How COVID-19 is affecting society

[danielravennest]

Now that I've been working from home for 3 weeks, I'm not sure I'm willing to go back to the office, even when it's "safe" to do so. I'm feeling sooo much better due to the extra sleep I get in the morning, time to exercise, and no long commute into work.

Welcome to the club! I've been working from a home office ever since I retired from Boeing. Hard to beat a 30 foot commute. As an engineer, all I really need is a decent computer with internet, and access to my reference data (mostly electronic these days). I'm sure a lot of office jobs are in a similar situation.

Business managers are seriously considering letting a lot of people continue to work from home. They can save big-time on office space costs.

 

[Isabeau]

I wonder about security, though. If employees have access to customer/company data, wouldn’t the fact that they’re at home mean that their household also have access?

 

[Shiloh Lyric]

I wonder about security, though. If employees have access to customer/company data, wouldn’t the fact that they’re at home mean that their household also have access?

I'm not sure about other companies, but I had to sign a WAH agreement before I was able to be set up to work here. One of the clauses was that I wasn't on a shared computer (I'm not, my son has his own and my mom doesn't use a computer) and that no one else was able to access the information. While it's impossible for them to actually monitor that without a surprise inspection of my 'workspace', it's still an agreement I signed, which makes me liable were anything to happen.

 

[Kamilah Hauptmann]

I wonder about security, though. If employees have access to customer/company data, wouldn’t the fact that they’re at home mean that their household also have access?

I used to work in third party insurance and union pensions. There was constant talk about work from home on a bunch of things but privacy act was a hurdle. It's especially a thing in BC where if there's a breach the 'privacy officer' can end up with jail time.

 

[Tracer]

 

[Beebo Brink]

I wonder about security, though. If employees have access to customer/company data, wouldn’t the fact that they’re at home mean that their household also have access?

If you have the appropriate computer setups, that should not be an issue. For instance, in order to do my job I must be on a company laptop, logged into our network. It doesn't really matter whether the laptop is at our office or at home, either way, the security should work exactly the same.

For clients, if we have access to their servers, then the risk to the data is the same whether we're logged in from work or from home.

In addition to my company laptop, I also have a client laptop here with me. The only way to log into their network is through that laptop, so whether or not I'm logging in from office, home or a hotel room, it's all the same risk.

 

[Innula Zenovka]

I see that, in the UK, the Data Commissioner's Office has an FAQ on data protection and Covid-19, which includes this:

More of our staff will be homeworking during the pandemic. What kind of security measures should my organisation have in place for homeworking during this period?

• Data protection is not a barrier to increased and different types of homeworking. During the pandemic, staff may work from home more frequently than usual and they can use their own device or communications equipment. Data protection law doesn’t prevent that, but you’ll need to consider the same kinds of security measures for homeworking that you’d use in normal circumstances.

Data protection and coronavirus: what you need to know

The ICO recognises the unprecedented challenges we are all facing during the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. We have compiled answers to questions we are commonly being asked during the coronavirus outbreak, including questions on information rights requests and homeworking.

ico.org.uk

Advice throughout the EEA will be similar, I would think.

 

[Jopsy Pendragon]

ever on point...

 

[Free]

Pope Francis denounces pandemic profiteers

The Latest on the coronavirus pandemic. The new coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms for most people. For some, especially older adults and people

www.providencejournal.com

Hahaha!

Indulgences and their Role in the Reformation

Indulgences were important at the start of the Reformation; this explains what they were, and why they caused such great upset to Martin Luther.

www.thoughtco.com

 

[Innula Zenovka]

Powerful words from Emily Maitlis, anchor of the BBC's Newsnight programme:


Here's the whole report she was trailing

 

[Innula Zenovka]

Keith from Norfolk wants sunbathers to be shot by the Army

Keith announced his plan for the UK just before 2.30am during a BBC 5 Live radio call-in with presenter Jim Davis.

metro.co.uk

A man called Keith from Norfolk believes the Army should be shooting people on the streets if they flout the government’s coronavirus lockdown. Keith announced his plan for the UK just before 2.30am during a BBC 5 Live radio call-in with presenter Jim Davis. While Keith said he didn’t want the military to ‘necessarily kill them’, he argued a shot to the hand or foot should ‘teach them a lesson’. The main offenders on Keith’s hit list were the people ‘running around sunbathing’, ‘spitting in the streets’, ‘disrespecting the Queen’, or just generally ‘being outrageous’.

 

[Sid]

Keith Trump by any chance?

 

[Free]

Keith from Norfolk wants sunbathers to be shot by the Army

Keith announced his plan for the UK just before 2.30am during a BBC 5 Live radio call-in with presenter Jim Davis.

metro.co.uk

Who would have guessed the biggest fascist in the audience is named Keith?

 

[Free]

 

[danielravennest]

The future of social distancing:

Railway workers in Wuhan preparing to disinfect the station - and each other - as months of lockdown are coming to an end. But could this become the new normal until the disease is beaten?

 

[Fionalein]

But could this become the new normal until the disease is beaten?

No, it is a temporary fix until we find ways for drones to autonomously desinfect huge locations...

 

[Sredni Eel]

Henry Rollins has given us a four hour "Cool Quarantine" show, which is him playing selections from his music collection, and telling stories about the music. Those of us who are GenX can totally get into sitting in a dark room alone while listening to music and reading the inner sleeves of records. It's worth a listen, particularly if you like DC punk from the late 70s/early 80s.

Hang with Henry Rollins as he shares stories and songs from his personal collection

 

[Innula Zenovka]

Coronavirus: ‘We're struggling to get a refund on our £17,000 chalet’

Holidaymakers say they are struggling to get refunds on cancelled holidays due to the lockdown.

www.bbc.co.uk

My heart bleeds for them.

Yes, I can understand their disappointment and chagrin, but that's money they'd already decided they could afford to spend on an expensive holiday, and other people have far more pressing financial concerns as a result of the emergency.

 

[Innula Zenovka]

Depressingly but perhaps not unexpectedly, apparently the US now has following the Surgeon General's advice while black.

Two black men say they were kicked out of Walmart for wearing protective masks. Others worry it will happen to them. - The Washington Post

“As an African American man, I have to be cognizant of the things I do and where I go, so appearances matter,” Diggs said. “I have pink, lime green, Carolina blue so I don’t look menacing. I want to t...

www.evernote.com

 

[Ellen Cordeaux]

I wonder about security, though. If employees have access to customer/company data, wouldn’t the fact that they’re at home mean that their household also have access?

I was wondering about this too last night with Mrs. E's work. Not so much for her as I'm the only one here, but in busy households with a lot of other people around.