The web worker is a pretty flexible sort, thanks to the internet. I can bring my work with me, because everything that’s important is stored in the cloud, at least when it comes to traditional web stuff. I use web based e-mail applications, I have my documents online, nowadays I can even edit images online (which I rarely do though). All the sites I’m paid to run, to update, or to participate on have admin interfaces that I can login to from more or less anywhere, and get my work done. I’m not tied to my desk, I’m flexible.

That is, until the broadband goes away.

Mine is gone right now. Probably due to something funky in the wiring, but we’ll see. It dropped on Monday morning (or earlier, I didn’t use it over the weekend), and have been gone since. I posted my report on it, after spending 30 minutes waiting and talking to machines, on Monday morning of course, and I’m told it could be “1-3 working days” until anyone can get on this. I’m pissed about that of course, I pay a lot of more than I need to for my broadband and for good support when something happens, and this is what they get me?! I’ll probably switch provider because of this, but right now, I just want to get back to work.

Thing is, being a flexible web worker and all, I’m totally handicapped without my internet connection. Sure, I can plugin my mobile phone and get online with my 3G connection, but that’s way too expensive, and not even that fast where I’m located, to do for more than e-mail checking and informing people. Luckily, I can write blog posts offline and then just go online, copy-paste ‘em into the online interface, and publish, then offline again. That way I’ll be able to do at least some of my work.

Some things I can’t do:

• Research articles. Takes too much time, too slow, too much bandwidth.
• Browse for news for The Blog Herald. I’d reckon the feedreader is full of ‘em, but again, too much bandwidth.
• Keep up with all sites I’m involved with.
• Debug or code sites, themes, or templates. This is stupid, I should’ve had a local debug and testing area set up years ago, but somehow I like being able to test it in a fairly sharp environment. The cloud and all…

I could go to an internet café, but there’s nothing suitable nearby and I need to be around if the tech people come by, which could happen just about anytime during the day, or tomorrow. Wonderful, really great service, I’m so happy with it… I’m stuck here, since I don’t want to risk delaying anything more than necessary. Otherwise I could go to my colleague’s office and work from there, transfer the necessary design files (Photoshop PSDs, templates etc.) to my MacBook, and just hook it up to a screen, external keyboard and mouse, to get a fairly decent setup. I could write my blog posts from a coffee shop, drinking too many espresso’s and ruining myself, but not quite so much as I would be if I used the mobile phone. But no, I need to be on standby for a repair guy that might never show up.

So here I am, writing a few blog posts and preparing a few e-mails I know I’ll have to send. Offline. For 1-3 days, at least.

The web worker, not so flexible anymore.