Networking Through a Hurricane - Workers Stay on the Job Even While Out of the Office by Frank Ahrens Washington Post Staff Writer (September 19, 2003) explores the use of telework during Hurricane Isabel with specific examples.

"High-speed Internet connections and myriad wireless handheld devices have made telecommuting a reality, albeit an occasionally chaotic one. Employees can now use their home computers to connect with workplace software, such as expense report forms and company bulletin boards, and video conference around the globe, even if it is still sometimes a cumbersome and staticky exercise. A buffering video stream is still an infuriating substitute for a face-to-face meeting."

We need better videoconferencing tools, agreed, and we're on the cusp of getting them. But now is the time to start preparing to use them.

"Fearing the effects of Isabel, regional companies closed yesterday or urged many employees to stay home -- but that didn't mean they took take the day off. "What's unusual is how it's business as usual," said Discovery Communications Inc. spokesman David Leavy, who was teleconferencing at 7 a.m. yesterday and had received his normal load of about 50 work-related e-mails by 2 p.m.

"Communications network managers said yesterday that the volume of Internet and voice traffic was normal for a Thursday, with no bottlenecks in the vast telecommunications networks along the East Coast. "

So according to the Internet traffic monitors, Thursday, with the pending arrival of Hurricane Isabel, was... NORMAL! Again, I have to agree, reluctantly. While the kids enjoyed sleeping in, watching movies, and playing a rousing game of X-Box basketball,... I worked. I got a lot done, mind you, from the comfort of my home office. But I also have to admit, some times you gotta long for the old days, when "the office is closed" meant play time for me, too. Don't tell my manager I said that.

Friday was... a heck of a lot like Thursday! NORMAL, for the most part. I checked in with a few co-workers - most were repeating Thursday's normal day working from home. A few had power outages, so they braved their way into work strictly for the sake of the electrical outlets. On Saturday, one dedicated but power-challenged co-worker tripped back in to the office for an electrical refill, powered up, and then worked from home until their battery life gave up. Wow, that's dedication. I just played, but then again, XBox was working just fine in my neighborhood ;-) .

8:44:46 PM    
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