In the wake of Coronavirus, a pandemic ravaging global cities, more companies are asking employees to work from home to reduce human contact which is key for the virus’ spread. The WordPress Community Team has also strongly recommended that physical events be postponed, and instead online events be adapted.

And it’s realistic to assume that shifting to the ‘home office’ will become the new normal for many of us for a while. Many of us will be working from home for the first time, which means figuring out how to stay on task in a new environment that may not lend itself to productivity. But there are ways to deliver results and avoid going stir-crazy, from setting up a good workspace to the way you talk to your team and clients.

Charlotte has been working from home since 2009 when she arrived in Uganda and she recently shared some tips through her blog: https://www.muzungubloguganda.com/travel-tips/travel-health/corona-virus-survival-tips-how-to-work-from-home/ (which she manages using WordPress). She will be sharing more with our community during this webinar.

Also, during this period, many people are spending a lot of time online than before. During this period, we have noticed a high volume of spam and fake news posted in our community forums, especially WhatsApp chat groups. Many members are living in fear and boredom and keep forwarding chain spam posts ignorantly.
Cyber Security issues such as Spam, online scams and frauds, identity theft and issues related to online purchases are a serious issue in the online world. Navigating the Web while avoiding these threats can be a challenging task.

Rogers is the national coordinator of the ICT Teachers Association of Uganda (ictteachersug.net) and he coordinates several WhatsApp groups with thousands of members. He is going to be creating more awareness about cyber security and also give tips on how to handle the spam problem without necessarily removing the much desired community members from the chat groups and forums.

We shall be using Zoom Video Conferencing software for this meetup. Members are encouraged to install the zoom application on their laptops and phones before the start of the meeting.

You can install the application through this link https://us04web.zoom.us/j/756404349 before joining the Meeting, ID: 756 404 349.

Members are also encouraged to watch the how-to videos on usage and features of the zoom listed on this page: https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/206618765-Zoom-Video-Tutorials so that they are comfortable using the technology.

Here are some more informative articles to read ahead of the meeting:

WordPress Meetups Postponed over #COVID-19 #CoronaVirus [WordPress Community Uganda] – Post https://www.wcuganda.org/wordpress-meetup-postponed-over-covid-19-coronavirus/

Coronavirus: How to work from home, the right way [BBC]- https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20200312-coronavirus-covid-19-update-work-from-home-in-a-pandemic

Tips to get you working from home [Daily Monitor] – https://www.monitor.co.ug/Business/Prosper/Tips-get-you-working-from-home/688616-5502032-fmdglmz/index.html

Cyber Security: Spam, Scams, Frauds and Identity Theft [MediaSmarts] – https://mediasmarts.ca/digital-media-literacy/digital-issues/cyber-security/cyber-security-spam-scams-frauds-identity-theft

5 dangerous WhatsApp scams you need to know about [Mirror UK] – https://www.mirror.co.uk/money/dangerous-whatsapp-scams-watch-out-7293509

Staying safe on WhatsApp – [ WhatsApp FAQ] https://faq.whatsapp.com/en/android/21197244

Host a Zoom Meeting or Webinar Quick Start Guide [The Pennsylvania State University ] – https://itld.psu.edu/training/host-zoom-meeting-or-webinar-quick-start-guide

Meeting and Webinar Comparison [Zoom] – https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/115005474943-Meeting-and-Webinar-Comparison

See you online!