggestion wouldn't be possible here...
We have no modems connected to the main computers, Security would have the 
hebejebies if we did that!  All dial-in is handled by ACB installed on a single
area machine, you then connect to the work computer you need.  The ACB is just
a "central" server... 
But then we don't have this 8-5 disabled silliness !
 | 
| 1865.11 |  | INDUCE::SHERMAN | ECADSR::Sherman DTN 223-3326 | Mon Apr 27 1992 10:26 | 9 | 
|  |     I live in Marlboro.  I can log into Maynard anytime as a local call.
    The connection is to a LAT which requires a password.  Works pretty
    well.  My understanding is that it is possible for me to get 9600 baud,
    but for now I just have 2400 hooked to a VT240.  The cost to Digital is
    minimal for me to work from home.  But, my productivity is up when I
    can use a workstation.  Lots of graphics-oriented development can't be
    done.  For example, I can't do a Motif display on the 240.
    
    Steve
 | 
| 1865.12 |  | RANGER::LEFEBVRE | Let's eat sushi and not pay | Mon Apr 27 1992 12:13 | 9 | 
|  |     Why rent an apartment with local phone access to the office when you
    can actually go to the office?  Perhaps I'm missing Nasser's logic.
    
    I currently manage a project that's being engineered in Taiwan.  I have
    twice-weekly telephone conference calls with Taiwan that wouldn't be
    possible if I had to drive to work (12 hour time difference + 55 mile
    commute to office) to conduct my business.
    
    Mark.
 | 
| 1865.13 |  | ZENDIA::SEKURSKI |  | Mon Apr 27 1992 12:13 | 13 | 
|  |     
    
    	Let me clarify here a bit. I too could log in between 8-5
    	if I live within local dialing distance so in that sense
    	disl-ins are not disabled.
    
    	However the local number I can dial between the hours of 
    	5:00 PM and 8:00 AM that puts me on the DTN is disabled
    	beween 8-5.
    
    	So I either dial long distance and eat the cost ( only
    	for short spurts ) or try to get a line before 8:00 AM
    	and hope I don't get dropped during the day. 
 | 
| 1865.14 |  | MU::PORTER | obnoxious, though interesting | Mon Apr 27 1992 12:52 | 3 | 
|  | I think it's not usually the case that "dialins" are disabled during 8-5
Eastern time, but that "call forwarding through the DTN" is sometimes 
disabled, apparently because the phone facilities are required for voice.
 | 
| 1865.15 | Check JETSAM::WATN!!! | CREVAS::ERICKSON | John Erickson, DTN 297-4143 | Mon Apr 27 1992 13:32 | 17 | 
|  |     Check  out  JETSAM::WATN  to  learn  about  making  local  calls  and
    connecting to remote computers.  Note that  this  is *different* than
    making a local call to a DEC *facility*  and  then  connecting  using
    DTN,  which has been implied in some of the  previous  replies.    In
    fact,  some  of  the previous discussion is bogus and unnecessary  in
    light of WATN.
    I have found  that many people are unaware of WATN and the ability to
    dial a local number  to  connect  to a remote computer.  For example,
    for  years I have dialed a local number to connect  to  computers  in
    Acton  or  Marlboro;  direct dials to these facilities normally would
    be long-distance  calls.  In fact, I spent a year in Ithaca, New York
    and was able to connect in the same fashion. 
    
    Have a GREAT one!
    
    John
 | 
| 1865.16 |  | ZENDIA::SEKURSKI |  | Mon Apr 27 1992 13:48 | 17 | 
|  |     
    
    	That's the old TSN/TYMNET stuff isn't it ?
    
    	My CC cut that out of the budget this year.
    
    	It seems not enough people were using it to justify the cost 
    	of X hundreds of dollars per month.
    
    	My point is what's the problem keeping the extra DTN lines open 
    	for use during the day time ? We have thousands of lines available
    	how expensive can it be to keep the ones we us at night open for
    	another 8 hours ?
    
    
    							Mike
    							----
 | 
| 1865.17 | traffic engineering is a black art | CARAFE::GOLDSTEIN | Global Village Idiot | Mon Apr 27 1992 13:49 | 36 | 
|  |     I'm sure the complainant knows all about WATN (formerly known as TSN;
    the name was changed to protect the guilty.)
    
    Back when TSN was first installed (ca. 1979), it was configured using
    private lines between sites and dial-in points, with public Tymnet for
    other locations.  The non-local DTN dial-ins, on the other hand, were
    really the DTN foreign exchange (FX) circuits, using relatively costly
    analog channels.  We (DTN) engineered the DTN FX lines for the outgoing
    volume, and only allowed dial-in at night when they were otherwise
    idle.  Thus the marginal cost to Digital of either a TSN call or a DTN
    dial-in AT NIGHT was roughly zero.  During the day, though, a dial-in
    on an FX line would have displaced a voice call, causing more overflow
    to relatively pricey Band 9 (in-state) WATS.
    
    Today, we have very little private-line TSN; we use mostly public
    Tymnet for everything, in exchange for a stiff volume discount.  This
    is cheaper on the bottom line than running it ourselves.  But we do pay
    a small hourly usage fee, all the time.  The FX lines are still night
    only.  But many of them are digital T1-carrier, at lower unit prices
    than they used to be. 
    
    We frankly don't know if it would be cheaper to expand the FX lines for
    dial-in or to continue to use Tymnet for daytime use.  I've raised the
    question, but nobody had an answer.  My "day job" includes engineering
    the DTN.  Right now inertia and a lack of good accounting cause us to
    stick with Tymnet. And Tymnet's performance is not comparable; as a
    packet-switched network, their latency is quite noticeable.  Some
    applications run just fine, but others (especially editors) don't do
    well at all.  Unless/until we expand a given FX group, it can't be
    opened for dial-in during the business day.
    
    We're also setting up an ISDN dial-in pilot, now that New England
    Telephone has tariffed residential ISDN.  Of course, it'll be a while
    before it's available in "most" places.  But it'll provide 64 kbps
    dial-in service.  That's serious speed for telecommuters.
        fred (Corp. Telecom Engineering/ ISDTN project tech. leader)
 | 
| 1865.18 |  | SA1794::GUSICJ | Referees whistle while they work.. | Mon Apr 27 1992 14:13 | 11 | 
|  |     
    
    	Funny that .0 should mention 'full motion video' seeing that DEC
    will introduce at DECworld a full motion video product that is
    PC-Based.  The PC-based full motion video products have been around
    for a while, but DEC is adding in the feature of it being networked
    which to my knowledge the other Mfg's don't have.  
    
    	
    								bill
    
 | 
| 1865.19 | how to do it | STAR::ABBASI | i^(-i) = SQRT(exp(PI)) | Mon Apr 27 1992 16:14 | 8 | 
|  |     also with the coming of virtual reality upon us, in the future you can be 
    virtually in the office while working at home, and be virtually at home 
    while working in the office, and we will all be connected with each
    others, some of us will be in virtual form and some in not virtual
    form, but this way you can be both place at the same time, virtually 
    offcourse.
    /nasser
 | 
| 1865.20 | virtually offcourse, 3 6 0 degrees? | ALOS01::MULLER | Fred Muller | Mon Apr 27 1992 16:25 | 3 | 
|  |     jez i like this guys sense of humor - that is what it is, not.  anyway,
    i've been there many times.  -- fred, jez what has gotten into me
    today,  too much SERPing, methinks.
 | 
| 1865.21 |  | MU::PORTER | obnoxious, though interesting | Mon Apr 27 1992 17:45 | 8 | 
|  | re .19
Aha! I understand.  The strangely warped entity which posts
replies along the lines of .19 is not, in point of fact, Nasser Abbasi,
even though it claims to be.    Nasser is actually at home doing
something entirely different, and there's a virtual-Nasser prowling
the netwaves entering semi-incomprehensible notes.   Evidently
there are as yet a few bugs to be worked out.
 | 
| 1865.22 | notes from a happy telecommuter | TPSYS::HORGAN | go, lemmings, go | Mon Apr 27 1992 20:15 | 30 | 
|  |     I've been telecommuting the past six months, and offer the following
    comments:
    
    - I suspect that I work many more hours than I would if I had a 
      traditional office. I can wander in here whenever I have some free
      time and "just do a little work". Or the phone rings (like it just
      did at 7:30p.m.). There is no sense of "time to go home", rather
      the focus is on  the work that's staring at me every time I walk
      by my 'office'.
    
    - There have been times when I feel disconnected from what's happening.
      Takes some getting used  to not having anyone to just chat with.
    
    - We have lots of tools which make telecommuting feasible. I've added
      a fax modem and can now exchange documents. That's made a real
      difference....no more trips just to pick up a document from a 
      customer.
    
    - the team (which is in 4 locations) has learned that we need to call
      each other once a day, just to keep in touch. Even when there isn't
      anything pressing to discuss. Helps to make sure that the little odds
      and ends get mentioned.
    
    - you need an adequate computing environment or forget it. I have
      upgraded my system and am amazed at how much more I can get done
      without needing to go to a DEC office.
    
    I'm a happy telecommuter.
    
    /Tim
 | 
| 1865.23 | ISDN in Vermont? | CREVAS::ERICKSON | John Erickson, DTN 297-4143 | Tue Apr 28 1992 08:13 | 16 | 
|  | >    Telephone has tariffed residential ISDN.  Of course, it'll be a while
>    before it's available in "most" places.  But it'll provide 64 kbps
>    dial-in service.  That's serious speed for telecommuters.
>        fred (Corp. Telecom Engineering/ ISDTN project tech. leader)
    VERY interesting...By the way, some time ago I remember seeing a news
    story in which  they  mentioned  that  VERMONT  (of  all  places) has
    state-of-the-art  telecommunication  installations,  in   some  cases
    leading the country.  Apparently  Vermont offered to be a "beta" site
    for  soon-to-be-released technologies, in exchange for reduced rates.
    Is  there  any  truth  to  this,  and are they  getting  things  like
    residential ISDN before other states?
    
    Later!
    
    John
 | 
| 1865.24 | Its True! | BTOVT::FARNHAM_R | SW ENG - Burlington, VT - 266-4527 | Tue Apr 28 1992 11:23 | 10 | 
|  | Re. -.1
John,
	The story You mentioned about VT having state-of-the-art phone
technology is quite true, believe it or not. When I look at my phone bill,
I have a hard time agreeing with the "reduced rates" part of the story though.
Bob in VT
 | 
| 1865.25 | Yowsa! | BIGJOE::DMCLURE | Just say Notification Services | Tue Apr 28 1992 18:13 | 18 | 
|  | 	Count me in as one of the newly converted ISDN freaks!
    I'm really looking forward to desktop video-conferencing via
    ISDN as well.  The potential future of Broadband ISDN (BISDN),
    as well as ATM switching is even more exciting.
	I took some courses on this subject last semester and I'm
    psyched and ready to Telework (Telecommute).  Just as soon as
    I can upgrade my Pro-380 at home to something a little less
    obsolete, I'll be all set!
				 -davo
p.s.	I wrote a paper on this very subject over the Xmas holidays.
	It can be copied directly from the following location:
	TOOK::USER$216:[DMCLURE.PUBLIC]TELEWORKING_NETSTUDY.PS
							  *.DECW$BOOK*
							  *.TXT
 | 
| 1865.26 |  | CREATV::QUODLING | Ken, Me, and a cast of extras... | Tue Apr 28 1992 22:24 | 18 | 
|  |     Telecommuting from home shall always bring an air of mistrust to itself
    from Managment, as they can't see the peons hunched over a terminal.
    
    However, there is a far more mundane approach to telcommuting  that
    needs to be looked at. I live about 1 miles from a DEC facility. I
    drive 35 miles each way to work at a distant DEC facility. The work I
    do there, has <5% requirement to be actually onsite.
    
    Wouldn't it be nice if some Human Resources types did some basic
    demographic studies, of who works where, and where they need to commute
    from. I am sure that would save gazzillions in personal vehicle wear
    and tear, get people to work earlier, and make for a happier work
    force...
    
    Naw, it's a pipe dream...
    
    q
    
 | 
| 1865.27 |  | REGENT::POWERS |  | Wed Apr 29 1992 08:46 | 23 | 
|  | >    Wouldn't it be nice if some Human Resources types did some basic
>    demographic studies, of who works where, and where they need to commute
>    from. I am sure that would save gazzillions in personal vehicle wear
>    and tear, get people to work earlier, and make for a happier work
>    force...
Why should "they" bother?  You're willing to drive the 35 miles and save 
them the trouble!  It's your vehicle that's wearing out, not theirs.
It's up to you to get to work on time, not them.
Why don't you move closer to work?  Or take a job closer to where
you live?  Chances are it relates to the qulaity of life where you live now,
which might be adversely affected if a major employer moved too close
(not saying you think this way, just musing).
What I thought you were going to get to was "why can't I telecommute 
from the DEC office that's only 1 mile from my house?"
Have you pursued that?  Have you attempted to demonstrate to your
management that your job is really only 5% personal presence?
Even if it were as much as 30% personal presence, you might benefit
from having a "local" office and doing a real commute only once or twice
a week.
- tom]
 | 
| 1865.28 | Go for it | VMSVTP::S_WATTUM | OSI Applications Engineering, West | Wed Apr 29 1992 09:30 | 15 | 
|  | >What I thought you were going to get to was "why can't I telecommute 
>from the DEC office that's only 1 mile from my house?"
It can be done.  I'm doing it every day.  Though I must admit that the commute
from Colorado Springs to LKG is a bit more then 35 miles, but the drive from
my house to work is certainly a lot less :-)
I've found that if you can get management buyoff on this, that it's really
fairly easy to do (well, at least it was for me - it was the mgmt buyoff
that was the tough sell).  While I am loosly associated with a particular
group, the local facilities people seemed quite willing and prepared to
deal directly with a single individual - all they needed was a CC to charge
for cube rent.
--Scott
 | 
| 1865.29 | I'm serious... | NODEX::ADEY | Pepperoni Pepperoni Pizza Pizza | Wed Apr 29 1992 10:09 | 9 | 
|  |     re: last few...
    
    I had this idea too! 
    
    Anybody in ZKO commute from Marlboro and want to swap offices a couple
    times a week?
    
    Ken....
    
 | 
| 1865.30 | LONG DRIVE | GSMOKE::GCHARBONNEAU |  | Wed Apr 29 1992 10:54 | 9 | 
|  |     NOTE 1865.29........
    
    I DRIVE 100 MILES ONE WAY TO WORK EVERYDAY AND I`M DOING SOMETHING
    ABOUT THIS...I`M RETIRING.
    
    If you think I`m joking about the 100 miles one way,check it out.
    I live in Los Banos,California and work in Cupertino,California..
    Would you love to swap with me.???
    
 | 
| 1865.31 | If it's gonna be done, you have to do it.... | VMSVTP::S_WATTUM | OSI Applications Engineering, West | Wed Apr 29 1992 11:42 | 37 | 
|  | Re .30  I think that's one of the options that .27 mentioned (well, maybe
indirectly).
Re .26;  it's not only wear and tear on your car that you'll save.  There are
a lot of additional implications - less commute, less gas, less traffic, less
need for lots of big highways to handle peak rush hour loads, less stress,
more family time, etc.
I see the idea of telecommuting from a local workplace as a necessary
step in some cases, toward ultimately telecommuting from home.
The first "bottom line" is that the telecommunication infrastructure isn't
quite up to the requirements usually implied by working from home (if you can
get by with a 2400 baud dial-up, fine; but a lot of us need additional bandwidth
to do our job as effectively).
The second "bottom line" is, i've found that management is often uncomfortable
with the lack of "touchy-feely" implied with telecommuting.  This aspect
alone is probably a significant reason why a lot of people who might
otherwise telecommute from home, don't (or aren't allowed too).   Telecommuting
from a workplace closer to home is one way to address a lot of the concerns - be
cause this allows you to still have a "manager".
My local "manager" really probably has no idea what it is I do, but what
my local "manager" does for me, is provide the security blanket needed by
my remote manager to make this whole thing work.
Unless you make the attempt to try and set something up yourself it isn't
going to happen.  We can discuss the right or wrong of whether an individual
should have to put in the effort themselves, or if this should be offered on
a platter, but my cut at it, is that this is still too new.  Management is not
sure how to deal with it.  Besides, putting in the effort to "sell"
telecommuting (from either a local workplace or home) is also an indication
to management about your desire to make the situation work even after the
sale.
--Scott
 | 
| 1865.32 | Check out the HOME program | BIGJOE::DMCLURE | DEC's Tops In Desktops! | Thu Apr 30 1992 11:28 | 8 | 
|  | 
	There is actually a telecommuting pilot project underway which
    people might be interested in.  The project is known as HOME (which
    is short for Home Office Management Effectiveiness), and is program
    managed by Grace Boynton of Corporate Info Services.  Contact Grace
    for more information at MTS$::"MLO::Grace Boynton"
				   -davo
 | 
| 1865.33 | Telcommute across the company network. | DEC:.GROVER | The CIRCUIT_MAN | Wed May 04 1994 14:35 | 21 | 
|  |     Telecommuting taken to the next level......
    
    For the passed few weeks, I have been involved in interviewing for
    positions within the company that I've been told I'm qualified for, but
    due to the fact it would require relocation funds, I've not been
    selected for these positions....
    
    WHY can't Digital allow folks to Telecommute in these positions. There
    is little chance of getting qualified folks local to the job location,
    so why not bring folks to the jobs via the network. Interview folks for
    the jobs via video conference, then if qualified, they can perform
    these jobs via the network, either by having the hiring manager optain
    cube space in a Digital building closer to the new hire and let that
    new hire perform his/her job tasks via the network, or allow the new
    hire to telecommute from his/her house.
    
    This practice would solve quite a few problems across the company.
    
    Just a thought.!
    
    
 | 
| 1865.34 |  | DEC:.CROUCH | Subterranean Dharma Bum | Wed May 04 1994 14:48 | 14 | 
|  |     Makes too much sense which doesn't compute here.
    
    I saw an interesting special recently on just this. They interviewed
    a programmer for SGI who works and lives in Colorado but whose "office"
    is in Ca. 
    
    There are many 800 number services where the caller doesn't realize
    that the person they are talking to is in their house. The need to
    "be" in a central place is over for a lot of jobs.
    
    Obviously this doesn't work for every position.
    
    Jim C.
    
 | 
| 1865.35 | H.O.M.E. | DEC:.S_WATTUM | OSI Applications Engineering, West | Wed May 04 1994 16:26 | 64 | 
|  | There is a corporate sponsored program called H.O.M.E. - managed to
capture a copy of the announcement in LIVEWIRE (minutes later it was
no longer in LIVEWIRE - I don't know why):
)0 [;1mU.S. News                          [m[13C            LIVE WIRE
 qqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqq
 [;1mThere's no place like H.O.M.E. (30-Mar)         [m            Date:
30-Mar-1994
 qqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqqq
[62CPage   1 of 1  
                    [7m There's no place like H.O.M.E. [m
   
          To formalize part-time telecommuting arrangements that many 
   employees have utilized in the past, Digital has created a voluntary 
   program for those who wish to work out of their homes full time.
          Called H.O.M.E., for Home Office Management Effectiveness, the 
   program substitutes a home office for dedicated individual company work 
   space while fully maintaining employee teamwork and accountability.  
          According to Geri Kearns, manager of the U.S.-based program, 
   benefits to employees include increased concentration, reduced 
   interruptions, lower commuting expenses, higher job satisfaction, 
   better balance of career and home life, reduced stress and higher 
   productivity.
          For Digital, the benefits are improved productivity, space 
   savings, incentives for employee recruiting and retention, regulatory 
   compliance with the Clean Air Act and improved employee morale.
          Programs like H.O.M.E. are a boon to the public as well.  
   Telecommuting offers increased opportunities for workers with physical 
   challenges, and helps to reduce pollution, traffic congestion, and 
   energy consumption.   
          In the Chicago area, for example, a major highway construction 
   project is under way which will take at least two years to complete.  
   Digital's H.O.M.E. program will ease the inevitable traffic headaches 
   by reducing the number of commuters on the road.   
          More than 400 employees now participate in the H.O.M.E. program 
   throughout the United States.  By mid-April, information, policies and 
   process for the program will be published on VTX H.O.M.E. under 
   Policies & Procedures.
                       FOR DIGITAL INTERNAL USE ONLY
 
 | 
| 1865.36 |  | DEC:.BEAN | Attila the Hun was a LIBERAL! | Wed May 04 1994 16:34 | 12 | 
|  |     At Parker St (PKO) two instructors (I wish I were one) are now workign
    from home via the H.O.M.E. program.  Digital pays for two extra phone
    lines... but, it should be noted, DID NOT pay for equipoment or
    furniture.
    
    In Alpharetta, GA (ALF) literally ALL of the DLS instructors are on the
    H.O.M.E. plan... as are, I believe, many others in other locations.  It
    IS cost effective, (or at least it WAS).  maybe now there is so much
    available office space lying around vacant that it is no longer cost
    effective?
    
    tony
 | 
| 1865.37 |  | ICS::CROUCH | Subterranean Dharma Bum | Thu May 05 1994 07:20 | 5 | 
|  |     This is great to hear and sorry for my ignorance with the
    program!!!
    
    Jim C.
    
 | 
| 1865.38 |  | CTHQ::DELUCO | Premature Grandparent | Thu May 05 1994 10:51 | 6 | 
|  |     You might consider sending some of this information to the managers who
    turned you down.  While it's their call as to whether or not they want
    to hire a "telecommuting" resource, they may not be aware that it's
    going on elsewhere.
    
    Jim
 | 
| 1865.39 |  | VMSVTP::S_WATTUM | OSI Applications Engineering, West | Thu May 05 1994 12:06 | 17 | 
|  | Having done this for the last few years I can tell you that most management
will need to be convinced.  The concern isn't for whether this is good
for the employee, but whether this is good for the manager.  There's a
certain loss of perceived power when you don't have all of your minions
underfoot and directly accessable.  It also causes some change - and some
people are very resistant to change.  Also, you might have to have something
that someone else wants so badly that they are willing to take a risk
doing this (my situation).  Let's face it - there is a certain amount of
additional effort required on both ends (management and participant) in order to
make this work - is what you provide *worth* the additional effort, or is it
simply easier to hirer someone else "local" but just as capable.
--Scott
p.s. The reason there's a "West" in the personal name is because the rest of
my group is "East" (at LKG), while I'm in Colorado (currently in a facility,
but soon to be at home)
 | 
| 1865.40 | For those old enough to remember | CTHQ::DELUCO | Premature Grandparent | Thu May 05 1994 12:33 | 7 | 
|  |     
    	Kind of like when those folks used to bring their programs with
    them on punched cards rather than store the program at the datacenter
    on disk. The implied reasoning was that they could see and touch the
    program any time they wanted.
    
    Jim
 | 
| 1865.41 |  | ELWOOD::LANE |  | Thu May 05 1994 12:55 | 4 | 
|  | re .40
I think that was more of a reliability issue. Unless you dropped it, the
deck would outlast the disk several times over.
 | 
| 1865.42 |  | MILKWY::ED_ECK | Generation X < Group W! | Thu May 05 1994 14:43 | 9 | 
|  |     
    "Unless you dropped it..."
    
    That was why you used a magic marker to make a diagonal slash 
    mark across the edge of the deck--if you dropped the deck the
    mark made it much easier to get the deck back in order.
    
    Ed E. (who is really _much_ to young to remember this...or to 
           remember what a boot deck is...really!)
 | 
| 1865.43 | Lots of issues in telecommuting. | DECWET::FARLEE | Insufficient Virtual...um...er... | Thu May 05 1994 15:37 | 15 | 
|  | One other datapoint in balancing the telecommuting question is this:
Some jobs are essentially solitary, and make no difference where you
are.  Telephone support is for the most part like this.
Other jobs are much more team-oriented, and its rather difficult to form an
efficient team if they never see each other face-to-face.  There's a certain
amount of cross-pollination that happens with casual discussions in the halls.
That's not to say that it can't be overcome, just that it HAS to be overcome.
On the other hand, if you're feeling marginally healthy, or if your kid is sick,
its a whole lot easier to make it down the hall in your bathrobe than it is
to get dressed and drive to work, possibly infecting the rest of the crew.  So
you might expect a decrease in sick time.
Lots of angles to figure and weigh...
 | 
| 1865.44 | Who say's DEC(K)s are forever? | GUCCI::HERB | New Personal Name coming soon! | Thu May 05 1994 19:49 | 4 | 
|  |     ..remember 1 column is reserved for continuation and the remaing for
    dserialization in the event you DID grop the deck.
    
    [sorry about spelling..a local CNS problem]
 | 
| 1865.45 | Dectapes were great too! | BUSY::RIPLEY |  | Fri May 06 1994 08:50 | 5 | 
|  |     
    	Personally I liked the DECtapes and used to carry them home in my
    	brief case!!!  Sorry to see the old PDP11's go but alas all things
    	pass on eventually....
    					8^)
 | 
| 1865.46 |  | BSS::GROVER | The CIRCUIT_MAN | Mon May 09 1994 07:42 | 10 | 
|  |     When I talk of telecommuting, I'm not talking about telecommuting
    across town, I'm talking about telecommuting across country. Getting
    hired for a job in Boston and living/telecommuting in say Colorado
    Springs. Not telecommuting from my home in Colorado Springs, but having
    an office in CXO and working for a manager in say LKG (I know that's in
    Littleton, not Boston). A telecommute like this would still insure the
    employee would have services such as FAX machines, printers, etc.
    available to effectively do his/her job.
    
    
 | 
| 1865.47 |  | VMSVTP::S_WATTUM | OSI Applications Engineering, West | Mon May 09 1994 11:36 | 16 | 
|  | >    When I talk of telecommuting, I'm not talking about telecommuting
>    across town, I'm talking about telecommuting across country.
Which is exactly what I do - across country that is.  Across country
telecommuting is much more difficult (IMO).  The sales job you will have to make
to management is much more difficult in order to make something like this work
(again, IMO).  There are some good reasons for this though.  You will have
little or no face to face contact between yourself and your management and
your peers - with current budget restrictions, I usually get to physically
see my group about once a year (this is usually not a problem owing to the
nature of my work, but it does add to the challenge).  I also find it
helps to build a repertoire with your peers so that you can stay up on
the latest group gosip, etc.  There's so many different aspects to this,
that it really makes for along discussion.
--Scott
 | 
| 1865.48 | not a new wheel, that's for sure | CX3PT2::CSC32::R_MCBRIDE | This LAN is made for you and me... | Mon May 09 1994 14:05 | 11 | 
|  |     There are people in other groups here in the building, Bob, who have
    people working from Oklahoma, Dallas and Seattle.  They dial in to
    their nearest office and connect (LAT, DECnet, TCP/IP) to the system
    resources they need.  After that, a phone is a phone.  The particular
    groups involved had to pay the expense of a second phone installation,
    a modem, some kind of work station and such.  In your case, since the
    group you happen to work for (Bob is diagonally across the partition
    wall from me) pays for the second phone, the modem and the workstation
    anyway...what's the diff? Then comes the problem of managing you.  I'm
    not going to talk about the pros or cons, just that it is being done
    already.
 | 
| 1865.49 |  | 5062::CLARK |  | Mon May 09 1994 14:05 | 4 | 
|  | > I also find it
> helps to build a repertoire with your peers so that 
:^)
you'll collectively have something to fall back on when the TFSO axe falls?
 |