(From TheStar.com) Telecommuting is an old idea which still has not gained traction because the need for human contact, sometimes intimately, is simply too strong to be severed.

WHEN we talk about innovation to improve our daily lives, many of the technologies, techniques and thinking revolve around the office and any building deemed as the workplace.

The office is a legacy of the 19th century, still strong in the 21st century with no indication that it is ever diminishing.

The office is also a legacy which is deeply aligned to the way we interact and develop social and technical skills.

That is why when we think of work, we inevitably think of the office, which may be a brilliantly lit edifice filled with creative people, mingling and exchanging ideas to create super products and services.

Or, it could be filled with people who do nothing but paperwork, answer calls, make marketing or investment pitches to unwary customers, or respond to customer complaints and grievances.

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