Hello all mobilewarriors! Aha. In less than a week we’ll be celebrating Earth Hour that will be held on the last Saturday of March annually. This Saturday, see all local house turning off their lights for an hour for a change. And since it falls on Saturday, which is non-working day, it is not that beneficial for us, who are working so I was thinking if I could pull an Officekami day, a day where most of mobilewarriors going out, co-working at mobileoffices to save their Office electric.

Now what are the benefit of Officekami day ?

• Save your electricity
• Meet other Mobilewarriors from other profession
• To celebrate Earth Hour, a day before.

Last year during BarcampKL, I’ve stated this in my Mobileoffice presentation

Consider this

You and your department, 10 people, decided to go mobile on every Friday, or working at home

By deciding that, you’ll turn off all the electrical appliances in the office,

Wasn’t that earth day? kinda

What do you think? Read more please.

From my point of view, by using ‘shared resources’ in mobile office, might contribute some effect to the electricity. Imagine that during day, office complex are one of those places with higher priorities in supplying electric. But shopping malls and cafes, operates day and night. So it might be beneficial if a whole bunch of us going to work at these cafes.

If you think I’m correct, and wanna support Earth Hour, the Officekami way, then this Friday, 26th March, come to your nearest cafes and make them your mobileoffices. Invite your colleagues, or even another mobilewarriors. Co-working with some of your friends from different background. Together, we can cut electricity being spend at these electricity-hungry areas. And another one thing, please use public transport, if that’s an easy task for you

Act Now Mobilewarriors!

This friday, since you’re going to mobileoffice to celebrate Earth Hour, below are the list of mobileoffices that is near with rail system.

1. San Francisco UOA Bangsar (Bangsar / Putra LRT Kelana Jaya Line )
2. San Francisco Sunway Tower / Wisma Denmark ( Bukit Nanas Monorail / Dang Wangi Putra LRT Kelana Jaya Line)
3. Old Town White Coffee CIMB/ Jalan Esfahan ( Bandaraya / LRT Ampang Line )
4. Starbucks Jusco Maluri ( Maluri / LRT Ampang Line )
5. And most of stations (KLCC, PWTC, Medan Tuanku Monorail  and all ) are near with any cafes.

And if you’re mobileoffice-ing that day, do tag/twit us at @officekami and use hashtag: #OKEH. OKEH stands for Officekami Earth Hour

Looking forward for your participation towards officekami day and also, Earth Hour. Celebrating Earth Hour, the officekami way. This might be the small step before huge or worldwide telecommuting/mobileoffice-ing event (lol I’m must be dreaming). This friday, I’ll be co-working with some fellas from different background. So hope you’ll be doing the same too.

P/S: I’m not sure I’m totally true on this, but I’m standing on my basis still correct me if I’m wrong. An article worth reading – Is Telecommuting Really Greener.

Just checked San Francisco Coffee website, they give 25% discounts for orders made while Earth Hour on the run. Wow!! details here.

Last three days I’ve met Pat Teoh & Yati Amzah from Paper and Toast. They wanted to know more about Officekami and invited me for a tea. While discussing and bombing their minds with what Officekami/Mobileoffice is, Yati told me

“wow you even have a sort of code of conduct”

And the day before I’ve met them, I’ve twitted about that we/mobilewarriors should be assistive. In my mind, I have already planned some of the rules so i thought, it is the right time to spill it over, at least before I forget.

Behold, this is The MobileWarriors Code

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One has to go out of their permanent office.

The most basic rule. If you do not go out from your office and if you do not doing your work at mobileoffices you are not mobile warriors. But when you step inside any of places that are not office doing your job, then you’ve become one Mobile warriors. So step out from your office (even it is home office), and become one of us, Mobilewarriors.

One has to be assistive and courtesy.

During your adventure as Mobilewarriors, one may met someone else who in dire need. If you’ve at your mobile office and you saw another seems-to-be mobilewarriors looking for plug, point them the plug that you knew. If you have plug extensions, then share it with them. If they’re looking at the plug and you’re battery already charged, give them the plug so they could charge too. If you’re mobile-office-ing at a fast food joint, make sure to occupy a single or two seater table. If you didn’t have a choice but to occupy 4 seater table, then make sure there still other seat for other customers to have their meals on. If the area become jampacked during lunch hour, leave the places and give area to others who really need it.

One has to spend at mobileoffices.

When you’re working at those mobileoffices, buy some food and drinks to support their business. You’re using their resources so it is unethical to just using their WiFi or electricity without paying a penny. Buy even just a cup of coffee to support them.

One has to be careful with their surroundings.

A mobilewarriors should be alert and aware with their surroundings. Never ever leave the laptop unattended. Our laptop is our most precious weapon in our line of job so how can you fight without your spear a.k.a laptop? Bring Kensington Lock or do your work with your friend in that case. Or ask friendly staff to guard over your laptop in case you’ve need to be away.

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That is, 4 code of conduct to become one of us, Mobile Warriors. Hope you can use it as a guideline before calling yourself a Mobile warriors

Assalamualaikum and Peace Be Upon You dear Mobile Warriors, and readers. Here I am, another Friday sermon LOL for you guys. I’ll be giving this kinda sermon every 2-weeks friday so keep on coming. And please, if you have something to ask and need me to wrote it, contact me then

Now back to the topic, how to become a responsible Mobile Warriors?

Don’t become a bandwidth stealers

I hope the letters aren’t too small to read. It is in Bahasa Malaysia. This notice was pasted at the library cafe urging the Internet users/mobile warriors, to NOT USING ANY P2P application. They already installed a fast line and it was available for free. Therefore, since it is free, please don’t use it like you owns it. Those P2P application will make the network more congested and making the internet speed slower. And you’ll affect other mobile warriors too.

Be considerate for other people who need the plugs

Be considerate if you need the plugs. Charge for certain periods only to the level that you need. Be aware of other people who look for plugs too. Offer them the plug if you’ve already recharge a bit. If your laptop happens to always require power, then bring extension so that you can share with others. While some of the cafes do provide extension, better bring one yourself. And if you were to plug on to the extension that others bring, told them. This is not really about asking permission but to avoid if it’s your unlucky day and the electric tripped at the event you plugged in, they will not scold you for suddenly plugged on to their extension.

And if you were happen to bring extension and want to take out their plugs to plug your extension, told them about your intention. This is to avoid that they actually run directly from power and when you turn off their plug to plug your extension, they lose all their progress and you’ll be fighting each other, with laptop as your shield and umbrellas as your spike and your water tumbler as grenades :p

Spend some penny for WiFi access

It is advisable and courteous to purchase some of the food and coffee from the mobileoffice you’re in. Don’t just come there, plug your laptop, and go online, unless it is a public area such as food court, mosque, shopping mall and such. You’ll be using their utility such as WiFi and electric and just pay a small amount to them, to show thanks to them and to avoid a bad glance from them. Well I do admit even we spend small, they still give a bad glance, for spending less. I guess it can’t be helped. But maybe, it’s related to the reasoning below.

Don’t use excessive space

Say you were alone, and there’s a plug, at 6-person table.  By whatever means, please ask the waiter for any other location of the plug. Don’t occupy a 6 seater by you alone. Of course you’ll get a bad glance. If there’s none any other alternatives, then ask them if you can occupy the big space. Because their cafes was design to be eateries. And if you do occupy the big space and tables, make sure you didn’t have it during Lunch time. I think Old Town Jalan Yap Kwan Seng removed their free WiFi because people hogging during lunch time and I’ve become a bad ass myself, because using that 4 people space, with my friend. We did spend a lot there by having lunch too but I guess that cafe was too small to even have us, that the next week we coming in, there’s already no WiFi there.

We’ll they have their rights too indeed. If you pull their tables or chair to suit your comfort or teams, be nice to arrange it the way it used to be. Let’s be nicer okay. If you make their shop like your home, then have some courtesy.

and lastly

Be aware of your belongings

Well you need to be aware of your surroundings and belongings too. Should you need to go to toilet, then make sure it is safeguarded. Don’t just assume that the servers and baristas will guard it for you by default. Please told them your intention. Of course you are their customer so you think you right but I don’t think Parking Operators will be responsible for any fault happen. Same applies for cafes. While it maybe enough security measure have been taken, just tell them your intention and they’ll be pleased to do so. Read more about how to securing your belongings on another Officekami articles here.

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Become a responsible Mobile Warriors, you should! and that concludes my sermon for today. Have a great weekends yah!

Assalamualaikum dan Salam Sejahtera. Anda bersama ruang tazkirah Officekami (cewah) Tazkirah == short sermon in arabic.

Hari ini saya berminat untuk membincangkan mengenai Etika Pekerjaan. Ha bagi Muslim yang wajib berpuasa sewaktu membaca artikel ini ( kerana ditulis pada bulan Ramadhan ), jangan kerana bulan puasa kita tidak produktif semasa bekerja. Rasulullah S.A.W siap pergi perang masa bulan puasa dahulu ditengah-tengah gurun, bukan Gurun kat Kedah. Pekerjaan kita adalah suatu ibadah dan jika kena caranya, kita mendapat pahala disisi Allah S.W.T.

Kerja itu Ibadah

Islam telah menetapkan satu prinsip yang jelas berkaitan sesuatu kerja yang boleh dikategorikan sebagai ibadat. Imam Ghazali dalam kitabnya Ihya’ Ulumuddin menjelaskan bahawa setiap pekerjaan itu hendaklah menepati ciri-ciri berikut iaitu:

1. Niat dan tujuan kerja itu mestilah untuk menjunjung perintah Allah.
2. Kerja yang dilakukan tersebut tidak bercanggah dengan syariat Allah S.W.T.
3. Kerja yang dilakukan adalah dengan bersungguh-sungguh dan tidak memudaratkan.
4. Kerja tersebut tidak menghalang daripada menunaikan syariat Allah S.W.T. seperti solat, puasa dan sebagainya.

Jadi tak kisah la kita kerja apa pun selagi mana tidak bercanggah dengan syariat Allah insya-Allah kita akan dapat pahala kerana ianya satu ibadah.

Tetapi, isu yang paling ingin diutarakan disini adalah soal percanggahan dengan syariat islam.

Etika Kerja yang bercanggah dalam Islam

Suka untuk saya sentuh perkara ini kerana dahulu sebelum saya ngan rakan saya kerja dengan satu syarikat ni, dia meminta kami untuk buat website yang berkaitan rokok dan arak. Kami bersama mempunyai delima designer. ” konfem dpt kerja dengan syarikat ni. tapi kalau tak nak buat kerja berkaitan rokok dan arak dengan syarikat ini, takut takde syarikat yang lain nak ambil kitorang?”

Nasib baik pada masa tersebut, rakan sekelas, Candiece, mencadangkan kitorang supaya menerima tawaran kerja itu tetapi meletakkan syarat-syarat supaya syarikat tersebut faham dengan kehendak kami. antara syarat yang kami letakkan.

Kami tidak akan melakukan sebarang projek/kerja yang berkaitan dengan perjudian, rokok, pornografi, arak dan apa jua yang dilarang dan memudaratkan dalam agama kami, agama Islam. (dalam kes kami seperti laman web, iklan multimedia, Flash Games dll)

Alhamdulillah, mula mula ingatkan dia tak ambik kitorang sebab syarat kami. Tetapi beliau ambil juga kami bekerja dan dengan syarat ni, beliau menjadi lebih prihatin dengan kehendak kami sebagai seorang muslim. Ada juga disediakan tempat untuk bersolat malah berbuka bersama kami.

Pendedahan kepada Non-Muslim

Saya yakin kita, terutamanya di Malaysia, rata-rata yang mempunyai Bos non-muslim boleh memahami mengenai etika pekerjaan kita, SEKIRANYA kita memberitahu mereka mengenai delima kita. Kita sebagai pekerja patut memberitahu mereka tentang had-had kerja yang kita boleh lakukan. Saya yakin seandainya ramai pekerja Muslim yang memberitahu mengenai had-etika kerja mereka kepada Bos/ketua yang bukan muslim, mereka boleh menerimanya. Justeru tiada delima dalaman yang dihadapi pekerja sekiranya seawal-awal temuduga mereka ( pekerja muslim ) sudah menerangkan had-etika kerja kepada non-muslim

Tapi, nanti saya tidak akan ada kerja kalau syarikat itu tidak ambil kerana syarat etika kerja yang saya tetapkan

Kita tidak seharusnya bimbang dengan soal itu kerana sebenarnya banyak alternatif syarikat lain malahan, syarikat lain mungkin membenarkan dan menerima syarat etika-kerja anda tetapkan. Jadi persoalan ini tidak seharusnya timbul sebaliknya perlu dinyatakan secara terus-terang supaya mereka (non-muslim) memahaminya. Sekali lagi saya yakin dengan toleransi yang diberikan oleh non-muslim di Malaysia tetapi andainya anda dibuang kerja atau tidak dapat menjawat jawatan tersebut, jadikan ianya sebagai satu hikmah. Berkemungkinan anda tidak menjawat jawatan tersebut kerana memang syarikat tersebut banyak terlibat dengan perkara yang bercanggah jadi sepatutnya anda bersyukur kerana dijauhkan dari itu.

Saya sudah bekerja dan terlibat dengan perkara2 tersebut, apa patut saya buat?

Terdahulu, jangan kita mulakan dakwah dengan kekerasan, tetapi perlu dengan lemah-lembut dan berhikmah. Jangan terus hantar surat letak jawatan. Anda boleh mulakannya dengan membuat surat yang menyatakan had etika-kerja anda. Seandainya kerja sudah dilakukan, mintalah kerja itu dilakukan oleh rakan non-muslim anda. Disini saya bukanlah mahu meletakkan hukum-hakam tapi sebaliknya penyelesaian secara berhikmah. Seandainya anda masih mencari kerja, nyatakan etika kerja anda didalam resume anda. Jangan lupa tawakkal

Antara Etika-Kerja lain yang diamalkan

1. Yang tidak bercanggah dengan Islam
2. Yang mempromosi Seks
3. Yang mengeksploitasi kanak-kanak
4. Yang mencederakan binatang
5. Dan banyak lagi, bergantung pada prinsip anda

Saya yakin, kita sebagai muslim tidak akan menghadapi dilema sekiranya kita telah tetapkan pendirian kita

Assalamualaikum dan Salam Sejahtera buat para designer, webdesigner, programmer, dan pekerja sekalian. Sebelum saya memulakan topik ini, lihat sahaja gambar dibawah hasil karya N.C Winters di FreelanceSwitch.

Ada rasa nak gelak ? Ha jangan lupa sambung baca

Secara ringkasnya, komik diatas menerangkan mengenai seorang tokey besar yang main golf mengadukan permasalahan yang beliau hadapi kepada rakan-rakannya. Beliau tidak percaya dengan harga yang dipinta oleh freelancer tersebut malah merasakan freelancer tersebut cuba menipu beliau dengan kadar harga, terma dan syarat serta gerakcara kerja freelancer tersebut. Beliau mengugut dengan mengatakan akan mencari freelancer lain dan menyangkakan freelancer tersebut tidak tidur lena kerana tidak mendapat kerja tersebut.

Apa yang berlaku adalah sebaliknya, freelancer tersebut tidur dengan lena. Kenapa? Apakejadahnya beliau boleh tidur lena?

Gerak Kerja Freelancer

Kita kaji dahulu bagaimana gerak kerja seorang freelancer. Freelancer biasanya bekerja berseorangan atau mempunyai teman sepasukan dalam bilangan yang kecil. Ada juga freelancer yang mempunyai kerja lain sepenuh masa. Justeru, masing-masing terdapat gerak kerja tersendiri. Bagi saya, gerak kerja saya dan teman sepasukan saya untuk secara amnya adalah begini ( dengan mengambil contoh pembangunan APLIKASI laman web + custom CMS )

1. Jumpa client dan berbincang dengan kehendak beliau mengenai sesebuah projek.
2. Selepas 2-3 hari baru menyatakan sebut harga/quotation mengenai projek yang dikemukakan ( hari bergantung pada saiz projek adakalanya sampai seminggu kerana besar projeknya )
3. Dapatkan pengesahan projek dan juga 30% deposit yang tidak akan dipulangkan bagi memulakan projek
4. Selepas seminggu dari langkah ke3, akan tunjukkan contoh design <- penukaran/komplen pertama dari client
5. Selepas seminggu dari langkah ke4, akan tunjukkan design revision 1 <- penukaran/komplen kedua dan terakhir dari client ( sekiranya terdapat pertambahan penukaran, caj tambahan dikenakan )
6. selepas seminggu dari langkah ke5, design terakhir + minta bayaran 40% untuk memulakan programming
7. bermula programming ( tengokla berapa besar = berapa minggu diperlukan )
8. sebelum final submission, bayaran 30% final diperlukan.

Dalam situasi saya diatas, lebih kurang 4 minggu sahaja diperuntukkan untuk rekaan. Berdasarkan pengalaman saya, memang tahap rekaan lebih susah berbanding programming kerana rekaan/design adalah sesuatu yang subjektif. Ia seperti makanan, semua orang mempunyai pendapat berbeza. Lagipun bukan satu sahaja projek yang berjalan pada satu masa, dengan planning sebegitu rupa saya dapat menjalankan 2-3 kerja serentak dan lebih efektif.

Tapi selalu sahaja anda terima komen “apsal lama sangat nak design website?, mahal pulak tu!!”

Hargai Kerja (dan diri) Anda

Okey ada lagi satu karya N.C Winters dari koleksi Freelance Freedom di Freelance Switch yang berkaitan dengan tajuk ini. lihat!

Secara ringkas, sekiranya anda freelancer sepenuh masa, tiada siapa akan membayar insurans, faedah, cuti sakit, duit pencen anda, kecuali anda sendiri. Jadi segala kos yang anda kenakan kepada client anda perlulah mengambil kira perkara tersebut. Dan dalam mengambil kira perkara tersebut, adakalanya harga anda menjadi tinggi dan juga gerak kerja anda menjadi berlainan sehingga tidak bersesuaian dan telah disalahertikan oleh client yang sedang bermain golf seperti diatas.

Malahan, ianya adalah bagaikan insult atau hinaan dari client yang sedang bermain golf tersebut dengan menyatakan “we’ll see how well he sleeps tonight“.

Sudah tentu freelancer tersebut tidak mengalami sebarang masalah, kerana mengekalkan disiplin kerja beliau dan tegas dalam mengecaj/mengemukakan kadar harga servis beliau. Bukan freelancer tersebut takde kerja lain, kecuali kalau keadaan tidak mengizinkan, mungkin freelancer tersebut dah ambik projek tersebut. Biasa akan kedengaran ayat “win-win situation lah” tetapi jangan anda, freelancers, tidak win pula.

Jadi buat freelancer dan solopreneur , jangan takut cajkan client anda

P/S: (solopreneur – pemilik bisnes kecil – di-istilahkan oleh David Wang/BlogJunkie)

P P/S: Selamat berpuasa pada yang Muslim. Dibulan ini mungkin lebih banyak artikel akan dikarang untuk menggantikan Officekami Locations.. Sebab Puasa laa hahaha

If you have little time to know about mobile office, and don’t want to kill your office time now, then watch my not-so-lightning talks for about ten minutes during BarCamp KL  April 2009

Else if you lose your motivation and want to read, then here’s my slideshow during the same event.

I think both of the things above explain it all about Mobile Office / Office Kami