Give Thanks for Being a Web Worker
November 23rd, 2006 (9:43am) Anne Zelenka 11 Comments
We’re celebrating Thanksgiving today in the U.S., but even if you’re not, any day’s a good day to feel thankful. Cultivating an attitude of gratitude can make you happier. So join with me in thinking about how your life is made better by web work.
Don’t worry about how you look. On the web, no one knows when you’re having a bad hair day, have bags under your eyes from a late night out, or just decided not to shower. Unless they want to do a video conference. D’oh!
Wear your slippers to work. Does anyone actually work in their pajamas? I’ll do a bit of surfing in the morning in my bathrobe, but for my real work, I get dressed. My feet, though, stay in their cozy shearling-lined scuffs all day long. They look enough like real shoes that I could wear them to the nearest wi-fi cafe and sometimes I have, by accident.
Visit a new “place” every day. I don’t know the last time I went an entire 24 hours without hearing about a new web service or site I’d like to check out. The explosion of human creativity on the web keeps things fresh and exciting.
Get your mind opened, forcibly sometimes. It’s hard to spend much time on the web and not have your ideas or work exposed, sometimes painfully, to scrutiny. This can be a great chance to learn and grow, if you can work through the discomfort. Check out Pamela Slim’s Give yourself permission to suck or Kathy Sierra’s The Clueless Manifesto if the potential for criticism slows you down.
Work with whomever you want, no matter where they are. Despite the noise about San Francisco being the only place to be to get in on the latest web bubble, the truth is that there are smart and driven people all around the globe working on new things in the new ways the web enables. Of course there are still language and cultural barriers as well as real obstacles to making virtual teams effective, but it’s getting easier all the time to work productively and connect meaningfully across time zones and oceans.
Wishing you a day of gratefulness, wherever you are.
11 Comments Post your own comment
GigaOM » A Web Worker Thanks Giving says: November 23rd, 2006 12:03pm
[...] Anne Zelenka has penned a great essay on many things web workers can be thankful for this Thanksgiving. [...]
Pramit Singh says: November 23rd, 2006 10:52pm
It is a great thanksgiving article. You have captured the web worker’s spirit with a good, short piece. Keep up the good work.
dimaks says: November 24th, 2006 12:02am
I was asked yesterday by a friend If I was ready for the Thanks Giving Day celebration. I told him, no I’m afraid I am not and I do not intend to do any celebration for it. He asked me, why so. I said, everyday is a thanks giving day for me :) Nice article.. concise and brief, chill out!
borremap says: November 24th, 2006 4:33am
Nice positive article and although we do not have Thanksgiving here in Belgium (we do have the best beer in the world though ;-) I felt inspired just now reading it… Have a great holiday !
angesbiz says: November 24th, 2006 5:16am
Great article. I was just sitting reading in my bathrobe so I can relate to this… and yes, slippers are comfy whilst sitting working at my desk. An attitude of gratitude is a great way to be as it leaves you open to recieve even more. Happy Thanksgiving.
Camellia Thanksgiving « transatlantic volunteer says: November 24th, 2006 6:58am
[...] P.S. yes, I am giving thanks for being a web worker too because I have no transatlantic commute, loads of flexibility, entertaining web colleagues, and can listen to my choice of music all day without disturbing anyone! [...]
Anne Zelenka says: November 24th, 2006 7:19am
Thanks everyone, I’m glad you enjoyed it! I’m thankful for all the great commenters on WWD.
Yes, every day should be a thanks giving day.
Ab says: November 25th, 2006 2:17am
I think you forgot the most important point- avoiding traffic for 1-4 hours a day, not sitting in your car thinking your life is driving by.
Web Workers: Some Bathrobes, Some Not « Joe Flood says: November 26th, 2006 2:11pm
[...] In this charming post by Anne Zelenka, she gives thanks for being able to work in her bathrobe. Web workers don’t need to worry about dressing up or even leaving the home. But what about us web workers who have to bother with showering, putting on pants and trudging into the cube farms? It’s ironic that most in the web field have do their work in a fixed physical location, putting in “face time” with coworkers and trying (futilely) to appear interested during lengthy meetings. It’s so, well, 20th century, that most who build and maintain web sites have to report to an office every day. I’ll give thanks when the work practices of today catch up to the reality of web work. Until then, you’ll find me in my cube. [...]
Give Thanks for Being a Web Worker at Basement Tapes says: November 26th, 2006 4:49pm
[...] Web Worker Daily » Blog Archive Give Thanks for Being a Web Worker « [...]
Famous last words /1 « Luca’s Blog says: August 18th, 2007 4:52am
[...] — Web Worker Daily » Blog Archive Give Thanks for Being a Web Worker « [...]