Working your preferred way with the help of digital communications

In the beginning: limited communication tactics

It used to be the case that there were limited means to communicate online. Remember when MSN messenger, chat rooms, and even IRC were more or less the only options to chat? Whilst limited, some would say less complicated.

The rise of digital technology

Today, communication options have exploded in the number available and the depth of functionality. I won't list any specifics as they'll probably be out of date when I finish writing this blog post (apart from email and social media, those will probably be around for a good while yet)!

We live in a time when people have unparalleled opportunities and options in communicating with others, which is just as true in a work setting, especially in digital marketing, journalism, media, and general marketing communications. People get paid to generate communication and engagement among their target audience!

Clever digital communication systems

There's a tool for everything nowadays, but with a range of innovative approaches comes preferences. People generally tend to stick to a tool(s) they have been using over time and regard it as the best fit, even if it may not be.

Unless there is a good reason not to, it's an exciting opportunity to move with the times. Although change strikes fear in our hearts, and we tend to think it may affect productivity. And it may well do whilst we gain a qualification, or knowledge and experience.

So, we like what we like, and it's great to have a choice, but not everyone wants to give you that choice.

Why we should be students of digital communication systems, not masters

Regarding yourself as a student rather than a master helps you to feel less stressed about having to learn new skills: 

• Adapting to various digital communications allows you to satisfy stakeholders and organisations 
• Learning from the students perspective equals less pressure to get it right the first few times.
• More transferable skills to get ahead in the industry.

With that in mind, sometimes, our hands are forced to use other tools because their business model requires you to conduct your projects entirely through them: communications, tracking time worked and even invoicing.

Of course, this means you can't follow your usual working pattern, but you've to play by the rules, or your account will be closed and banned. 

What’s wrong with this digital communications strategy?

Take an example from a developer marketplace. 

Flawed service

The reality here is that this creates a service that is increasingly flawed over time because the underlying business model is not flexible enough to allow external communication and work. 

No added value

It's only focused on maximising profit from each user instead of offering actual value to the customer. Forcing this way of working onto people doesn't add value to these other services. Instead, it restricts the established, productive working patterns people have become accustomed to, with the end goal of forcing people to work entirely through them long term for all projects, thus increasing their profits.

No trust 

The problem is other services are built on the assumption that, fundamentally, views people as untrustworthy and is demonstrated in the high level of monitoring they do. They also work from the position that a client will distrust a developer, displayed through their time tracking software taking random screenshots, which many developers find highly intrusive.

Our final thoughts...

People use services like Developer Connection and others to connect with developers and clients that they otherwise would never find. And that's all people want to be able to do. Do people want to throw away nearly 20% of their project budget because they have used a service to find someone? Of course not. That's why at Developer Connection, all we do is give you the ability to make that new connection, and you are free to work in your usual way using your everyday tools, notably at no cost to you.

We understand that using big brother monitoring tactics is not how you create trust in a working relationship; there are much better methods to create trust in a new working relationship. Part of coming from a position of trust is allowing our users to continue to use the tool they like to chat, track time, ticket, invoice and everything else. 

Better for customers and public relations, right?

Get the freedom to work your way by creating your project with us or starting your developer subscription today!