Intrusive monitoring of citizens by repressive governments around the world? Probably. Amusing yourself at home? Not so much.

Working from home? Definitely.

It has its upside. You get to know your colleagues differently.

Throughout office land, morning meetings are taking place through Zoom, Google Hangouts and Skype. We see each other in all our morning glory.

There is a closeness, a kind of unity in the bunker. As the sea gets choppier, we feel like we're in the same boat.

The coming thing, apparently, is "Zoom cocktail hour", where people who once only grunted across a desk now meet remotely - in vision - and toast each other.

It's not quite my cup of tea - though I know people who are circulating recipes for exotic drinks. Come the end of the week, they will toast each other in vision.

It'll be like an office party but without the bad behaviour you regret next morning.

A friend tells me that one of the downsides of working from home is that your colleagues assume you're always in - because you always are. The excuses for unavailability are limited.

The upside of video meetings is that they should be shorter and more to the point. They are easier to control - interruption is harder, microphones can be shut down. In out-of-control, big group, face-to-face meetings, everybody chips in.

If you are suddenly involved in video conferencing, there are things you need to know.

Firstly, you are always in vision. Always.

Never assume the camera is off. The web is already full of embarrassed people who did private things because they thought they had cut the camera.

In a face-to-face meeting, eyes are on the speaker. You can more easily get away with a yawn or an unseemly personal habit, because you detect when others are watching you.

On the other hand, olfactory transmission technology is yet to be invented.

People can study each other unobtrusively - ooh, look at that poster behind her. Does she really like the Bee Gees?

In a video conference, you need to be well-groomed. The camera in close-up is brutal.

And a tip from television: have the camera above you. It hides the chins. So, raise your laptop on books.

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You need to be lit. It doesn't have to be the arc lights of Hollywood but a lamp in front of you and a curtain closed behind means your remote presence is less glaring for your colleagues.

We are not yet at the stage of created backdrops, but you might want to think about what you have behind you.

Maybe a poster from an art exhibition. Not too fancy, though, or your colleagues will think you're a bit full of yourself. "Ooh, look at her. She's been to the Chicago Art Institute. How did she afford that?"

The same with books. No books in a foreign language, please. Or Dan Brown. Something a bit upmarket but not poncy would do.

And men need to shave unless they're "creatives" (advertising copywriters and the like) for whom two day stubble is an asset.

Beards don't apply, so rough bush types and hipsters can keep enough unsightly facial growth to hide a mouse.

For employers, the immediate advantages are obvious - all that saving in rent and the certain knowledge of where the employee is.

For the employee, Zoom cocktail hour beckons.