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Post by ssaogc on Jul 15, 2020 17:12:38 GMT -5
Just heard that tomorrow our cameras will be “Activated” but that we will not need to use them. Question is will they be watching me in my workout gear holding hearings?
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Post by marathon on Jul 15, 2020 17:30:09 GMT -5
Just heard that tomorrow our cameras will be “Activated” but that we will not need to use them. Question is will they be watching me in my workout gear holding hearings? I wondered the same thing. And what, exactly, are staff doing by video, since the contacts allow the agency to direct them to use it? |
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Post by banks on Jul 15, 2020 18:43:39 GMT -5
The most valuable thing I learned during my short stint as an SSA writer was to put a post it on the camera. . .
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Post by jagvet on Jul 15, 2020 19:02:50 GMT -5
The most valuable thing I learned during my short stint as an SSA writer was to put a post it on the camera. . . Duct tape! |
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Post by banks on Jul 15, 2020 19:04:43 GMT -5
Better yet for these zoom meetings when I'm not sure if my camera is off and I don't want to be seen. Thanks!
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Post by ssaogc on Jul 15, 2020 19:15:04 GMT -5
I have a docking station at home my laptop is always closed
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Post by TigerLaw on Jul 15, 2020 21:41:38 GMT -5
Not an issue. I use my docking station and my laptop as one of two screens, with black electrical tape and post it over the camera and I will never take it off. We can talk about it at the MSPB in whatever future decade that there is a human being on the Board! Hurry up, I only have 6 years left before retirement!
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Post by nappyloxs on Jul 16, 2020 1:04:06 GMT -5
Not an issue. I use my docking station and my laptop as one of two screens, with black electrical tape and post it over the camera and I will never take it off. We can talk about it at the MSPB in whatever future decade that there is a human being on the Board! Hurry up, I only have 6 years left before retirement! Lol. I also use a piece of black electrical tape! |
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Post by happy on Jul 16, 2020 12:13:06 GMT -5
We are in a new world now. As a return to the office and in-person hearings is not in the foreseeable future, Skype video will allow "face-to-face" performance discussions with staff and quarterly discussions with judges. Perhaps TPTB are working on technology that will allow us to hold hearings by video from home, but I don't know how far off that might be. I know that the Supreme Court in one state has mandated that disciplinary hearings be held via Zoom and that the state seal is somehow projected in the background instead of the home environment. It's possible something like that is on the horizon for us. In any event, I, too, keep a Post-It over my camera, even on my personal computer, unless I need it for something. Better safe than sorry!
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Post by SPN Lifer on Jul 16, 2020 14:03:45 GMT -5
A Post-It note is far better than black electrical tape or duct tape "to protect the lense", as it does not leave sticky adhesive material on the frame.
Cleaning off that residue may actually damage the camera lense — not good if government property.
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Post by nylawyer on Jul 16, 2020 15:00:48 GMT -5
We are in a new world now. As a return to the office and in-person hearings is not in the foreseeable future, Skype video will allow "face-to-face" performance discussions with staff and quarterly discussions with judges. Perhaps TPTB are working on technology that will allow us to hold hearings by video from home, but I don't know how far off that might be. I know that the Supreme Court in one state has mandated that disciplinary hearings be held via Zoom and that the state seal is somehow projected in the background instead of the home environment. It's possible something like that is on the horizon for us. In any event, I, too, keep a Post-It over my camera, even on my personal computer, unless I need it for something. Better safe than sorry! Putting aside the security issues, I'd guess the majority of the claimants I see wouldn't be able to access a computer to do a video hearing. |
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Post by TigerLaw on Jul 16, 2020 19:32:13 GMT -5
A Post-It note is far better than black electrical tape or duct tape "to protect the lense", as it does not leave sticky adhesive material on the frame. Cleaning off that residue may actually damage the camera lense — not good if government property. Several points, the lens is recessed into the frame and the electrical tape never touches the lens! Two, in 2020 electrical tape on a flat surface comes off slicker than Goose poop. Additionally, in 2020, we have numerous products that remove any sticky film from almost any surfaces to include surfaces such as a camera lens that was never touched by the electrical tape in the first place. Finally, I would love to hear how "government property" was damage by sticky lens! On my third decade of both Military and Civil Service, I would enjoy that hearing!  |
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Post by WallyGator on Jul 16, 2020 20:15:10 GMT -5
We are in a new world now. As a return to the office and in-person hearings is not in the foreseeable future, Skype video will allow "face-to-face" performance discussions with staff and quarterly discussions with judges. Perhaps TPTB are working on technology that will allow us to hold hearings by video from home, but I don't know how far off that might be. I know that the Supreme Court in one state has mandated that disciplinary hearings be held via Zoom and that the state seal is somehow projected in the background instead of the home environment. It's possible something like that is on the horizon for us. In any event, I, too, keep a Post-It over my camera, even on my personal computer, unless I need it for something. Better safe than sorry! Putting aside the security issues, I'd guess the majority of the claimants I see wouldn't be able to access a computer to do a video hearing. For those who are represented it might be from the representative’s office similar to ROVE (representative owned video equipment?). I am surprised by how many claimants are currently appearing for telephone hearings from the representative’s office. |
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Post by luckylady2 on Jul 16, 2020 21:20:20 GMT -5
Little flower sticker. Decorative and effective.
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Post by happy on Jul 17, 2020 10:09:49 GMT -5
Putting aside the security issues, I'd guess the majority of the claimants I see wouldn't be able to access a computer to do a video hearing. For those who are represented it might be from the representative’s office similar to ROVE (representative owned video equipment?). I am surprised by how many claimants are currently appearing for telephone hearings from the representative’s office. The Agency is going to have to start thinking outside the box, I think. For those who don't have camera-phones or the data plans to do a video hearing, Claimant-only video rooms at field offices are already an option. However, capacity is very limited. What if we re-configured our lobbies to not be lobbies but 2 to 6 COV rooms, and just have a room monitor to clean each between hearings? Unrepped claimants will continue to be an issue, though, as someone needs to go over the file with them (still, we aren't doing that with the telephone hearings, so....) I know a lot of judges hate video, but what if we never go back to in-person hearings? Having a bunch of people waiting in the lobby is a problem (not for us, as much as for them). What if they check in with a cell number and the front desk calls them in when the judge is ready? Other ideas? Personally, if "they" can make it happen, I'd be ok holding hearings by video from home, running everything myself (without a staffer to act as VHR, which is where I experience most of my problems). |
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Post by rp on Jul 17, 2020 21:45:23 GMT -5
We are in a new world now. As a return to the office and in-person hearings is not in the foreseeable future, Skype video will allow "face-to-face" performance discussions with staff and quarterly discussions with judges. Perhaps TPTB are working on technology that will allow us to hold hearings by video from home, but I don't know how far off that might be. I know that the Supreme Court in one state has mandated that disciplinary hearings be held via Zoom and that the state seal is somehow projected in the background instead of the home environment. It's possible something like that is on the horizon for us. In any event, I, too, keep a Post-It over my camera, even on my personal computer, unless I need it for something. Better safe than sorry! Putting aside the security issues, I'd guess the majority of the claimants I see wouldn't be able to access a computer to do a video hearing. The BVA has technology that allows veterans to use their phones to do video hearings. It can be done without computers. |
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Post by cookie on Jul 18, 2020 22:27:05 GMT -5
I want to do everything reasonable to keep hearings going and help claimants get a hearing they are comfortable with during this pandemic. However, for a number of reasons, I am just not holding a video hearing from my home. I am going to avoid getting too worked up over this for now because I think there are a lot of hurdles.
As others have said, most of my claimants don’t have reliable computer access. I would guess more have a smartphone—but is a tiny screen enough to show the judge, the VE, the VHR, the rep, etc? That hardly seems like it would accomplish what people want from a video hearing.
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Post by pumpkin on Jul 19, 2020 16:11:20 GMT -5
Friends who are magistrate judges in the local District Court have been holding detention hearings, initial appearances, arraignments, etc. by Zoom for the last three months.
If it eases your mind at all, their judicial assistants were able to green screen the background so that it appears they are sitting at the bench in front of the district court seal with an American Flag to their right.
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Post by Pixie on Jul 19, 2020 19:30:07 GMT -5
Friends who are magistrate judges in the local District Court have been holding detention hearings, initial appearances, arraignments, etc. by Zoom for the last three months. If it eases your mind at all, their judicial assistants were able to green screen the background so that it appears they are sitting at the bench in front of the district court seal with an American Flag to their right. Cool, but SSA will never do that. Pixie |
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Post by jagvet on Jul 19, 2020 23:30:06 GMT -5
Friends who are magistrate judges in the local District Court have been holding detention hearings, initial appearances, arraignments, etc. by Zoom for the last three months. If it eases your mind at all, their judicial assistants were able to green screen the background so that it appears they are sitting at the bench in front of the district court seal with an American Flag to their right. If this happens, I'll have a powdered wig, gavel, and old, creepy mahogany bench in the green screen. Maybe instead Waikiki Beach--more soothing. |
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