This is awesome. I've been looking for something similar. Quickly add a bit more functionality (photo resize, link it to twitter, add comments, etc...) before other sites copy your idea.
Seriously, that was an awesome take on freelance. I read a lot of these "how freelance is like," type of articles, and they're mostly focused on the freelancer not the work.
But I think he's just writing for that audience. The question isn't how can I be a successful freelancer, but how will my life be different if I choose to freelance. That's probably what most of his readers are looking for.
I'm hesitant about the social layers search stuff. Honestly, the data I put on the web is personal, and it deserves its own respect. Its not just a statistic. If my friend wants to know what I think about something they can email me.
I think it would be a brilliant move by Google to combine their separate services into something similar to Facebook. Google has all the parts, like video (Youtube), pics (Picasa), mini-blogs (Buzz), chat, and e-mail. They do all of this better than Facebook, and add Google Voice on top of it. It's just natural for them to start a social network that integrates all of these different parts.
I'm thinking it would be a bigger problem if people can stream from their phones. You would be able to see a lot of different angles, and behind the scenes type of footage.
Unless you want a job in Academia. College is still a big barrier for many professions, and probably the only way you will have adequate training for those professions.
Also, I would not give a 18 year old $10,000 to start a business. You need at least some training or experience working before you head out on your own. If I had $10,000 I would give it to him only if I saw he had a real plan.
I think they go hand in hand. You can only treat someone as a guest if you know something about them. It is the influx of data that has given character to customers. The more data you have, the more you will build their persona.
I just posted my thoughts on it here. http://bit.ly/b7tGcm I'd post it as a comment but it's too long.
He's good on the financial advice but bad on everything else. Why would you promote Defense technology if you think the biggest risk in the future is war? Shouldn't you be promoting peace?
You need to network. Its not just about working on other people's projects as it is about being genuinely interested, and part of a community. Go to venues and conferences, or connect with people here, reddit, twitter, or irc. Its slow, but its a great way to understand what others are doing and be able to tell them what you're doing. Loic Le Muer, the founder of seesmic, has some good advice: http://bit.ly/91NzmR