Ardismg

In the pre-Industrial Revolution days, work was farmed out to people’s homes, where they had looms, spinning wheels, and cobbler benches that were used to turn out the products. It was the Industrial Age that centralized the workplace. Now, in the Information Age, we are shifting back again the other way; only this time, instead of looms, spinning wheels, and cobbler benches, we have computers, modems, faxes, and printers.
It doesn’t matter if you’re farming out programming, spreadsheet analysis, copyrighting, or graphics, it’s all information that is more easily transported than actually moving you, your vendors, or your employees. If a vendor is working out of a home or small office, he or she often incurs all the costs of hardware, software, Internet connection, phone, electricity, and so on. While this flat-out Darwinian marketplace can be brutal on small firms and independents, many prefer it because their income is diversified across a number of clients and subsequent  revenue streams. I remember I was once let go from an advertising agency because some “bean counter” in London said the New York office had to Cut back 40 people. One of the most stressful aspects of employment is not having control over your circumstances.
Dianna Husum, one of my editors for Web Digest For Marketers, lives in San Diego. We have worked together for years, and it was only recently that we actually met in person. It was a funny encounter, having worked so closely together with someone, only to meet for the first time. We are not the only ones experiencing this “work-together-and-meet-later” phenomenon. It’s happening everywhere. Keep an eye out for pontifical articles discussing how this phenomenon will alter social patterns in our society. The irony is that Nancy C. Hanger, my developmental editor, with whom I worked closely on this very book, lives and works in New Hampshire. No, we’ve never met. How did we connect? Through a mutual colleague, Daniel P. Dern. How do I know Daniel? Through the Internet.