That was, at least for me, the promise of all this communication technology, and one of the reasons for me to go into software: to work from home or any other p

That was, at least for me, the promise of all this communication technology, and one of the reasons for me to go into software: to work from home or any other place, spend more time with people I care about, no more commuting, no need to sit in a boring fluorescent lighted room for 8+ hours a day. It really feels like business is taking a wrong turn lately. Back to reduced independence of workers and patriarchal policies. They decide what's good for you, and the office is a nice cosy place to be with your fellow workers, sit in this chair and you'll be sooo productive! Instead of deciding someones merit on the quality and timeliness of their work. I suppose it's a sign of the times, to not take even small risks anymore, even if people end up better for it. Not to look at individual merit but take rash decisions. It's all about squishing the last bits of productivity using "proven" methods (dating from the industrial revolution?), which may just as well be self-defeating in the end. After all, remote working does allow picking the person with exactly the right experience to do a certain job from all over the world.