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Diversifying your career portfolio
Written By fuscom on Jan. 31, 2008.
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So you've probably seen the CNN article today which discusses the complete internet failure for large parts of Asia, the Middle East and North Africa.
According to the CNN report...
"...Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain Pakistan and India, are all experiencing severe problems..."
Apparently, undersea cable damage is the cause.
Kind of made me think about all these start-ups that are providing web-based services and applications. Losing the ability to provide services to two continents has got to be a major punch in the gut. I mean just look at what 37signals went through for just a few hours.
So here's the question. What happened today in some parts of the world, could happen anywhere, at any time. So if you're making your income primarily off net services, what do you do offline to continue earning an income, if anything?
Did the events of the day cause you to step back and think about that at all?
Gnorb
Written Jan. 31, 2008 / Report /
First, I would go to South Beach and offer young ladies money to disrobe, take pictures of them, then sell those pictures in some sort of periodical format. (Has anyone ever dome something like this?) If that failed, I would unstring my violin of all save one string, sit at the corner of some building downtown and start playing badly until people give me money. (I'd also try playing well, but something tells me playing badly pays better.)
On a serious note, I'd probably do one of the following:
1) Start working for the local newspaper(s)
2) Start working in sales.
3) Start some type of services business, like grocery delivery for all the retirees living near here. (It IS South Florida, after all.)
4) Keep doing exactly what I'm doing now, since most of my income is NOT derived from the Web these days, so the Net going down is not much of a worry, thankfully. Even if the Net went down, most of my work would still be doable, provided other modes of communication (mail, travel, and even phone) were still available to me).
No, but it made me think of how interconnected this world has become, whether for good or for ill.
Scrivs
Written Jan. 31, 2008 / Report /
Well I don't make money online or offline so I am disaster proof. That is definitely the way to go, why stress it?
daxgti
Written Feb. 1, 2008 / Report /
Definitely a tough question, and one I've thought about before. What did I do before I became an interactive designer? I was a Wendy's restaurant manager. Not that I'd EVER... EEVAARRRR.... consider going back to that by my decision, if I had to... well, gotta support the family you know. lol
Other things I would consider is something in art, whether it be painting, portraiture, whatever. Something along those lines. Guaranteed not to pay well, but you never know! lol Or start writing a novel or something, I don't know.
I don't really have too many viable options hahaha Hopefully everything will stay ok. o.0