Working Really Remotely
Yesterday I had the real pleasure of working with the lead developer of ZeroMQ on a problem I was having with my TickerPlant. Specifically, I was sending one message and seemingly receiving more than 10. Very odd. When I started off with a note to the mailing list, it then transitioned into a nice chat on IRC, and when he needed to see code, I simply posted the programs I had been using on github as gists. It was a completely amazing experience.
I haven't worked remotely for a long time - about a decade, really. But when I did, the experience was a wonderful one. I got a ton of work done, I didn't feel out of the loop, and everyone was happy. This experience was even better, and it's because of the tools that are now available: github, the Mac and iSight cameras, universal development tools on most platforms - it's really made it possible for someone like me to do my job completely physically removed from the traditional workplace.
Once again, I long for the days of working at home. There's just so much to like about it.