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Christopher S. Penn's Awaken Your Superhero

Christopher S. Penn's Awaken Your Superhero
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Declaring Social Media Independence Not Always A Great Idea

Started by Christopher S. Penn · 1 year ago

Declaring Social Media Independence Not Always A Great Idea

We make a great deal out of saying how independent media is terrific. Independent media is the future. The usual stuff - and I don’t disagree, independence is a wonderful thing, the right and privilege to do pretty much whatever you want. No gatekeepers or superiors to [...]SHARETHIS.addEntry({ ... Continue reading »

3 comments

  • PodcastSteve

    1 year ago

    Having just read Jake McKee's post on this, (http://communityguy.disqus.com/my_own_personal_...) and yours, both Tweeted by Chris Brogan, all I can say is being independent is NOT for everyone. All of the headaches you describe are ones I deal with every day, and the pile of receipts I still have to scan and log grows every day. Paying my own taxes, paying my own health premiums (:-0 all chores that you don't think about inside.

    But as even the world's most admired companies, like Google, start acting like, well, companies (see the NY Times Joe Nocero column about Google's daycare fiasco), and act as if their employees (or associates, or whatever euphemism they use) don't really matter, are interchangeable, or will put up with all kinds of nonsense, the idea of the "safety net" of a corporate job gets less and less attractive or compelling.
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  • larrylawfer

    1 year ago

    Chris, This is a thoughtful post, as are most of your posts. Having been independent for 27 years now I agree with you from the other side. There is a great deal of responsibility to being independent. There is no safety net, you are only as good as your last time out, you may truly "work in this town again" if you don't delivery, there will always be someone out there who says they are better, smarter, cheaper, whatever, and yet, for those who are built like that, there is no alternative to independence.

    Both types work hard and can grow to be happy and productive, this isn't a value judgment of one path versus another, it is just an observation about people. Some can handle the risk and volitility to focus on a dream and make it happen, and other choice to be part of a dream and make that dream happen better with their efforts. It's all good.
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  • Amrita Chandra

    1 year ago

    Good points - I have been on both sides - independent and salaried staff. I am just getting ready to make the jump to independent again, and am prepared (or at least aware) of the downsides. You are right a lot of folks think being independent is total freedom but it is more a different kind of freedom -- trading flexibility and life/work balance for less financial freedom.

    Thanks for giving me more food for thought, although I have already decided to make the leap!
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