Tag Archives: jobs

Thoughts

Consolidation lurks in the wings for web development industry

I’m struck by the amount of consolidation that’s taking place these days. Companies are gobbling up other companies in order to scale up, expand horizontally or simply eliminate competition. We in the web development industry have so far been spared this fate, simply because of the amount of incredible innovation and changes that always take place in what we do. Let’s face it, a company needs a solid product that can be sold, and so far, it’s really hard to pin down “products” in web development. Plus, the very nature of our work, which can be done anytime, anywhere, rewards individuals, especially those willing to stretch the boundaries of what’s thought possible and come out with something cleaner, something nicer, something slicker, something cooler.

But, even with all of these road bumps in the way of web development consolidation, it’ll still happen. Don’t think I’m enjoying myself as I write this. I don’t want it to happen! You know what’s going to act as the catalyst? The same thing that’s driven manufacturing companies out of the States: price. Look at some of the free products that are out there, that let you create websites with no cost at all: Google Pages, MSN Spaces, Yahoo (whatever it’s called), etc. They’re not full-featured, but they work to get people started. And they’re really easy to use, to the extent that even a “moron in a hurry” (aka the Apple courtroom test) would know how to use them. I’m not implying that most people are morons, but most people don’t need fancy sites that do lots of cool things and manipulate databases, etc.

If you don’t believe me, look at MySpace. It’s there that you’ll see the tastes of most people: that site is full of tasteless decoration, crowded, nasty-looking things that can’t even be called web pages. And that’s only the content. I’m not even talking about the MySpace-imposed page layout and horribly big, screaming ads. The whole site is gross. But, that’s the idea of a “nice” web page to most people. They don’t understand what goes on behind the scenes when it comes to web development. They don’t understand how to design a site. They have no idea about the stress and hard work that goes on when coding/designing a real site. And they shouldn’t be expected to know this. After all, that’s what web designers and developers are paid to do. But the point is, the masses don’t crave and don’t care about good design, they want the free stuff, and most don’t care if that free stuff is ugly.

As free products like the ones I mentioned get more full-featured, and more complicated systems like WordPress or Drupal get even easier to use and customize (not that WordPress isn’t easy to install and use, it is, but you still need to know how to code and design when customizing it) the needs of more and more people will be met. And as that happens, the market for web developers shrinks more and more. And here we get back to my opening comments: solidification of product offerings leads to consolidation. Once a market develops for a clear-cut product, competition will increase, the main differentiating factor will become the price, and the biggest company will be able to offer the lowest price — hence the catalyst for consolidation. Besides, who can beat FREE stuff? How do you beat that? Who can beat offshore web development, where people can live on dollars a day and can afford to develop a complicated site for a few hundred dollars? It’s really, really sad to see web designers and web developers who aren’t able to make a living in the States anymore. I can understand why it happens, but it’s still very troublesome.

What recourse is left to us, as web developers? I would hope we can find some solution that would allow us to keep our independence while also allowing us to make a living without competing purely on price with Ivan in Russia or Mihai in Romania or Jose in Argentina, because living in the States, we’d lose the price battle very quickly.

I realize the outlook as portrayed in this post is a bit depressing, but I plan to write a counter-post to this in the next few days. I do think there’s light at the end of the tunnel, and there’s hope for those of us willing and able to seize certain opportunities.

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Lists

Want to see pilots in training pass out?

This is how they can tell which fighter jet pilots are going to make it through training:

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=2765681854456894446

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Lists

Oldies, but goodies

As news go, these are weeks, and even months-old, but they sure are good. Stumbled onto them in a folder full of bookmarks. Enjoy!

  1. Full of nostalgia for the 80’s? Try Engadget, cca. 1985.
  2. Want to donate your old computer? Better wipe that drive first!
  3. The generational gap can be seen in the workplace, too. Seriously, it’s rude to get up and walk out in the middle of a conversation.
  4. Kawaii Not – the web comic for cute gone bad! Cute indeed, and witty to boot!
  5. Want to get a small PC?
  6. The 25 worst tech products of all time, according to PC World.
  7. Ever thought of public spaces as dance floors? “You’ve got to move it, move it… MOVE IT!”
  8. Check out photos of Chicago from the 40’s to the 90’s.
  9. Want to get the scoop on classic movies? Then check out Reel Classics.
  10. In love with USB? Check out this list of flashy USB accessories, like a bra with a USB clasp.
  11. Want the latest in wiretapping devices?
  12. How will the newspaper look in just a few short years?
  13. You thought invisibility cloaks were a sci-fi thing, right?
  14. Great advice on advancing your career as you start over, move, take a part-time job or have money problems.
  15. Video sites, comically analyzed and summarized.
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Thoughts

HP to cancel telecommuting for its IT division

In a move that stunned its IT workforce and the public, HP’s new CIO announced it will eliminate telecommuting for most of its IT folks. They’ll be forced to come to work at some 25 offices in various locations around the world. If they don’t, they’ll be out of a job without severance pay. Due to its previous policy of encouraging telecommuting, HP now has employees spread as far apart as the East coast when the job is on the West coast. If such employees want to keep their jobs, they’ll have to uproot their lives and families, which is just plain silly.

As a past IT Director with change management experience, I can say the following:

  • 180-degree turns are traumatic, and don’t turn out well. This is one such change, and it will be messy and painful. It will alienate a lot of bright folks. From a management standpoint, it’s not right. Change is best done gradually, and by co-opting people.
  • Making the bright people come into the office in order to straighten out the poor performers, as HP’s CIO hints, is yet another silly decision. Yes, I can tell you certain IT personnel should be on-site, but not everyone needs to be there. If HP’s IT workforce is peppered with poor employees, this is a recruitment/management issue, not a telecommuting issue. The decision is a non sequitur. If your tire is flat, plugging the exhaust pipe won’t solve the problem. Seems to me a much better solution would be to pair up the poor performers with good performers who live in the same area, and have them work together on issues, whether it’s at someone’s home or my IM/phone. Training would also be another solution.

Overall, I think this is a pretty rude change in policy, and not well thought out. It was done namely for the sake of shaking things up, not because a specific goal needed to be accomplished.

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How To

100 Potential Interview Questions and other great resources

Monster has put together a great list of 100 potential interview questions. If you’ve ever had an interview, and I’m betting you have, you’ll have encountered at least a few of these beauties. Take a peek at number 7: “Where would you like to be in your career five years from now?” Yuck! But, you’ll get asked these questions, so you’d better have an answer ready.

After you review the questions, take a look at the top right corner of that page, because they’ve got links to other great articles about job interviews, like how to make a great first impression, how to prepare for an interview even if it’s tomorrow, the answers that interviewers are looking for, nonverbal communication, job interview pointers, a podcast with interview tips, how to assess your skills, and how to get ready. Good stuff!

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