Changes on how, and where, we work need to come.

It's interesting to see how while some people already have the skills, and tools, to work from home effectively, most of the time they are reluctant to that option. It looks like that, while it could be more beneficial for them to do home office, the idea of making such a change is not one that come easy for them.

While it is true that home office is not the best option for everyone, many could be even more effective working from home. Specially those whose presence at the physical location of their company is not really required and the time to get to and from there is to long. Today, there are ways to get all the information they need from they coworkers without having to be at the same place, and with the advent of tools like remote desktops to access the tools they need from where ever they happen to be with an Internet connection, it becomes even more practical to work remotely.

Even a hybrid model, make people anxious about working remotely. Even when there is talk about the amount of time needed to get to work, or not having enough time for personal stuff, the idea of working remotely and getting some extra for personal use by not having to go work in other place, is a change not everyone is willing to make. It seems that they believe that not being present at the office all the time will make them irrelevant, even when they can give better results working from home.

To be honest, in many cases a hybrid work model would be most beneficial for most company and workers. Being able to work from home some days, while going to the office on others, would be both the companies and the employees more flexibility on their time management to be more effective at their jobs. With the benefit that people would be more happy and feeling more in control of how they work.

While it would require a lot of change to get the model to work, the tools are already there to make it work and the people already have the skills to use them effectively. The only thing lacking now, is the will to actually implement the changes, and to seem the through.

Falling behind with the technology that could help us get ahead.

I've noticed at work that there is a lot of misgivings about using technology we have at hand to work in better, even if it means doing things in a different way. It feels like people are scared of changing how we have worked so far, even when it has proved to work and it is better for us to make the changes to the processes to benefit everyone involved.

It feels like we are wasting valuable opportunities to improve things in ways that will benefit both the costumers and us in the long run. We could be finding ways to better serve our costumers, while making work easier and more enjoyable for us using the tools already in place. There is room for improvement, but the baseline is already there to start the move, and make in a way that that will help us improve our workflow with the input of those who will interact with tools directly.

As it is, I feel we are chasing what others are already doing instead of setting things in our own terms. Investment is done to catch up with were technology is now, instead of at least riding the wave. We are behind the curve, and its putting a lot of strain on how much we can compete in the marketplace.

The biggest hurdle is that there is a lack of will to do something about it, and it taking a negative tool on everyone. Hope time would prove me wrong, but it seems it won't be that way.

Right of repair should be a given.

The right to repair the things we own shouldn't be something that a president had to issue a executive order about. It should be a given, that if we legally acquired something, we should be able to have it repaired if that fits out needs.

Not only that, there should be a whole ecosystem of third party shops where we are able to get the repairs done if we so choose to have it done. There is a whole set of reasons why we should be legally able to do so, from price to convenience of access, that the manufactures of our devices shouldn't be able to stop us from getting repairs from third parties.

For third party shops to be able to repair our devices, there is no need for them to have full access to all the trade secrets of the manufacturer of the device. Just enough information to be able to perform repairs, just have access to the information needed to do the repair and the parts to make a quality repair.

Companies that block the right of repair of people, are not looking out for their customers. They are looking for their own bottom line, forcing their customers to either pay the what they ask for or buying new replacements for the device that broke down. Their best interest, is not always the best interest of their customers.

Repairing our things should be a normal part of the life cycle of all products. Extending the life our things, specially our electronic devices, is a good thing for the environment , since it helps to reduce e-waste. Most damage that most electronic devices encounter before they need to be replace is an easy fix, and as such it should be encourage to be fixed.

At the end, as owners of our devices, we should have the final say when we replace them and when only fixing them is what we need. When we buy them, they belong to us.

The companies that manufacture them don't have a say in when we replace them, or where we have them fixed.

Android vs iPhone.

The whole Android vs. iPhone thing is something that really has bugged my for quite some time now. As an Android user, I can see some ways iOS is better. The same goes for the hardware itself, there some things I really like about the iPhone that I wish Android devices had.

Yet, there is simply no motive for me to make the jump to the iPhone. Android, and the devices that run Android, simply work better for me. The only thing I really somewhat envy from the iPhone ecosystem is the amount of holsters made for it. Other than that, Android devices are just a better for my usage.

What irks me the most, is when the iPhone is directly compared to the low end of Android devices. There is no competitions there, and the manufactures of those devices aren't even trying to compete with the iPhone. Low end Android devices are targeted for people that just need a basic smartphone, with a low price.

To make matters worse, even high end Android manufactures most of the time try to cater users in ways Apple doesn't. They know that directly competing with the iPhone can be a losing proposition, so they try to make the sale by not directly comparing themselves with the iPhone.

In many ways, they even cater to people who wouldn't consider the iPhone for several reasons. For one, the price range of the iPhone can be too high for what some people are willing to fork over a smartphone. And even those who are willing to pay the price of an iPhone, the iPhone simply doesn't appeal to them since in certain circles is has become to common.

At the end of the day, smartphones are just a tool that should work for each user. For some the iPhone is the one, and for others an Android device is the answer.

Most importantly, as Android and iOS have been developed over time there has been cross-pollination between both OSes. Somethings have been implemented first on Android, to later make the jump to iOS and vice-versa. The idea that all innovation has occurred only on one side is just plain wrong.

So, instead of trying to push down the throat of people your favorite one let people just choose the one that works for them.

Android just works better for me.

When the first iPhone, followed by the Android smartphones that followed the form factor, I admit I was somewhat doubtful that it work for me. At the time I had a Nokia E63, and if I preferred a physical keyboard at the time. The first smartphone without a physical keyboard that caught my eye was the Nokia N8, since Nokia was my go to smartphone brand at the time, and I really like the Symbian OS at the time.

When the time came to change my smartphone, I decided to give Android a try with a device that had Android KitKat on it. It impressed my for the better, specially since Android does all what I want it to do in ways iOS doesn't do.

At the moment I just got a Motorola One Fusion with Android 10, and Android just keeps giving me what I expect, and need, my mobile devices to do. While I've tested some iPhone devices, Android based ones simply work better for me. I admit that the iPhone and iOS are pretty good, but Android just works better for me.

As time goes by, Android devices are just the best fit for my use of my mobile life. To the extent that when I have to replace my smartphone, to make the jump to the iPhone is something I don't really consider. I might jump between OEMs on the Android side of smartphones, but the jump to iOS is not worth it for me.

I just prefer the experience Android gives me.

A better office setup.

I've been using my laptop that runs Linux Mint at work as a test for a week now, and so far it has been quite a good experience. To do my work, I mainly use Remmina to access the remote desktop we use to access the software we use to manage things, and do invoices for our customers. I also use WhatsApp desktop app to communicate with the coworker that sends the remissions to be invoiced and fulfilled for our customers.

The current setup I use at work is the one showed in the picture, and it has proven to be far better than trying to use a single monitor or using my smartphone to monitor WhatsApp for the remissions to be invoiced and passed over to be fulfilled.

I never imagined that I could use my current setup as easily as I'm doing it now. While I have been able to work from home when needed using Remmina, the idea to be able to do so at the office was an idea I was playing with for quite sometime. I really didn't went tried it because I wasn't sure I could setup the network printer we use to print the remissions and the invoices from Remmina.

Turns out that it was quite an easy task to do, and it hasn't given me any problems at all. What has actually help me to work better, is that I can use the external monitor just for Remmina while I use my laptop's monitor to check the information needed to look for without having to minimize Remmina each time I need to check.

As time goes by, the benefits of my current setup become more obvious and it makes harder to go to using just one monitor. What is more important in a personal lever, is that it proves that Linux distros can be more widely adopted in more use cases by regular people.

Quite happy with the new system at work.

As time has gone by, I've gotten used to the new system we started using at work since April last year. For the most part, I actually like the new system over the one we used to work with.

Mainly because it allows me to get most of the information I need to do my job rather quickly, and in a way that allows me to do things faster and more accurate way. Mainly because I can set in the information I need in a way that helps accessing it faster and easier.

If any changes that it seems in need, there are on the warehouse administration side of things. The process of getting the stock of the products we have, can get to be a bit hard know in real time. Which can be a pain in the ass, since it's information that several people need to know with as much accuracy as possible at a moment notice.

Other than that, on my side of things it has been just a question of time to adjust my work flow to the new system. The amount of information about all what I need to know to do my job, can be accessed in no more than 3 pages deep. The whole process it doesn't take more than a minute, for most tasks. The most time I've waited to get the information I need has been a couple of minutes because the amount of information I was requesting.

What I like the most about the new system, is that I can actually access it from any place I'm at from my personal computers. Which means that I don't really need to be at the office if I need to do overtime or help if I'm out of the office if the needs arises.

There are still we have to work in to make the system work better for us, but so far I believe that the system is a good fit for our needs.

Freedom of choice.

All my personal computers run either Linux Mint or Ubuntu, while at work I use Microsoft Windows. If you told me a couple of years ago that I would be able to seamlessly run a Windows server desktop on either Linux Mint or Ubuntu I would have not really believed you.

Yet, since last year I've able to do so using Remmina without any issue at all. I've been able to bring some work home and connect to the server at work without any issue what so ever. So much so, that if I had to, I could bring to work any of my laptops to the office and keep working without much issue at all.

To be honest, that is something I have wished to be able to have the option to do so for a while now. Not only because it gives me the option to keep working for where ever I want to do so, but because it gives me the option to do so using the OS I prefer to use. And it finally it gives me the chance to use Linux as a viable option.

Ever since I began using Ubuntu, I've been looking for ways to use Linux when ever possible. Remmina has given me the chance to do so at work, since I can access all I need to do for work within the Linux distro I have install on the system I'm using at the time.

To me, it finally makes Linux a viable option at more space in my life.

Heading to a cashless society.

Since last year, it has become ever easier not to use cash. As time goes by, its becoming easier to pay via credit, or debit, cards, or just make a transfer via your bank's app. Even digital wallets are making it easier to pay without even having your usual cards on you when making a purchase.

To be honest, having to depend on cash as much was something I never thought I would see on my lifetime. Though we are still a long way from becoming a cashless society, big strides are made every day that are bringing it closer every day. The amount of cash I need to have on me has been steadily decreasing with time, and with the pandemic the pace seems to have being picking up.

The things I actually need cash for have been decreasing as time goes by, so much so that I find myself surprised when there is at least no an option for electronic option to pay for something. The only thing I have to use cash that I usually pay for, is adding founds for my prepaid mass transit card. Every thing else, I use electronic payments options.

From the places I eat to payments of services, paying with plastic or electronically is quite easy. Even paying back to friends and family, or helping them out with some money, can be easily via a direct transfer with the mobile app of my back.

As time goes by, I expect to use cash even less. To be honest, it is far more practical for me. Though using the ATM is not really all that hard, I prefer no having to go and find one to be able to get cash. I rather pay everything electronically.

Being able to manage all my finances electronically, has made making all my payments electronically all that easier. As time goes on, I expect to become even easier to manage my finances electonically even more convenient.

Make forums a real place of exchange of information and knowledge.

One thing that I recently has starting irking me on Internet forums, is that someone ask some basic question the just google it answers begin to pour in. For me, they are starting to feel like people lack a certain empathy for others that ask a question in a forum looking for an answer from a person that could help them.

Not only that, some who ask don't want to use a search engine either because they don't know how to phrase the question, or the amount of information that they get back is just to much for them to process. And when you add into that the amount of trash you get with it, the things get a lot harder to figure out for people who don't really know much of the issue they are asking about to begin with.

Sometimes, you just want or need the kind of answer you get from another person. One thing are the answer you get from the results you get from a search engine, and quite another the answers you get from someone who knows about the subject matter you asked about.

Not only that, in most cases is a lot easier to interact with those who answer to your question on a forum in order to a better answer than it is to do so in a page. If you add that the information in the pages shown by the search engines might be behind paywalls, complete trash, or out of date, things only get worse from that.

So, be kind to people who ask beginner questions on forums. Try to figure out who are the trolls, so you can help the people who are asking the honest questions. It's one of the easiest, and most with the most impact, you can help make the world a better place. Doing so, you are helping to make the Internet a better place, and a step closer to the place where ideas and information can be freely exchanged.

Freedom of speech is a two way street.

It seems that the people that complain about that now nothing can be said without offending someone, are those who get called out for being racist, misogynistic, or just plain offensive. They can't deal with the consequences of what they say, believing that freedom of speech means they don't have to deal with those consequences.

They seem to want to return to a time when they didn't have to face the push back for their actions the way do with the advent of the Internet, and smartphones, which gives voices to those who have an issue with what they say or do. Sure, the push back is not always correct, or proportionate, but that doesn't mean that there is push back that has substance to it.

There is an expectation that people should not raise their voices to change things. The people who express their disdain for those who point out that that certain things no longer have place in our society going forward, are the ones who just are unable to evolve and understand that society has changed and more people are able to express themselves as they do.

More people, specially minorities, are nor able to raise they voice and do something when someone does, or says, things that wrong them. No longer they have to just lay down, and take whatever others want them to take. Now the consequences of what is said and done, will be felt almost immediately. Not only that, they will have to face them personally.

It needs to be understood, that freedom of expression will not free the person of the consequences of expressing themselves. Besides, others are also free to express their anger, displeasure, and hurt when they feel that way. Is time for those who are angry because people can express themselves against them to man up and accept that they'll have to face the consequences of their expressions.

Freedom of speech is a two way street, so be prepared when someone fires back.