I have worked from home before but it was in addition to working at an office. Perhaps the biggest plus to telecommuting, for me, is the extreme flexibility in scheduling. This is important because I can work at 2 am if I want to. If I have a big test, I don't have to call in and come in another day. I can just set aside more time to complete my work the next day.
Many issues facing distance education are relevant to telecommuting.
With the extreme flexibility of distance education, a person who is not truly motivated to be successful in their endeavors may fail miserably. This is certainly the case with telecommuting. Unlike at an office, where coworkers, snoop ware or a supervisor may monitor you, with telecommuting you have a sense that in some small way, you are your own boss. You make your own schedule, check your productivity and output, etc. However, I don't have any illusions that I have free reign over what I do.