From my perspective, the factor that accounts for at least part of this disconnection between measured employment and other economic growth factors is the way employment is measured - with W2 forms.

Like a lot of geeks and other creative types, I'm a one-man show. We don't generate any action on the W2 front. We live in the 1099 economy. So now add to this core of traditional freelancers the phenomenon I like to call the Corporate Diaspora - traditional execs that get downsized/laid off and become consultants.

We hear a lot of talk about co-working spaces and so forth, the but powers that be have yet to recongize the phenomenon that's driving the interest. They haven't adjusted their thinking to account for this key shift in what in means to be "employed."

I have moved my course out of the Web Design area and into the Marketing area, where it fits a little better. This opens up one of the slots for Web.

BTW, is everybody rockin' the John Maeda iGoogle theme?

Okay, I decided. I'm doing a bootstrap-type basic things to think about before you start designing or building.

I still can't decide what to do......?

Davos + RISD. How cool is that? And I love the way 'maeda' posts. Kinda reminds me of JP Rangaswami from Confused of Calcutta, a highly recommended read for dataheads. Or fans of cricket. Or music from the 60s/70s. Word to the one eff.

They even covered my little part of Pawtucket. I'm just so proud...

This is media talk. "Markets" or DMAs (Designated Market Areas - designated by media research giant Nielsen) are roughly defined by the area covered by the broadcast TV stations. NY, LA, Chicago, and Philly are your stable 1-4, then SF, Dallas, DC, ATL, Boston, and Houston make up 5 - 10 and they constantly swap around because they're so close together in size.

According to the most recent Nielsen release, Providence-New Bedford is #52, between Austin and New Orleans. We're usually high 40s low 50s.

 

There's total rationale for co-working in the 'burbs, especially in this new villages concept. (Big ups to Fred Presley.) I refer to the eco-demographic of the Corporate Diaspora - people who got downsized or M&A'd from a big company and never went back. There are probably 10,000 or more 1-3 person businesses in RI, and a lot in the suburbs. For many of these, escape from the home-office would be a big plus, but the costs can be out of hand. A co-working space in a village adjacent to other services, like hot spot cafes, would certainly find its market.

And be sure check out that link for The Grant. Come on down to Kafe Lila and get yer grub on!

I ended up in RI in 1993. It's been nothing but an uphill trajectory ever since. I remember the first time I walked across the dirt parking lot where the mall is now thinking, "How can you have a dirt lot across the street from the Statehouse?" We've really got it good right about now.

For perspective on the accomplishment of these rankings, the Providence-New Bedford DMA ranks around 50th. Three single-digit rankings is really, really good. Restaurants, especially, is a real plum.