Staying in touch: Constant connectivity

There's an ad at the Mexico City airport that shows a couple enjoying a romantic boat ride -- with a Telcel hot-air balloon hovering overhead. I can't help wondering whether Telcel thinks this is supposed to be a good thing. Doesn't that hot-air balloon represent a call that could come at any time and spoil the moment?

On the other hand, I imagine instead an ad showing the cubicles that this couple would otherwise be tethered to on this sunny afternoon were it were not for their Telcel phone.

In the 1990s, despite working at an Internet company, I rarely checked email from home. When I needed to work I went to the office, even though it meant spending many nights and weekends there. I had a laptop at home, but with a 28.8 bps modem it was slow and frustrating to use. Plus, I liked having a boundary between work and home. I may have spent a lot of time at the office, but at least when I was away, I was completely away.

How quaint! Today, I get my email everywhere and I am almost constantly accessible. I work from home with only a door to separate my living and office spaces. For better or worse, I am in the futuristic world of the couple on the lake.

Indeed, my world is even more extreme than theirs. Technology has allowed me not just to sneak away from the office, but to another country! My cellphone, high-speed internet, VoIP phone, and Blackberry have enabled me to live in Mexico with a job in New York. Whereas moving to Mexico in the past meant retiring or finding a job locally, it's now possible (at least with some jobs) to live and work remotely without missing a beat.