Virtual Fortune for Virtual Goods
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I'm a web a guy. I make stuff that goes on the web. I've been doing this for going on 8 or 9 years now. My "life's work" is web sites.
However, my life's work is simply 1's and 0's on a piece of hard drive some where. One big magnet could wipe all of it out very easily. Granted, the magnet would have to be used in several places and take into account all the backups that exist of various things, but it's possible. No hard-goods exist for all my efforts. All of the goods I've produced are virtual.
I get paid real money for doing this work, but after direct deposit and cashing checks, etc. that money, too, ends up on a hard drive somewhere. I hope to hell they have a backup! I view my accounts through online banking. It's a virtual fortune (and it's no fortune, mind you) for all intents and purposes.
Boil it all down, and I make web pages, then get paid for them and look at the money on a web page.
If I made ice sculpture, it would last as long, but be prettier. It makes me want to become a carpenter who only barters.
Trackback: http://philsown.org/2007/04/virtual-fortune-for-virtual-goods/trackback
Comments
How to Put Your Face Next to Your Comment
Jul 24, 2008
This post reminds me of my brother-in-law, Sam. He was a successful mortgage broker for years, has an MBA even.
A couple of years ago, he got tired of it all and now lives off the grid. He's a landscaper, he's a fix it guy, he hauls trash for people in his beater truck, he sells his girlfriend's jewelry at the local farmer's market - and he couldn't be happier.
The other day I was riding with him in his 1950-something Pontiac Chieftain and the Spanish radio station was on. I asked him, "Do you speak Spanish?" and he said, "No. I just enjoy not knowing what's going on. Too much drama. Too much stress."
Shocking and hilarious to me. A way of life for my hippie bro-in-law. I love him to death - he's real and doing it his way.
So Phil, as for being a carpenter and bartering for a living - as Sam would say, "Right on."