You Might be a Web Worker if…
There are many kinds of web workers: neo-Bedouins, telecommuters, freelancers, startup entrepreneurs, and yes, even corporate employees working in a cubicle or an office. We don’t define web workers by their employment status or their place of work, but rather by how they use the Web in new ways to produce, to connect, and to succeed better than they could without the Web.
How do you know if you’re a web worker? Here are some signs that you might be.
1. You care more about Firefox vs. IE vs. Safari vs. Opera than Mac vs. Windows vs. Linux.
2. You always Google people before an initial meeting, phone call, or email. And you assume that people meeting with you already know your background, expertise, and the name of your cat.
3. You could bump into a colleague at the grocery store and not recognize her, because you’ve never met her face to face.
4. You have a standard user ID that you try to get with every new web app and website that’s launched, even if you don’t think you’ll ever use that service. People you work with online recognize you by that handle.
5. You not only know what RSS is, you have a personal RSS feed of all your online doings. Bonus points: you use it for workstreaming. (Want to do it? Try SuprGlu or Jaiku.)
6. You have multiple email addresses and know how to consolidate or compartmentalize them with POP3, IMAP, and various desktop, web, and mobile mail clients. You know that Outlook and Gmail represent different paradigms and know which one suits your digital organizational style.
7. Your business cards list a website address and at least three IM user IDs. Bonus points: you ordered Flickr cards from Moo.
8. You are searching for the one true IM client that will allow you to interact with all your IM buddies in one place, no matter what network they’re on.
9. You’ve gotten a job without a resume or an interview and without even meeting your future boss face to face, on the strength of your online reputation.
10. You’ve quit a job by email. Bonus points: you’ve quit a job by text message a la Britney’s dumping of Kevin.
11. If you leave your job today, you could announce your availability online and have new opportunities tomorrow.
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Ha. This is a good list! Although i don’t really consider myself to be a web worker, I do see many traits that I have in the above list. I’m certainly heading this way.
The list is very extensive, rather its a good yardstick to measure one’s web workness,
well, I am a web worker and a corporate employee sitting in a cubicle, because of the 11 points mentioned here, 7 fit in very well for me, but I always keep my self backward compatible as well, that means I am also very comfortable without being webby.
Pamela.
How about “You find yourself attempting to use IM abbreviations in everyday speech as in, ‘IMHO, he’s a PITA, KWIM? BTW, what you said to him made me ROTFL. CYA.’ but are annoyed when non-web workers can’t understand what you’re saying”
How about “You can speak web-lingo that even your MySpace-addicted teenager cannot understand”
:)
Great article
Ryan
:) Totally a web worker! Didnt completed the whole list (didnt liked this part with losing my job) but agree on most of the points :)
Perhaps I’ll change that to “quit your job”… might be more optimistic sounding!
This list is SO spot-on! I particularly loved #2. Not only will they know the name of your cat, they will probably have subscribed to the RSS feed of your cat’s blog.
Good one, Anne. I got one for on-staff types like me. Happened just this morning: no internet and work and I got not one shirty look. They all think “Of course she has to go home to work.”
Funny, I’ve read dozens of these “You might be…” lists in my life, but I’ve never found one as accurate as this one!
If anything, I guess it’s better than match up with “You might be a redneck” (no offense intended!)
this is so true to the life of me, its scary!
Google may name, I’m famous!
Very helpful, the web has helped my life change for the better by allowing me to influence other lives (Positvely) as I have been influenced by the lives of others.
Please publish my mailing address, URL and website. I’m all in!!
Philmore Russell
P.O. Box 61172, Durham NC, 27715
cyborlog@yahoo.com
http://thenewg.wordpress.com
I am a web worker. 100% and proud of it.
I fit almost all of those! The only one I don´t do is carry business cards! I work entirely out of my home and seldom meet outside people since I live in Guatemala and network in English!
That´s almost me haha but I don´t have any businesscards, yet.
this is very very interesting
Ow man, I’m a ral webworker … they are all right.
Dang, I scored only 5 out of 11! I’d better pick up my game a notch. :-)
Hello, Nice blog posting about Web Worker Daily. I would have to agree with you on this one. I am going to look more into home business online opportunity. This Friday I have time.