General

Time for a change

Yes. yes. I know, I know. I’ve not blogged for absolutely ages. Am I dead, or is blogging dead? Well, I’m well and truly alive. As for the state of the blogsphere, we’ll leave that for another day.

The reason for my bloglessness, is that I’ve been distracted - weddings, marriage, work. These real-world events seem to be preventing me from escaping into my online, virtual world. That’s life. That’s having a life!

Fear not. The blog is back. Part of the reason for my lack of updates, is my current work environment. I’m on a contract for a UK bank, and our internet access is severely restricted. No email, no IM, restricted access to web sites. Can’t really blame them. It does make you more productive.

Anyway, my work situation is soon to change. Whilst I’ve been offered a contract extension until November, I’ve chosen to escape. I’ve been working on a private banking web site. It’s a rewrite of the current application. The current solution is a mess, and the new solution will be just as bad. Accenture have their sticky paws all over the project. The work is dull, the office vibe non-existent and to make life more interesting, the bank has decided to knock 10 per-cent off all contractor rates. My agency decided to swallow the difference, but I’m still off.

I’m actually giving up Java contracting.. again. Java projects tend to be for big institutions and seem to always be large, over-managed, process-driven and political. They also seem to lack innovation. Sure, the money’s good. but the work simply isn’t rewarding.

So, it’s time for a change. At the end of this month, I’m having a second stab at moving into freelance web development. Last time I attempted it, I enjoyed getting back into the CSS, javascript, Web 2.0 stuff. But I also learned two valuable lessons:

1. Don’t work from home. You end up working too hard, and it’s important to interact with others
2. You need to find the work, as it won’t find you.

A year on from my first attempts the landscape is a little different. I’ve met some interesting people, and from next month, I’ll be working with others, not on my own. This is really exciting. I’ll be working form an office, with a creative and a PR person. And along with them, I’ll be networking.

The other change in the landscape is the current state of the World Wide Web. Agencies are no longer being asked to design web sites with some content management thrown in. Today’s clients are, or soon will be, after a richer experience. I don’t think I’m sticking my neck out in predicting that there will be a big move to having web sites on mobile phones. Clients are also realising that the web isn’t just about a static, brochure web site, or an e-commerce shopping cart. Web design is out. Web applications are in. As the credit crunches, and the belts tighten, the business that will prosper will be those that embrace the power of the internet as it evolves at a magnificent pace. I hope to be able to provide solutions for such businesses.

I’m not sure what lies ahead for me in my new adventure. I’m giving it six months, and then I’ll reassess the business, and financial situation. If all fails, it’s back to contracting. But hopefully, this will not be the case.

Here’s to the beginning of a great adventure.