Philosophy has for hundreds of years been pursued as a relatively solitary occupation.
This has been augmented to a certain extent by the ability to discuss issues with colleagues who are geographically close, but for most philosophers, the number of immediate colleagues with similar interests is very small. Communication by mail has been possible for many, but this is a slow and inefficient way to exchange ideas. It is no longer particularly important where a philosopher is physically located. There are still significant differences in the areas of teaching loads, financial support, and the quality of students taught, but electronic communication is and will result in a democratisation of philosophy in that, coupled with the flow of talented people into less prestigious institutions because of the chronically depressed job market, the quality of philosophy will be less well correlated with the quality of the academic institution within which it is done, as will the evaluation of it by others. Philosophy is likely to become more like many of the sciences, with more collaborative projects and papers.