When I first tried it, I thought I was missing something because the GUI is so simple. It just sits there doing its thing, without fuss. I also put the free version on my phone and was surprised to find it just installed itself and started working. It didn't come with a battery saver, another password vault, or a personal life-choices coaching app. Last few reviews I've seen suggest it's well up with the best as an AV.
I don't find the Avast popups all that annoying, no more than the usual shit encountered when browsing random web sites ("Subscribe to our newsletter" seems particularly ubiquitous these days). I'm only seeing them 2 or 3 times a week, they don't take up much screen real estate, and disappear when ignored. Some of the other annoying stuff like wanting to install browser add-ons are easily skipped, once you know they're a thing (I've probably installed Avast/AVG a dozen times, if not more). So, I'm sure bitdefender is fucking wonderful and so on, but I can't be bothered.
“this is the website that rewards all of the worst features of your personality with a little serotonin hit”
I remember being sat in Geneva airport with my boss and him going “what we need is an IT company based near Middlesbrough” and me taking about 30 minutes to remember that I knew one all along.
Honestly, the relationship has been amazing for us and I still remember where I was when you phoned me as back then we were a relatively new company finding our way.
Working from home is now officially the default for us, until further notice. The main office in Glasgow is open, but we need to request to be put on the rota to work there. The Edinburgh office is closed, with a view to opening it soon, and the London office is kind of in limbo - the lease ran out during lockdown, and the plans to move to the new place are going as well as can be expected given the circumstances.
We seem to be getting on OK working remotely, although I've definitely noticed the effect on my mental health and sleep patterns, especially if I don't get out for exercise.
Our Slough office is open but I’ve not been there in 2020 anyway I don’t think. We’re lapsing the London lease, probably at some point (debate over soonish or 2021) we’ll get a smaller one and hot-desk, there are a few people miss human contact and don’t have much at home. Or don’t have good working space. If that happens I might go in once or twice a week if there’s a meeting or to Show Leadership, I dunno.
There's definitely a balance to be found. One of the issues I face (or maybe it's in my head) is that because I work at a factory there's been quite a few people in the office/management team who have remained on site as they're more "operational" and they can't exactly do their jobs at home, but their presence on site gives off the feeling that they're risking more for the business (and was seen via a bonus for on-site workers a few months ago....). I'd say I could do all my on site stuff in a day a week.
There's also been a decent amount of recruitment during this period across other departments, all of which are on site. Not being able to actually see and speak to these new people face-to-face for the first time isn't too great.
I won't be back this year I don't think. Doesn't bother me much if I'm honest as I was WFH before, albeit with odd office trips now and again. My company's approach though is that people should only go into the office if they have problems working from home (kids, lack of space, that kind of thing). Given I've got a dedicated man-cave with three monitors, I don't think that'll apply to me :)
We're under a fair bit of pressure to get everyone* back in the office ASAP. We're resisting and currently am doing 2 days in, 3 days at home.
The 2 days in the office is really weird, but definitely helpful for mental health if nothing else. Now the kids are back at school it's really odd being in the house alone all day.
my boss wan'ts to 'promote' me but he's since revealed there's essentially zero budget for pay raise or whatever (unsurprising seeing as we've been making a loss for years and are permanently on the verge of going under...), so might push for an official WFH half the week as a compromise. I have better IT facilties and a much nicer working environment at home than at work, and the saving on fuel would effectively be a pay raise in itself. We'll see though!
Sort of expecting a second lockdown in Scotland in about a month anyway, case numbers are going up fast and suspect the local lockdowns are going to start merging into one soon.
