You Might be a Web Worker if…
April 16th, 2007 (5:44am) Anne Zelenka 27 Comments
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.
27 Comments Post your own comment
majic says: April 16th, 2007 6:11am
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.
Web Worker says: April 16th, 2007 6:55am
[...] Bist Du einer? [...]
pamela says: April 16th, 2007 7:16am
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.
Nerd Guru says: April 16th, 2007 7:31am
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”
Ryan Richards says: April 16th, 2007 7:56am
How about “You can speak web-lingo that even your MySpace-addicted teenager cannot understand”
:)
Great article
Ryan
http://ajaxus.net says: April 16th, 2007 8:05am
:) Totally a web worker! Didnt completed the whole list (didnt liked this part with losing my job) but agree on most of the points :)
Anne Zelenka says: April 16th, 2007 8:06am
Perhaps I’ll change that to “quit your job”… might be more optimistic sounding!
Amie Gillingham says: April 16th, 2007 9:07am
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.
Amyloo says: April 16th, 2007 9:18am
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.”
Jon says: April 16th, 2007 9:21am
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!)
Umair Salam says: April 16th, 2007 12:13pm
this is so true to the life of me, its scary!
Philmore Russell says: April 16th, 2007 12:33pm
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
Are You a Web Worker? » Aspects of Home Business Blog says: April 16th, 2007 1:53pm
[...] You might want to check to be sure. [...]
nomadicalloy says: April 16th, 2007 4:55pm
I am a web worker. 100% and proud of it.
freelanceprowriter says: April 16th, 2007 7:19pm
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!
Jonnotie says: April 17th, 2007 4:50am
That´s almost me haha but I don´t have any businesscards, yet.
links for 2007-04-17 | blog.ftofani.com says: April 17th, 2007 3:49pm
[...] Web Worker Daily » Blog Archive You Might be a Web Worker if… « você trabalha com web se… (tags: web work life howto) [...]
Web Worker Daily » Blog Archive Open Thread: What's On Your Business Cards? « says: April 18th, 2007 12:00pm
[...] or go with a full-service printer like Sir Speedy for luxury cards at a price to match. Of course web working zealots may already have Moo cards from Flickr — they’re cheap, they’re fun, and [...]
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втора says: April 20th, 2007 6:59am
this is very very interesting
Sunday Roundup says: April 22nd, 2007 11:01pm
[...] You Might Be A Web Worker: It’s not about your “lifestyle.” Well, maybe it is. But it’s definitely not about whether you work for a large company like I do or you work for yourself. It’s about how you view and use the web to get things done. I would go so far as to say it’s not even about being a “Web Worker” but rather having the web being an integral part of your work and play, which it certainly is for me. [...]
Web Worker Daily » Blog Archive Redo Your Workspace for Productive Web Working « says: May 14th, 2007 3:32pm
[...] Well, most workers in the information economy do use the web for work… but I would argue that real web workers use the web more. We spend more time browsing the web, we reach out more using web tools like VoIP [...]
andreascreten says: May 24th, 2007 3:39pm
Ow man, I’m a ral webworker … they are all right.
Web Worker Daily » Blog Archive Web Working Opportunity: Franchise Ownership « says: June 27th, 2007 2:00pm
[...] Working Opportunity: Franchise Ownership Let’s add another category to the different ways you can be a web worker: franchise ownership. New Internet-based management systems allow franchise owners to manage their [...]
Web Worker Daily » Blog Archive Top Five Myths About Home-Based Web Workers « says: July 19th, 2007 6:01am
[...] Five Myths About Home-Based Web Workers You don’t have to work from home to qualify as a web worker, but if you do, your work habits may be misunderstood by those who work in an office. There are a [...]
K T Cat says: July 25th, 2007 2:54pm
Dang, I scored only 5 out of 11! I’d better pick up my game a notch. :-)
Jessica says: September 7th, 2007 9:34am
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.