Reinvented Work

From Bruce Epstein:

In a physical office, there is the opportunity for non-business banter, a chance to share a game of hearts over lunch, or the possibility of finding a tennis partner. Working in a virtual office is like having a foster child in Senegal. An occasional airmail letter isn’t the same thing as a nightly bath and bedtime hug. Hell, even mail order brides get delivered eventually.

Rings very familiar. You can read the entire piece on the O’Reilly website.

 

Comments

Steven Garrity's picture
Steven Garrity on November 18, 2001 - 19:53 Permalink

That is a powerful little article. His complaint of not having anyone to help him move could bring a tear to your eye.

His points are good though. I love my workplace. I work with a team of like-minded (perhaps too much so sometimes) co-workers. It’s fun. They helped me move last year and I’ve helped them move (no pizza-coercion was even necessary).

We even have water-cooler. However, it doesn’t seem to spawn much conversation in of itself.

I’m not posting this to isolate and alienate. Rather, just for contrast.

I used to work out of my basement bedroom — I moved in to an office with my business-partner before it was really necessary. What we needed though, was not the office itself, but the fringe benefits; Discipline of having to be somewhere every morning and getting dressed.

Working at home does have it’s benefits too though, doesn’t it?

Johnny Rukavina's picture
Johnny Rukavina on November 18, 2001 - 23:38 Permalink

I recently left the socially rich, frantic, foodservice industry to work at home on a computer. While I totally love my new job, I definitely miss having co-workers. I was joking with my fiance that for my office Christmas party, I would make a big bowl of Rum punch and my dog Ginger and I would take turns drinking from the punch bowl.

Alan McLeod's picture
Alan McLeod on November 19, 2001 - 18:07 Permalink

This thread needs someone to point out that people posting to such blogs from work at an office may be exhibiting the more compelling draw of the virtual work community than the real. This does not mean that real collegiality is not very valuable but being “outside” as well as “inside” the office in a way is quite liberating as well. So will there be a PEI bloggers Xmas party?

Isaac Grant's picture
Isaac Grant on November 19, 2001 - 19:12 Permalink

I would just like to attest to the fact that there have been water-cooler coversations in the silveroange offices.



So, how about that local sports team?