Comments on: Obsolete Skills for Web Workers

By: Level20EastGuy

Level20EastGuy — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 23:41:13 +0000

@ joeloliveira

I work for a large company, within their interactive arm, and these guys are still terribly into and worried about climbing that corporate ladder. Every so often during my reviews I get asked: “so where do you want to be in 5 years?”

And I’m thinking, I’ve got no effing idea. Why can’t these guys just pay me well and give me interesting work? I mean, who the hell really knows what will happen tomorrow, let alone in 5 friggin’ years?

By: Eric

Eric — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 19:28:41 +0000

1. Using conference rooms on a daily basis
2. Shutting down the computer by clicking a button on the back of the hardware
3. Shutting down a computer (as opposed to a laptop) for that matter
4. Saying “good night!” in person
5. Saying “good morning!” in person
6. And most importantly, showing up to work at the same time everyday

By: Om

Om — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 05:16:55 +0000

This comes first to me, use of online Bookmarks and To-Do. Now I don't have to send mail of my bookmarks or to-do list to access from home or very far from home. The next is personal branding. Yes, now I can brand myself with blogs,flickr, youtube and jibberjabber. Wow!! and I can be silent technology evangelist with profound geekness.

By: margy

margy — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 19:26:49 +0000

this is a great post. “behaviors” i don’t do anymore: worry about the boss’s mood today. worry about my staffs’ collective mood today. worry about what to wear. worry about what the dog is doing while i’m at work. attend stupid staff meetings. fill out timesheets using 15-digit job numbers. buy giant sheet cakes at costco for somebody’s birthday. sign vacation requests. listen to people call in sick on mondays. in short, i don’t worry and i don’t do stuff i don’t want to anymore. yay!

By: Lisa

Lisa — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 18:00:09 +0000

This may sound stupid but one of the things I’ve noticed since becoming a web worker (and along the same vein as not wearing a tie) is that I hardly ever wear shoes anymore! I wear flip flops in warm weather and Uggs in cold weather. Now when I do put a “real” pair of shoes on, they feel foreign and confining. Shoes, for me, have become almost obsolete!

By: Jason(From the Green Valley)

Jason(From the Green Valley) — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 16:10:26 +0000

Fortran 77??
Using note pad to write/develop/debug web apps??( idont envy you that one)
And oh yes – What about win 95 hacking skills? Regards everyone.

The only thing constant is change (Anon)

By: Steve Paine

Steve Paine — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 15:49:44 +0000

I drove my car for the first time in weeks last night. It felt strange!

Other skills lost since I became 100% web-worker:
Pretending to work while surfing or blogging
Going to bed early
Changing passwords!

Steve.

By: Virginia

Virginia — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 12:03:15 +0000

My immediate thought when I saw the headline was laying out web pages in tables.

By: Shefaly

Shefaly — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 09:47:04 +0000

I think you mean which BEHAVIOURS are not regularly indulged in, rather than which SKILLS are obsolete.

That said, someone mentioned slide rules, and it made me think of log tables. Recently a graph presented on a log scale to an MBA class was received with a mix of eyebrows raised in curiority and disdain and it was evident that while log tables were now obsolete, there was also a generation in existence now who will never realise what a wonderful computational tool they could be!

By: Dana

Dana — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 09:43:15 +0000

Wow…. I still do every one of those things…. well, except for use a ten key, but then again, I’ve NEVER used a ten key! And Cathy, I’ve never put on panty hose either, but I’m certainly glad you’ve lost that skill (hopefully forever).

I do have some other skills that are happily obsolete (but not just for web workers….)

-Managing that first 640k of RAM
-Memorizing modem AT commands
-Knowing which connections to cut and solder to enable more video RAM…. (any Amiga fans out there?)

By: kllrchrd.wordpress

kllrchrd.wordpress — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 09:34:28 +0000

I LIKE old stuff, paper, pen, and find a SLIDE RULE invaluable. Theres nothing like it dealing with variables, costing, estimating. Good blog.

By: Web Developer

Web Developer — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 08:03:31 +0000

I used to dabble a lot in “perl” earlier and I guess you can add that to the list of “obsolete skills” !

By: Robert

Robert — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 05:41:48 +0000

Scoble is gonna anger some people with the slide ruler comment…those slide fanboys are hardcore.

I’m also unimpressed with the putting a needle on a vinyl record part. First off, I still listen to records because they sound better than MP3s. Second, DJ culture is still pretty big and they’d probably scratch the eyes out of anything who insisted it’s obsolete.

@nabitchd Wearing a tie may not be a skill, but tying one is. That said, I actually LIKE wearing one so I’m not gonna call it obsolete. Otherwise, you’re dead on!

By: Melanie

Melanie — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 04:57:50 +0000

I know I’m dealing with a Web 1.25 client when I’m asked to photocopy or fax something. What, you don’t accept invoices by e-mail?

I won’t say how familiar I was with using Correct-o tape, preparing masters for mimeographs, or creating Web pages using NetObjects Fusion. I might show my age.

By: cathy

cathy — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 03:49:34 +0000

Putting on pantyhose without getting a snag in them. (Actually, I never was very good at that.)

Waking up to an alarm clock.

Office politics.

By: joeloliveira

joeloliveira — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 03:44:57 +0000

Showering on a daily basis?

I’m kidding!

… mostly.

One thing I’ve definitely dropped in the pursuit (of happiness) of a successful web-worker career – climbing the corporate ladder. If I want a new title now, I’ll just give it to myself.