[PragmaticPulp]

I've worked remote for a long time. It's very common to see people working from their home bedrooms.

First-time remote workers will often overthink their office, but seasoned remote workers don't really care. It's worth taking a minute to tidy up the room in your background, but nobody is going to be judging you for not having a dedicated home office.

> I'm also a manager. My workspace needs for desk layout, equipment, and quiet are minimal compared to individual contributors

At least in software, the space needs for everyone are fairly minimal. There are some creative solutions for monitor arms that can reduce the not-in-use footprint of a desk even further.

[jrochkind1]

Oh, I wouldn't think anyone would judge me, especially these days (plus there's blurred backgrounds etc).

But a separate room I use for work helps me keep work separate from personal life when working from home. If I didn't have/couldn't afford that, I'd at least have a separate desk I use only for work. If not that either... it would be harder for me.

[swader999]

They'll judge you poorly for spotty or slow internet on calls more than the background of your home office.

[ghaff]

>They'll judge you poorly for spotty or slow internet on calls

Of course, realize that there's a good chance there's nothing they can do about that.

[swader999]

Trying different providers and even different routers helped me. Wi-Fi is less reliable generally.

[lotsofpulp]

For most US residences, there is at most 1 wired broadband provider to the house (coaxial cable), and they provide an unspecified anemic upload bandwidth.

[ghaff]

Many of us don't have a choice of different providers. And while I agree that WiFi in particular may not be as good as a wired connection, many people also don't have an Ethernet jack near where they work at home. (I do personally next to where I take my calls.)

[jrochkind1]

I've actually had good luck with an "ethernet over power" device in my WFH setup.

eg https://www.amazon.com/Powerline-Ethernet-Adapter-Extender-T...

but in general, yes, I agree, I have had problems with network connectivity in my WFH setup that are very difficult to do something about, and which are very frustrating to all involved, it is a problem.

[chasd00]

Also, most video chat apps have filters where you can make your background look like a couple of different options. A standard, clean, organized home office being one.

[biomcgary]

Although filters have gotten better (more precise, faster responding to movement), I still don't like them for cutting off hands or things I hold up for the camera to see. So, I hang a curtain behind me, since I don't have a wall.

[xur17]

Yeah, I tend to agree. And tbh I kind of like the glimpse into a person's life that a non-filtered background gives (in much the same way that idle chit chat helps me "connect" with a coworker).

[SOLAR_FIELDS]

This is actually due to the camera having a difficulty distinguishing whether your hand belongs to you or not. One thing you can do if you still want a fake background is to get one of the white photo background sheets that professional photographers use and put it behind you. It makes it a lot easier for the camera to tell what’s you and what isn’t and also really helps to prevent the bleeding effect that happens around where your face meets the background.