3 Predictions for 2011

Every new year, many people like to make predictions about what will happen.
I tend to do this year round, but here are a few anyway.


1. A Decrease in Cable and Satellite Subscriptions
There are a slew of new or improved devices that bring online content to your television set. Things like Apple TV, Nintendo Wii, and Xbox 360 are in a good price range, easy to set up, and can access a lot of content.
I have not had a cable bill for over five years. I still watch TV, and I am really not that cheap.
What I have been doing is simple. I watch broadcast television for live shows and events, and use the internet and Netflix to watch the shows I don't get. When I first started, I really did miss out on some of the things I would have liked to watch, but the content that is now being offered on the internet and Netflix has really improved over the last few years. I think that more people are realizing this and will start to drop their paid services.


2.  Continued Debate about Net Neutrality 
The FCC recently pasted an internet fairness policy. Some of the issues of net neutrality where addressed, but  many still remain, and so does the fighting.







3. An Increase in Part-Time, Results Only, and Telecommuting Workers
Most of the headlines about employment is about how many people don't have jobs, but I think that misses the bigger picture. Many major companies have had the funds to hire workers, but they have invested in productivity instead. They are starting to understand that if they give a reliable worker the tools he needs to do his job, you don't need as many workers. The problem is that this keeps the unemployment rate, and a fear of a second recession high. Companies that continue to make huge profits will have a personal relations problem if they don't begin to hire. The result will be more alternative working options.

Part-Time employment could get people working, but in many industries part-time employment isn't beneficial to productivity.

Results-only-employment is great for jobs that are based on tasks. There is not a fixed schedule, so long as you are completing your tasks. In many cases, you can even work from home.

Telecommuting is a great solution for jobs where the employee needs to have a fixed schedule. Companies get the benefit of a full time worker, but don't have to pay for the office space to house them.