December 1988, before the world's first website blinked into existence, I experienced something unforgettable. I used Telnet from my dorm room to access files in Europe—I was reaching across an ocean, touching machines in offices on another continent. It was a coordinated kaleidoscope of bleeps and blips—the OSI layers and the packet-switched plumbing—my modem screeeeching out the birth of TCP/IP, plopping bits of green on a VT100, 1200 bps, RS‑232 to Port 23 ...and finally, there they were! Files on somebody else's computer—and instantly the STORY OF ONLINE flipped to the next chapter: new rails into an unmapped digital territory!
A recession was coming so I decided to start my own computer consulting practice, but I needed a way to project a professional image; I needed a personal office system! Staring at my screen, an idea materialized: professionals hang out their shingle—a sign with their name and profession—and if I could walk into that remote computer like an office down the hall, why not hang out my own shingle... Online!
... The Original Online Office Service™—a service I started over thirty years ago as a dial-up network that has evolved through the internet age of broadband and the cloud. The mission: To power the independence of remote work, helping you instantly launch your professional presence, be found, and claim your space within your line-of-work, industry, peer group, or community.
The "jobless recovery" of 1991 showed how computers could replace office roles, fracturing the unspoken bond of mutual loyalty between company and worker. This created a surge of independent consultants pushed into self-employment. That shift drove me to innovate, helping others work from home, small offices, and the road. Today, we face a similar but eye-blistering societal revolution as AI reorders our occupational foundations. That is why having your own professional space matters more than ever.
While job security may falter during this adjustment, your name—and your drive to design, promote, support, lead, organize, and build—and your drive to become what’s next— remain untouchable! From flying solopreneur to mastering the small-business hustle, to leading a world-class organization, perhaps serving the public trust, or launching your dream! You’re exactly where you belong—no matter where you are. So go ahead… Own your Office and your Professional Path!
Your Office is Ready™ ... and you can hang your digital shingle here!
— Tom