I don't conform. There are changes taking place that will benefit me. How? The value that a company adds to my productivity is now less than I can realize without the constraints and generalizations necessary in a large organization. I believe that it is possible for me to raise capital for projects, as an individual I can purchase the computing and information delivery systems that only large companies could afford five years ago. In the right regulatory framework, where free and fair competition can take place, I can compete on my own. The business that I know - information handling, marketing, data communications - contains very few barriers for me to enter and compete. That realization is a powerful thing. Very liberating. What I do not have are the skills, credibility, confidence, and contacts to actually make it work.
Perhaps I won't move out on my own. Perhaps the corporate security blanket will entice me back.
English: The CERN datacenter with World Wide Web a...
A data visualization of Wikipedia as part of the W...
This NeXT Computer was used by Sir Tim Berners-Lee...But what security? The best security I can have come from the skills, knowledge, contacts, confidence and credibility I earn by myself. If I can provide useful services then people will pay. I can live a happy life. The level of independence of action I will choose. Independence means risk and, sometimes, reward. Perhaps a mobile career moving from project to project, form company to company or perhaps a focussed entrepreneurial start-up. We shall see. I believe in creating the opportunities then making the choice. I will die in the water if I run out of choices.
I have seen large changes. I started working with the Internet before Marc Andressen formed Netscape. I was one of the geeks that downloaded Mosaic and the software from CERN. I know Unix. I know VMS. But I moved away from the technology. I chose to...