Works day (aka they talk about what company has achieved, what it does, what we as employees want, etc) was achieved.
This time they had speakers (one from Wellcome Trust, one from this new lot EQUATOR who're into trying to get higher standards of published research, some bloke who... talked a lot about where he saw open access going tech-wise and new wikis being developed, and one guy who works a lot with malaria and how much impact Malaria Journal has had on his work and open access's benefits for people in the developing world) which made it infinitely more interesting, and yes, I did ask questions as is my wont - I even got prodded after a couple of presentations to ask why I hadn't asked questions. That and one person asked 'why do you ask so many questions?' :scratches head: I believe that they normally ask for questions from the audience at the end of these things, right? the only real problem being the Wellcome Trust guy - he had such a lulling way of speaking that you couldn't remember the slightest thing he'd said five minutes after even though you sat there fascinated while he was talking. Hypnosis, clearly.
Annnnd also there was the bit where they got us in groups to get us to discuss and submit ideas of what could be improved about the company. (during which I, er, prodded the quiet people in ours to come up with stuff. 'C'mon, you've got to have at least one niggle.' 'It's tiny and it's stupid.' 'Don't care, it might be something important someone else thought was just tiny and stupid.' Self, stop being a combo steamroller/motivator. It's weirding people out.) And hooo boy. Turns out people are seriously fucked off with Facebook being blocked on the work servers, everyone's screaming for a break room, more space, shinier environment and more co-ordinated social events. All the groups raised it, with constructive ways how, but it's rather.... er... concerted. Oh, and people going 'if you're going to start implementing an intranet wiki, damn well tell us so we can actually contribute data', the other main issue being 'look, can we please bloody update the profiles in whos who so we can get some info on what people actually *do*?' (also, help with bikes like we get help with season tickets) Kind of impressive that it turns out pretty much everyone wants the same things.
In other news : CERN is throwing its weight behind open access. Some people sitting next to me didn't get why giant super colliders and miles upon miles of tunnel was awesome. These people need to be whapped severely.
This time they had speakers (one from Wellcome Trust, one from this new lot EQUATOR who're into trying to get higher standards of published research, some bloke who... talked a lot about where he saw open access going tech-wise and new wikis being developed, and one guy who works a lot with malaria and how much impact Malaria Journal has had on his work and open access's benefits for people in the developing world) which made it infinitely more interesting, and yes, I did ask questions as is my wont - I even got prodded after a couple of presentations to ask why I hadn't asked questions. That and one person asked 'why do you ask so many questions?' :scratches head: I believe that they normally ask for questions from the audience at the end of these things, right? the only real problem being the Wellcome Trust guy - he had such a lulling way of speaking that you couldn't remember the slightest thing he'd said five minutes after even though you sat there fascinated while he was talking. Hypnosis, clearly.
Annnnd also there was the bit where they got us in groups to get us to discuss and submit ideas of what could be improved about the company. (during which I, er, prodded the quiet people in ours to come up with stuff. 'C'mon, you've got to have at least one niggle.' 'It's tiny and it's stupid.' 'Don't care, it might be something important someone else thought was just tiny and stupid.' Self, stop being a combo steamroller/motivator. It's weirding people out.) And hooo boy. Turns out people are seriously fucked off with Facebook being blocked on the work servers, everyone's screaming for a break room, more space, shinier environment and more co-ordinated social events. All the groups raised it, with constructive ways how, but it's rather.... er... concerted. Oh, and people going 'if you're going to start implementing an intranet wiki, damn well tell us so we can actually contribute data', the other main issue being 'look, can we please bloody update the profiles in whos who so we can get some info on what people actually *do*?' (also, help with bikes like we get help with season tickets) Kind of impressive that it turns out pretty much everyone wants the same things.
In other news : CERN is throwing its weight behind open access. Some people sitting next to me didn't get why giant super colliders and miles upon miles of tunnel was awesome. These people need to be whapped severely.
no subject
Date: 2007-09-22 06:04 pm (UTC)*pats you*
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Date: 2007-09-23 11:00 am (UTC)I totally agree, if you need help with that I am able to assist. Do you think CERN people will let me play with the accelerators and super colliders if i ask really nicely???
no subject
Date: 2007-09-24 01:07 pm (UTC)