5 ms·

I've worked remotely for the the last six years. It started because of having to work for a Fortune 100 with overseas resources (at crazy hours) then operations

I've worked remotely for the the last six years. It started because of having to work for a Fortune 100 with overseas resources (at crazy hours) then operations support for another huge company (crazy hours again) Then for the last 2 years doing contract python/django development.

clueless123 15y ago
By now I think I know the subject :), here are some useful tidbits I've learned over time. I work on an home-office space, it is quiet,it holds all my work stuff, it is "the" office. The kids know if I am in there.. I am "at work". I do plenty of one-to-one over chat/skype/phone with peers,vendors and customers. Nothing different then on a real office. I regularly do 2/3 hour pair programming sessions with members of my team. We use x11vnc + skype, (we use the pilot-copilot technique ), we get lots done and by the end of a session, our thought-spaces are 100% in sync. I don't miss the "social interaction" at the office, I got plenty of friends in the "real world" and they don't care to hear from my work (nor would understand it if I told them) I also get plenty of "geek interaction" with other developers, over beers at the local pub. The key for remote development is to realize that development is creative work. Hours of work are not important, tasks done are.
clueless123 15y ago
Another technique that I find very useful for assigning remote work: I "purchase" tasks from my team for X $ with deliverable at Y time. I don't really care how long or when they do it, as long as the deliverable is on time I am happy. I can do this, because I am a developer and know how long a task should take,(at least to me) so I know if I am getting a "good deal" for my money. If the developer that "sells" me the finished task got it done in 5 minutes or 5 hours is irrelevant to me.

5 ms·

I've worked remotely for the the last six years. It started because of having to work for a Fortune 100 with overseas resources (at crazy hours) then operations

by clueless123 15y ago

clueless123 15y ago
By now I think I know the subject :), here are some useful tidbits I've learned over time. I work on an home-office space, it is quiet,it holds all my work stuff, it is "the" office. The kids know if I am in there.. I am "at work". I do plenty of one-to-one over chat/skype/phone with peers,vendors and customers. Nothing different then on a real office. I regularly do 2/3 hour pair programming sessions with members of my team. We use x11vnc + skype, (we use the pilot-copilot technique ), we get lots done and by the end of a session, our thought-spaces are 100% in sync. I don't miss the "social interaction" at the office, I got plenty of friends in the "real world" and they don't care to hear from my work (nor would understand it if I told them) I also get plenty of "geek interaction" with other developers, over beers at the local pub. The key for remote development is to realize that development is creative work. Hours of work are not important, tasks done are.
clueless123 15y ago
Another technique that I find very useful for assigning remote work: I "purchase" tasks from my team for X $ with deliverable at Y time. I don't really care how long or when they do it, as long as the deliverable is on time I am happy. I can do this, because I am a developer and know how long a task should take,(at least to me) so I know if I am getting a "good deal" for my money. If the developer that "sells" me the finished task got it done in 5 minutes or 5 hours is irrelevant to me.