your discussion is an interesting one. as an american living and working as an independent designer/illustrator in europe for 20+ years,I wish to underline the differences in scale and culture that will forever prevent the two markets from totally cloning each other. trust is established progressively here as opposed to more daring approaches personally experienced in NYC and west coast markets. personal contacts & face to face networking remain my most lucrative methods of finding work, and I value the emotional content of the process. being able to refer people to a personal website showcasing my work is a sign of mastering new technology. finally, whatever tools are used, its the quality of one’s work that speaks for itself.