Working from home – it’s what we’re all striving for, isn’t it? The ability to be your own boss, the freedom to work at your own leisure, the hundreds of thousands of dollars just waiting to be earned on the Internet. It’s every geek’s, blogger’s and mogul’s dream, right? Wrong!

Working from home on the Internet is not what I am aiming for. My quest to get as close to pro-blogger status as I can is not so I can pack in my job, although many other bloggers seem to have this as their primary goal for blogging. They see the $$$ John Chow makes and think to themselves, “Hey, I don’t need to work my nine to five. I want to be a pro blogger.”

In one of the signature posts that made John Chow’s blog successful, he wrote this:

There are many ways to make money in this world. By far the most common is trading hours for dollar, also known as a job. Maybe it’s the fact that I have never held a job for more than a year of my entire life, but I just can’t understand why people would choose to make their income this way. Trading hours for the dollar is like the worst possible method of earning a living one can make.

John has never held down a job, but he makes tons of money. He does this under the premise that having a job is bad. Well, John, I can only assume that’s because you’ve never understood why some people have jobs. Here are my reasons why working from home is not for me:

I love my job

Am I the only person in the blogosphere who has worked hard to get to where he is in terms of work? I work for a newspaper on a tropical island in Southeast Asia, and I love my work. I thrive off working in the media because, despite the long hours, frightening editors and hard work, it’s damn fun. I could never give this up because it’s a part of me.

The outside world is a great place

Sure, you’ll be able to chat with bloggers, meet up for dinner and you’ll always be connected to friends and family online, but by working from home you run the risk of missing out on so much the world has to offer. Long days on the Internet are unhealthy and would drive me insane.

Internet sex isn’t fun

It’s important to have a life outside the blogosphere. That might sound absurd to some people, but all the hours you waste online could mean you miss out on life’s simple pleasures, like falling in love. We all want to be rich and we all want to be successful, but there’s something to be said for enjoying your life now, rather than working toward a moment where you can relax. If you aren’t “out there” in the real world, then who are you going to talk to when the phone lines cut out?

There is more to life than money

John Chow’s primary reason for working from home is the financial benefits. He’s right when he points out that us “normal” folk get taxed more, but how can you live your life where all your actions are determined by money? I don’t make a great deal of money, but I save all I can and enjoy my life immensely. In a year’s time I plan to move to Jakarta and start life in my third Southeast Asian city. I couldn’t do that if I were chained to my computer 24/7.

A job would apparently “ruin” John Chow’s life, but not having a job would ruin mine. What do you think? Would you ever be prepared to work from home?

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Tags: Blogger rant //