Giraffequette
Get it? Netiquette, Giraffequette? OK, fine, that’s not very funny, but I’ve always wanted to invent a new word. I’m talking about the social norms that should govern use of video conferencing robots. I started thinking about this because it seems there’s at least some concern out there that certain unnamed Dilbertesque bosses will start “patrolling the office” with the Giraffe. This thought makes some folks justifiably uncomfortable.
It makes me wonder if Alexander Graham Bell had people worried about how their bosses would abuse the telephone? Would the boss call them at all hours of the night?
Of course, history has shown that while this may occur on rare occasions, for the most part, bosses respect their employees privacy, because they know that keeping their employees happy is good for the company.
We think something similar will happen with the Giraffe. Any decent manager knows that invading an employee’s privacy is bad, whether they do it in person, or via some other means (telephone, Giraffe).
I think this speaks to an underlying principle: Anything you wouldn’t do in person, you shouldn’t do with a Giraffe. If you have a decent manager, this will be obvious to them. If your manager is terrible, he’s probably already patrolling the office without the Giraffe. If that’s your situation, I would recommend you quit your job and find a better manager. The Giraffe isn’t the issue.
There’s a flip-side to this, of course. Anything you wouldn’t do to a person, you shouldn’t do to a person who’s inhabiting a Giraffe. So while we realize it’s really tempting, please don’t cover the Giraffe’s camera with a towel, or stuff it in the broom closet.
By the way, the Giraffe is useful for much more than remote management. See our applications page for the details.