It is very important for every individual, not just techs, to pick up new talents. An individual who knows more, who can perform more, gains more. Within these challenging times, you will have to thank outside of your comfort zone. Even as a techi myself, I’m learning to invest in stocks, join other organizations that have online businesses, and soon, invest my time into business management. You have to think outside of the box.

Also, social networking is very essential if you use it right. I’ve joined a couple of social sites as well as a tech site for It professionals to interact with other IT professionals to ask questions and answer them. So get involved and say whats on your mind.

I do like this article and hope David Risley writes more.

The rest of the world has known for years that the U.S. economy has a ripple effect on their economy – it’s the U.S. that doesn’t quite realize it.

Right now, with all the uncertainty, gold seems like a comfortable investment, but it isn’t without risk, no matter what the TV ads tell you.

The value of the dollar is low right now, but it has been rising recently, even as recently as today. A rising dollar means falling gold prices. The rest of the world is recognizing that much of their economies is driven by the US economy, so it isn’t entirely clear that a US recession means falling dollar values.

Probably some position in gold is a good idea, but be careful about just how deep you get in. Probably the downside risk isn’t as great as some other investments, but be aware it isn’t zero, either.

(By the way, as a fellow geek, I can claim no special competence in investing, so take my comments as worth what you paid for them.)

http://www.linkedin.com (networking)
http://www.indeed.com (aggregated lists)
http://www.realmatch.com (matches you to jobs)

Entire Top 10 employment site list here:
http://jobsearch.about.com/od/joblistings/tp/jobbanks.htm

In America the majority of people appear to be fairly well educated with a definitive perspective on reality and modern technologies. These people; as well as to a maybe lesser extent the minority of the not-so-well educated in America, all use and are familiar with technology: Basically it’s a pretty standard thing as far as America is concerned; and all Americans including businesses etc use it. At least that is the impression I get: The internet is a really big thing in USA and is a large part of a lot of people’s lives. The problem in the States is the infrastructure of the world-wide-web: Slow download speeds in many places, limited availability of a decent connection in some areas, etc…

And so we fly across the puddle to the UK – Where the infrastructure isn’t much if any better, and just as in the USA there are those who depend upon the internet a lot less than others. – Let me rephrase that: There are those; probably a majority, in the UK, whose attitude is:

“The Internet’s for geeks and brainy people with inheritances: Some of us have to work for a living and don’t get a chance to play on the internet.” (Meaning ‘I’m British and I know everything. I have conservative values and I love working 9-5 day-in, day-out. It’s the only way to make money for me; and I know this because I’m British!’)

Others would say:

“Ooh young man! The Internet’s for the young: I’m over 40 and too old to learn all that techie stuff.” (Meaning ‘I’m British, ignorant, and I can’t be bothered with it unless I can earn more than £10 an hour learning it.’)

Still others would say:

“Der I aint brainy enough to do all that: I wouldn’t know how to switch a computer on.” (Meaning ‘I’m a loser and I’ve given up before I even try.’ ‘Gis a job.)

The remainder of British people consist of myself and a few other specimens of that rare lifeform known as and sneered at by stuffy British society as the British geek. The British Government disincentivise people by putting the matter of the shoddy infrastructure lower down on the list of priorities; preferring their paperwork-bureaucracy and red-tape of the past.

In the UK the internet is seen in general as a means for teenagers to play games, download movies, and keep in touch with other teenagers, a means for granny to order her shopping without going to the supermarket, and an alternative to the Postal Service.

I would be mightily surprised if 99% of the overall British population had even heard of Web 2.0, let alone realise that there are ways of online communication other than MSN Messenger and email.

Venturing further into Europe; I’m not sure whether the perception of the internet is any different. I do know that in Northern Europe they have a better infrastructure, whereas in Southern Europe, other than in France and Spain, in general it is similar to or worse than the UK’s infrastructure.

So to summarise thusfar: Other than in America a program of Government investment is required coupled with education of the change-resistant masses (Including the governmental authorities themselves.) of mindless drones who have all become stuck in a rut, whilst still living in the past under a repressive bureaucratic governmental feudal-system which penalises progress. In America itself it appears that education is adequate as is personal freedom, but further investment in infrastructure could be a good thing.

Until the rest of the world catches up and realises that it is in fact 2008 – not 1908 – Then the effectiveness of technology will only be fully prevalent within the USA itself.

This is, in a way, a good thing for the US: America can be the hub of the world; the place that all the other countries look to for inspiration when they finally manage to pull their heads out of their asses. – But surely it doesn’t have to be this way? This is a ‘Global Village’ isn’t it?

This is Planet Earth. Shouldn’t equality be the thing that all are aiming for? The problem is that there are too many “old-school” figures in authority holding back progress. If only these halfwits would stop squabbling about land, religion, whose daddy can beat up their daddy, and all that nonsense; then perhaps everyone might get somewhere fast.

I’m leaving this comment completely open and inviting follow-ups.

“At the very least, the U.S. economy is going to go into a recession. And, to the degree that that recession deepens, it is going to affect the world economy, too.”
Whether the U.S. economy goes deeper into a recession or not, it actually impacts the world economy regardless. As the worlds leading superpower, the state of the U.S. economy has worldwide affect at all times – recession or otherwise.