The whole web 2.0 thing came and has kind of fizzled out since then. Everyone wanted the goofy looking web 2.0 starburst, rounded corners and a subtle gradient to adorn their various web sites with. It’s not that web 2.0 has died necessarily, just that it has kind of settled into it’s place on the web. All the various usability and accessibility rules that we labeled with this buzz term have found their wings in becoming standard. People expect sites to have all this stuff now – minus the goofy starburst things that is.
With “web 2.0″ social networking and social media came into power. One very big effect social networking has had is that it contributed even more to seeing new people come online. Everybody and their third cousin is now on the internet, getting connected to old friends and family members and even throwing up their own pages on various social networking sites. Kids and teenagers now know rudimentary HTML and CSS. Senior citizens are cropping images and arranging them into online image galleries for friends and family to view.
With this has come serious opportunity and growth in the number of people working online. This has begun to affect the way people think of “work”. Just a few years ago work to most people consisted of a steady schedule of 8 hour (or more) days. Paychecks would come weekly, bi-monthly or monthly and be set by the employer. Sick days, vacation days…all that crazy stuff. The mentality of most people was that this was the way to live unless you were rich. Social security and possibly a 401k might get you of the hook at 72, right?
The new definition of work is rapidly becoming alot more flexible. Work online, pay your bills, schedule whenever you need to as long as you make enough money to live on. This Work 2.0 is so dynamic compared to the set paychecks and hours. It really does scare some people and many still don’t believe it’s possible but the benefits make it worth pursing for those courageous enough to step out of their comfort zone.
Today, for instance, I’m receiving $600 down on a $1,200 project that will probably cost me 15 to 20 hours of work. I bid on a $1,600 to $2,00 project, took on quick $80 and $160 projects that should cost me 3 or 4 hours total, and got a $3,000 project that should start in about 2 weeks. I’m finishing a $550 project and I just finished an $80, a $100 and a $60. I’m not an uber PPC/affiliate marketing guru yet but I make a living online. My time is mine to charge for and manage. If I goof off too much I lose work but other than that I call the shots and stick to email communication. I get paid through Paypal because it makes my life easier.
I started working online years ago and I’ve made a living since then. I’ve had several opportunities to become a full business and make bank but I’ve chosen to keep things simple and flexible. If you have problems believing someone can make a living online and even decide their own hours and pay then you really need to do some reading. More people are subscribing to the “work 2.0″ line of thinking. It’s time to get a handle on it while people are still trying to figure it out.
To your success,
adam
