(and if you don’t know what a square go is, here’s the definition).
Well, this isn’t much fun, is it? I’m sure I’ll get back to finding out what’s going on and poking things with a sharp stick next week, but for now even normal Update activity is suspended.
In terms of what we’re up to, we’re lucky that we’re a small business that likes technology. So all 18 lang cats are holed up at home with videoconference, teleconference and webinar capabilities. Other than the trauma of seeing Mark Locke doing a videochat from his scratcher yesterday, it’s all going well. So it’s service as usual from us, whether you like it or not.
Interestingly, our first few days of home working and no business travel suggest that we get more done and are more effective than usual (no jokes please). We’ll see if that carries on, but I do wonder if this might be true.
HOMEGAME 2, NOT, BUT SORT OF
One unwelcome effect of all this unpleasantness is that we’ve postponed / cancelled (haven’t quite worked out which yet) our HomeGame 2 conference which was due to take place in Edinburgh on 28 May. Because everything is so uncertain, we’re just going to refund every ticket – if you bought one you’ll see that happen over the next couple of days. We’re gutted because it was going to be a great gig, but then we’re also gutted that Scotland didn’t get their chance to beat Wales last weekend, because that absolutely would have happened.
We can’t bring you HomeGame. But we can bring you HomeGames – we will be running a series of free webinars on all sorts of stuff over the weeks to come. They’ll be at 12.30pm each Wednesday and will last no more than half an hour. So that’s your lunchtime taken care of. You can register here, and we’ll decide on the first topic in the next day or so. Or if you’d like to suggest a topic drop me a note.
#BEKIND
Yeah, yeah, I know. The last push for this lasted about 20 minutes. But what’s going on will be affecting folk in many different ways – and responses will change as the weeks go on. There’s never been a better time to use the power that electronic communication and social media gives us to help and not to attack. A time to be patient and put yourself in others’ shoes. Unless you’re tweeting at Mike Barrett, in which case have at it.
We’re only wee, but our electronic doors are open – if you fancy an exchange of views then hit us up at mark@langcatfinancial.com and we’ll be all too happy to respond.
If any Platform Analyser users are using some spare time to get to grips with your platform due diligence or analysis, we’re also offering one-to-one free webinars to make sure you’re getting the most out of your system. We’ll write to you separately about that.
And a periodic reminder that the Samaritans number is 116 123. Maybe someone you know might need it.
CONSTRAINT BREEDS CREATIVITY
There’s a thing going round about how Shakespeare wrote King Lear while quarantined for plague. That’s almost certainly nonsense, but what is true is that the theatres were regularly closed while he was writing. He used that time to get new stuff ready for when they reopened, and some of those plays went on to do significant box office.
Maybe one of you will write a sonnet or a tragicomedy in the next few months. More power to you if so. But for the rest of us, if we do have some spare time we might just use it to think in as unconstrained a way as we can. We’ll be doing that at the lang cat for sure. I’ve got this idea that when things get better – and they will – that our sector can power out of the blocks stronger than it was before.
For now, keep Teamsing and Zooming and FaceTimeing and talking. No such thing as too much communication at the moment.
SOLITARY CONFINEMENT
Just one link this week, and it chose itself. Here’s Keep Talking by Pink Floyd.
Till next week, may your Netflix be uninterrupted and your biscuit supply inexhaustible. All the best from all of us to all of you and yours.
Mark and the cats
