[goldenManatee]

Probably flux at first, and after some time an equilibrium. People get used to all kinds of things - change or die, for companies and careers alike. Worrying about this will be irrelevant after some time. Too much concern on this kind of suggests to me that a significant portion of people’s pay is based on the perception of productivity derived from interfacing with many people at work, but not necessarily producing a lot more for the company than saliva.

[CamTin]

This is correct IMO. Most of the workforce at any office-y (including tech) company of significant size isn't a positive investment for their employer. We're all just spending our days trying to prove that there's good reason to hesitate in firing us.

It is absolutely a concern for us if something happens that makes it more difficult for us to keep up this charade, especially if it coincides with a dramatic recession that gives management a reason to sniff around for cost savings.

[SpicyLemonZest]

I don't agree with the dichotomy here. There's no "more than" about it; interfacing with people is one of the most important ways that white collar professionals produce value for a company.

[wandereronhn]

Thankfully we have technologies now that have moved beyond smoke signals and we can actually talk to people without being in visible range.

[SpicyLemonZest]

Most people I know, me included, are willing to go much further out of our way to accommodate those we've met and interact with in person. That's a large part of why things like industry conferences exist, despite how obvious it is that they're an ineffective and tremendously expensive way to communicate information.

[Solvitieg]

It remains an open question whether online interactions are a sufficient replacements to in person interactions.