Comments on: Yes, I Really Am Working Right Now

By: WebWorkerDaily » Archive Helping Others Adjust to Your Communication Style «

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 15:00:19 +0000

[...] provide excuses for others. When others are intruding on your working hours, it’s important that you don’t excuse them for it. “Yes, it’s perfectly [...]

By: Nancy Sutherland

Nancy Sutherland — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 18:44:30 +0000

I have been working from home for over 20 years now. My children always volunteered me for every possible thing because they didn’t understand that I was “working”. Now that they are grown, I cherish all the time that I had to spend with them, even as teenagers. Coming home to a mother working is better than an empty home so many of their friends came over with them.
Today, I believe that WAHMs get even more respect because of the internet. It’s so worth it. Enjoy every moment!

By: Web Worker Daily » Archive How to Explain Web Working to the Uninitiated «

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 14:00:27 +0000

[...] the myths. Since web working isn’t that prevalent, it’s no surprise that there are several teleworking myths. If people bring up these myths thinking that they are truths, don’t get [...]

By: Web Worker Daily » Blog Archive Top Five Myths About Home-Based Web Workers «

Thu, 19 Jul 2007 13:01:59 +0000

[...] You’re “working” at home…nudge nudge, wink wink. No, actually I’m really working. If you call me, I answer. Need something before day’s end? Consider it done. I’m not [...]

By: Geoff Dodd

Geoff Dodd — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 11:13:29 +0000

Anne, I’m equally an Internet Addict and no, I don’t think many people generally take web work seriously unless they’ve been a commissioned rep or built a web site or three. They think we’re “playing computer” while we think we’ve just revolutionized business communications ‘at the speed of thought.’ We have, haven’t we?

By: Evan

Evan — Sat, 03 Feb 2007 02:44:33 +0000

I’ve been working from home as a software developer now for over two years and have worked out most of the kinks. My wife works part-time and those days she works the kids are in school/care for the whole day – which gives me a couple of good alone days a week. (I always try and keep these days free of site visits.)

Other aspects though have been problematic though. My wife’s computer is in the same office as mine (it just isn’t convenient or politically viable to have it anywhere else) and so the kids will often come in and out when they want her as well as when they want me, which adds to the disruption. My wife has also had to learn that she can’t just ask me something or mention something to me while I’m working because I either don’t hear it or take it in (even if I reply), or it interrupts concentration. We’ve worked out a system where we save these sort of things for set times like when one of us is going out, or arrive home, or breaks. I’m also allowed to say, “Can you go deal with that in another room” without spousal reprisals if I’m finding something too disruptive (such as tantrums or the declaration “I’m hungry” for the 14th time in an hour).

Just setting some of those little “procedures” in place can make all the difference between harmony (or a reasonable facsimile) and going absolutely bat-shit.

On the whole I’ve found most of my friends and colleagues don’t minimise my work because it is mostly from home. While they will still ring during the day if they need to talk to me, they are usually brief and sometimes even apologetic.

I don’t know why this is the case, but it could be due to:
- Differing attitudes in Australia (or at least Melbourne outer suburbs) to other places.
- Many of my friends are blue-collar rather than white-collar and are use to the concept of running a business out of home (even if they are not working at home most of the time, such as tradespeople who are always going to customer sites) rather than office based 9-5 jobs.

They even understand how the negative factors like interruptions, isolation and motivation can be an issue.

But, as long as I have high-speed Internet, a good office chair, air-conditioning, and haven’t come across an exciting permanent role that is within 15 minutes of home, I’m sticking with it!

I also have a couple of friends who are home-based IT developers who live not too far away, so whenever one of us is getting too batty (or the power goes off because the local transformer died again) we pack up the laptop and high-tail it over.

By: Heather

Heather — Fri, 05 Jan 2007 02:45:08 +0000

I am desperately trying to find a way to work from home. I am a dental hygienist so unfortuantely I can’t do that from home. I was just wondering what you guys did? I would love some info. Thanks.

By: brownboy

brownboy — Thu, 28 Dec 2006 18:33:29 +0000

Its so true. I have been working from home since 2002. I still get the comments from others as if I have it so easy, or if I really do any work. Sometime people are really curious to findout how much I make ect, which makes me really uncomfortable, because I don’t like to tell them that I make more in a month than what they do in a year. Because they all have degrees and work at high paying jobs them self.

I think one way to tackle it is, have them try what you are doing from home or have them comeby sit with you for a day when you are working :)

By: jillmfoster

jillmfoster — Thu, 28 Dec 2006 04:40:37 +0000

Feeling (and respecting) your pain. I’m a newbie in the home office/studio world for about 5 months now. And sometimes it’s all I can do to fend off the bon-bon-eating jokes. Best Wishes!

By: mel

mel — Sat, 23 Dec 2006 09:47:07 +0000

I work at home and I find I get stir crazy. When I quit for the day all I can think about is getting out of my home office. People think working from home is a luxury. Sometimes it’s pure hell! I eat lunch alone and can’t socialize until someone gets home(talking to customers doesn’t count).

Having said that…..travelling 45 minutes to the office sucks. I’ll choose this hell over that one any day.