What is "work'?
I guess we must define “work”. If “work” means typing on a keyboard all day long with occasional conversations or emails, then one can work anywhere. Back when I was coding, I dreamed about sitting on a beach with my laptop while writing brilliant programs as a freelancer. If “work” means doing stuff with your hands and tools (as well as computers) then you have to be there. I ran a product development lab where we prototyped and tested product ideas (lots of in house automated testing with code developed by myself-great fun). Access to the equipment and collaboration with colleagues was essential.
Then, there was the submission phase to UL, CSA, VDE, etc. for testing and approval of our proposed product. One can only imagine the head butting that would occur when they’d say “you can’t do that” as we tested the limits of their standards (safely, in our opinion). It became obvious to me early on that it was far better to meet with them in person than phone/ video/email communications methods in terms of hammering out a resolution. This was borne out one day during a meting we had at the UL office. “We sure get a lot more done in person” one of their engineers said.
Of course, this was back in the day before all the greedy bastards shipped manufacturing off to China. So, perhaps its best to forget what I just wrote. The world has changed and I’m an anachronism whose time has passed. Thank God I’m not looking for a job.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
