[E. Pluribus Unum]

"A good deal of the whining I read concerning disappearing tech jobs claims they are headed for China and India. Sure they are: the numbers are irrefutable. But only certain kinds of jobs, and they’re almost all jobs at large corporations."

Big companies only provide a minor fraction of US employment.

Small businesses employ the most people, and they aren't moving to India.

[The Duke]

Small businesses employ the most people, and they aren't moving to India.

I own a small programming business - and you'd better believe we're "moving to India"! (or, in my case, Argentina).

With regard to the validity of the point this article seeks to make, all I can say is that the validity of a point seems to be inversely proportional to the number of words required to make it.

[Utah Girl]

I was laid off from my job in June. I've been doing small jobs for my neighbors since and have charged them $25 an hour. I've shown people how to use their email, basic printer troubleshooting, and how to use digital cameras and get their pictures from the camera to their hard drives. Stuff that is easy for me, but baffling to most casual computer users. I start another job tomorrow, but will continue to free lance on the side.

[Joe_October]

Bump for reference. I've been telling my buddies in ITS to stop complaining and prepare for the day when they don't have to re-write the same code over and over again.

[Alas Babylon!]

This is interesting. BFL!

[vote_quimby]

Bump to read later.

[gaijin]

good post.

Marking.

[FairOpinion]

Great article. A lot of good advice, much of which is also applicable to other areas.

[ChocChipCookie]

Bump for later read.

[Bear_in_RoseBear]

Interesting read.

[Justin714]

Very good article...thanks a bunch for posting. I've been wanting to do something like this (as a side job) but don't know where to start. This article makes everything I've always wanted to know crystal clear.

[ThePythonicCow]

Most useful post. Bump.

I don't need it yet - still getting paid by a big (well getting smaller) computer company. But one must be prepared, in one's mind, for such possibilities.

[tophat9000]

bump

[quietolong]

bump for later

[mafree]

Thanks for this long but informative article. I've always felt I should offer computer tech services in addition to what I already do as an independent contractor/consultant/ educator but hadn't moved on it. Maybe now I will. I think almost any FReeper can.

[Elliott Jackalope]

Interesting article. All I can say is that from my point of view, being self-employed is where it's at. Once you've been your own boss it is really hard to go back to having some pointy-haired moron telling you what to do with your time.

[Riley]

Another out-of-work IT guy chiming in here. I am in the San Francisco Bay Area, which has a particular glut of IT people grabbing at any job that comes up.

It costs a fortune to live here, so I just accepted an offer on the house and I am getting ready to move in the next two and a half weeks, to the East Coast.

This is *exactly* the article that I needed to see, at *exactly* the right time. Thanks for posting it.

Can anyone offer any insight on dealing with the who-is-your-employer questions when you are freelancing and looking for an apartment?

[Cool Guy]

BUMP!

[Mad Dawgg]

"Big companies only provide a minor fraction of US employment."

"Small businesses employ the most people, and they aren't moving to India.

You are gonna piss Willie and his Protectionist Posse off posting stuff like this!

< SARCASM > Don't you know the sky is falling and Gerorge Bush is to blame?

Come on now get with the program!

Everybody sing now:

Look for the union label
the union label... < /SARCASM >

[Southack]

This kid gets it.

[LibertyAndJusticeForAll]

Someone on your ping list might be helped by this post.