Dec. 22 Economist Features Census Politics Worldwide

If you don't get the Economist, just holler with a comment and I'll fax you the Dec. 22 article called "Census Sensitivity," which is all about why counting folks matters.

Anyone checking out this space knows that I've made altering the U.S. Census questions for 2010 to include the virtual economy a cause celebre for the next few years.

Why?

As I've been writing, when you are not counted you just don't COUNT in the eyes of the government. At stake is health care, social security and a raft of other programs.

And The Economist article makes that case over and over, from country to country. Interestingly, in countries that are democratic the population wants to get counted for these very reasons. Often, there are cases of corruption on the part of government officials that purposely slight various populations.

The article posits that in recent years the Republican Congress, which has been anti-big government, has been less than eager to count all Americans. Again, those entitlement programs cost big bucks and big bucks have been going overseas for other causes that make daily headlines.

In authoritarian or fascist states, not surprisingly the population often does not want to be counted and resists censuses, says The Economists. Hey, who wants to end up in a gulag or even worse?

But what's great about this piece is that it makes the case, and a very forceful one, that being counted means being part of power blocks that can make a difference. Right now the virtual work place is NOT BEING COUNTED so many of us just don't count.

Isn't it time to get to your Congressman or Senator and ask for a change?

Virtual Doesn't Have to be Home-Based

There's this perception out there, promoted by government statisticians, that the virtual economy is relegated to small, home-based businesses.

It's possible -- no one really knows, for sure -- that the home-based company makes up the bulk of this population. But more and more I'm coming across businesses that are operating virtually from office suites and with BIG IDEAS and BIG AIMS to grow major companies, yet operate in a lean and mean fashion.

EnerNOC Inc. is one of these virtual businesses with big ambitions and big venture money behind them. As the Globe reports, two Dartmouth MBA grads founded EnerNOC as a way of providing virtual services to utilities and helping them balance electrical demand -- a virtual power exchange.

These guys just went public and their shares were trading at $31 on the first day.

Whether they stay lean and mean is unknown, but they started that way. So here's another plus for the virtual business world.

What Do Virtual Company Entrepreneurs Do? Everything

I was struck by the variety of my colleagues in virtual company land last Tuesday night when I dropped into the GoNOMAD Cafe in South Deerfield, Mass. for a summer schmooz session with my fellow Hidden-Techies. That's synomous with virtual company owners in these parts.

There was someone who develops sessions for people with neurological disorders, but peddles them on the Web. An expert in SAP software was showing off his new Website. And one of our members does juggling as a sidelight. Not to mention the fact that the GoNOMAD, which caters to the virtual work place, also has an a Website at gonomad.com, which features its own blog.

Just about the main thing we have in common is that we use technology, work from a small office setting and run a small business. But other than that, we do everything and anything. A few years ago I set out to find out exactly what folks in the virtual world actually do and together with Rich Roth, owner of TNR Global in Greenfield, Mass., developed a prototype skills inventory that sits at www. hidden-tech.net.

These broad career and occupation headers don't begin to tell you a tiny percentage of what virtual company owners are doing. It's everything except building a car or house in their small office. But they could well be designing one or the other.

Take a peek at this list and tell me what you think. Does it blow your mind?

Detailed listing

Added Skills listing

557 Members reporting as of Sat Jul 21 11:49:29 EDT 2007

Major Skill Category	Members with skills in this Category
ARTS AND RELATED SERVICES	160
BOOK PUBLISHING	63
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT/BUSINESS MANAGEMENT	128
COMMUNITY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT	45
COMPUTER APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT	160
COMPUTER/INTERNET/WEB SERVICES	251
COMPUTER/TELCOM SERVICES	121
EDUCATION	92
ENTERTAINMENT	33
FILM/VIDEO	77
FINANCES AND INSURANCE	27
HEALTH CARE AND SOCIAL ASSISTANCE	10
MARKETING/SALES	126
NEW MEDIA	56
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES	38
PUBLIC SECTOR/NON-PROFIT	56
PUBLISHERS	42
RESEARCH	71
SCIENTIFIC/TECHNICAL SERVICES	49
WRITERS/EDITORS/AGENTS	114

209 Members with Additional Skills