by Philip E. Ross

About the author: Philip E. Ross is an associate editor at Forbes magazine.

Douglas Flint, 35-year-old owner of Tune-Up Technology in Alexandria, Va., used to make a decent living doing car engine tuneups. Now he gets by. Today’s cars don’t need tuneups because computerized controls don’t wear out. “At the shop level, engine rebuilding is also becoming a dead art,” sighs Flint. His mechanics, once well-paid specialists, now survive on general repair work and low- paying routine jobs like oil changes. Many of Flint’s competitors have failed.

Computer Software Can Replace the Knowledge Worker

As the auto mechanic has gone, so will go many of today’s professionals who make their living by applying specialized knowledge. As computers make the professional’s arcana accessible...