Am I a bad person?

gubble

My boss once sent me to a conference for 3 days in London.

Got there to discover I wasn't on the list as boss hadn't ordered my ticket. Called her and her response was, don't tell anyone, as long as you don't hit the company credit card too hard enjoy a few days sight seeing, go see a show that sort of thing.

Good couple of days that was

fields5069

earwighoney said:

RandallFlagg said:

I"m at a conference, the only person here from my work and the morning presentations were good but at lunchtime I grabbed some of the buffet lunch and went up to my room and had a beer from the mini bar and couldn't be arsed to go back down in the afternoon and stayed in my room watching telly.

I have made copious notes to show how excellent and beneficial the conference was for when I get back. I will go to the morning sessions tomorrow...I promise.

Am I a bad person? 

what are your guilty tales of bunking off?

I really don't understand how you can deal with that kind of guilt. 

If you are a Catholic, I would recommend go to your nearest church for confession as soon as you can.  

And if the priest fancies a fiddle, just remember - suffering is beautiful.

mikeyrob73

Did the exact same thing myself at a conference in Manchester 3 years ago, had a really heavy night the night before, turned up hungover, made some notes, watched a few presentations about Windows 7 , nipped back to the hotel and fell asleep for the afternoon. 

Myranda

I think it depends on the conference and your job...

Most are filled with new-speak pseudo language... that add up to "actual common sense approaches work better than running into things without a plan" so matter how much you miss you could make the rest up and be mostly right.

57Deluxe

@RandallFlagg ; - your employer will see the time you took the beer from the mini Bar on the hotel bill...!

RandallFlagg

57Deluxe said:

@RandallFlagg ; - your employer will see the time you took the beer from the mini Bar on the hotel bill...!

No they won't, will just show as minibar. No sweat.

DrJazzTap

Drew_TNBD said:

Wow, that is crazy! I feel for that kid, what the fuck has she achieved with her life? Does she know the enormous sense of achievement and joy he gets from making music?? I get it, she's annoyed he doesn't go outside.....but maybe he enjoys what he's doing?!
She will be genuinely upset when he severes contact with her in the future. That is just flat out bullying. Sorry rant over.

Nunogilberto

Not too long ago, I was waiting on a job in Coleford with a crew, for another crew to attend (utilities). As they were stuck on a job elsewhere, the first crew and I went to get some food and happened upon a nice pub. Being a Sunday, we had a nice roast lunch, watched two games of football and played plenty of pool. The other crew turned up at gone 5pm and took half an hour to do what was needed

Catthan

When I was working at Uni I only attended the absolutely relevant sessions of the conferences I went to. 
Typically, In a 3-day conference I only attended 1.5 days max and spend the rest sight-seeing.

Since I joined the industry I've been attending only half day's worth of sessions and spent the rest in an internet cafe or hotel room doing work that could but really shouldn't wait. As it happens, this work is never 9-5 stuff but always takes longer hrs.
This has become so typical that I've now more than made up for the time I lazied out of conf. sessions throughout my pro career in both Uni and industry. 
I'm really owed some "me" time during a conf. now.

I tell myself that this the way of the essentialist and I now don't bother much going or even publishing at conferences.
@RandallFlagg, you're not a bad person, you're an essentialist too,, Ha! 

The catch though when people from industry are encouraged to attend conferences is that they are not sent there so much to listen to preliminary research from phd students but to engage and network with potential clients. 
Even tho I still work  in R&D, I am now kinda expected to act as a salesman-business development guy than geek out with the "sparkies"..

You need to gauge whether the conference (or exhibition) is well attended. I say quality over quantity so if you can engage with the few big and valuable peers/ potential clients (if there are any) early on then the job is done and beers in the hotel room or elsewhere do not make you a bad person at all. Well, maybe not so true if there's critical work you could be doing.
Just make sure you read the proceedings and befriend some people in linkedin..

Recently I was sent to a forum discussion (WTF??), not even a conf, 6hrs roundtrip from home.
During lunch break I forced my card into the only important guy in the room hand and was home for 3pm..
Having said that, I had set off at 7am but OTOH I'm not paid to drive ..

Sambostar

Yes.  If I were employing y'all I'd sack y'all if I didn't shoot you first. Put your back, bones and spine on the line.

Jesus Christ is the salary and pension not enough you fuckwit bastards?

Tell you what, export y'all to Bulgaria and Poland and let the good guys take over.,

RandallFlagg

Sambostar said:

Yes.  If I were employing y'all I'd sack y'all if I didn't shoot you first. Put your back, bones and spine on the line.

Jesus Christ is the salary and pension not enough you fuckwit bastards?

Tell you what, export y'all to Bulgaria and Poland and let the good guys take over.,

But you dont employ me, chances are you never will. You couldn't run a tap

Axe_meister

Alas I'm at a trade show at the moment in Barcelona but am manning a stand so no bunking off for me

olafgarten

RandallFlagg said:

Handsome_Chris i said:

Nitefly said:

They'll know, when they see the beer from the mini-bar on the bill...

Especially if the bill is itemised with time stamps.

Well there will be a red wine and bag of crisps on there too then



That's what Photoshop  is for. 

Sambostar

RandallFlagg said:

Sambostar said:

Yes.  If I were employing y'all I'd sack y'all if I didn't shoot you first. Put your back, bones and spine on the line.

Jesus Christ is the salary and pension not enough you fuckwit bastards?

Tell you what, export y'all to Bulgaria and Poland and let the good guys take over.,

But you dont employ me, chances are you never will. You couldn't run a tap

Wiz duely awarded.

RandallFlagg

Sambostar said:

RandallFlagg said:

Sambostar said:

Yes.  If I were employing y'all I'd sack y'all if I didn't shoot you first. Put your back, bones and spine on the line.

Jesus Christ is the salary and pension not enough you fuckwit bastards?

Tell you what, export y'all to Bulgaria and Poland and let the good guys take over.,

But you dont employ me, chances are you never will. You couldn't run a tap

Wiz duely awarded.

Thanks, have a Wow