4 ms·

I think that I'd be way more interested in reading about this phenomena if there was literally any term used to describe it other than "digital nomad". There's

by 65827 10y ago

I think that I'd be way more interested in reading about this phenomena if there was literally any term used to describe it other than "digital nomad". There's also just the creeps who really enjoy being served by other humans, but can't really afford to own a full time servant class anywhere but SE Asia so that's where they live. Something really rubs me the wrong way about the white people who do this, lots of really creepy stuff going on.

127 10y ago
It's just another job. What's so creepy about it?
b6 10y ago
> There's also just the creeps who really enjoy being served by other humans, but can't really afford to own a full time servant class anywhere but SE Asia so that's where they live. Hi, I've been doing the digital nomad thing (I don't like this term either) for about a year and a half with two close friends. I'm not the way you describe, and neither are my friends. Could you give more information about where your perspective comes from? Is this something you've seen while working as a nomad? Or something you imagine happening?
- mercer 10y ago
  I'd second that request. I've been considering 'going nomad' for a while and I'm very interested to learn more about it, 'good' or 'bad'.
mskvsk 10y ago
The majority of nomads I've met were nice people and didn't have the master/servant mindset. However, I knew some people who do, though. As for the term, I don't like it either, but this is how languages work, I guess. There is little we can do at that point.
yummyfajitas 10y ago
I quite enjoy having servants when I'm in India. There are many jobs where I don't have a comparative advantage so I pay people to do them. Your language "own a full time servant" is nonsensical, it's "pay a person for their labor at a mutually agreed upon wage". If an employee finds something better (which they often do in a fast growing economy) there's nothing I can do to keep them besides offer them more money. By contrast, in the US, I'm forced to pay people not to work. Why is preferring the former "creepy"?
- someguydave 10y ago
  http://thefutureprimaeval.net/servants-without-masters/ http://thefutureprimaeval.net/servants-without-masters/ White Americans have a very odd bias against personal service. Honestly I think it is a major obstacle to economic growth - image how much more productive the average upper middle class family could be if they could employ servants to get things done at home. Instead USG pays a big portion of "poor" people not to work, and also insists that they cannot work for low (market clearing) wages.
  - eli_gottlieb 10y ago
    I wouldn't describe human dignity and equality as "a very odd bias".
    - deleted 10y ago
      [deleted]
    - someguydave 10y ago
      So you are putting forth the idea that all forms of personal service require sacrificing dignity? What does equality even mean with respect to one's work role?
      - eli_gottlieb 10y ago
        >So you are putting forth the idea that all forms of personal service require sacrificing dignity? Well yes. Following orders is always a sacrifice of dignity, even when we make it a small, subtle one. > What does equality even mean with respect to one's work role? That you can give input and have as much voice in the group's direction as anyone else.
gbog 10y ago
Being served, as in having a guy behind your chair when eating and handing you your shirt, like in Burmese days (Orwell)? I bet this is kind of rare nowadays. But to me employing local people to do some very noble tasks like attending to kids is quite ok, and in fact a very healthy way to share your wealth with people that have good use for it.
kirso 10y ago
It's called living above your means and be a society expectations freak. Also sometimes referred to as "1st world problems"

by 65827 10y ago

127 10y ago

It's just another job. What's so creepy about it?

b6 10y ago

> There's also just the creeps who really enjoy being served by other humans, but can't really afford to own a full time servant class anywhere but SE Asia so that's where they live. Hi, I've been doing the digital nomad thing (I don't like this term either) for about a year and a half with two close friends. I'm not the way you describe, and neither are my friends. Could you give more information about where your perspective comes from? Is this something you've seen while working as a nomad? Or something you imagine happening?

mercer 10y ago
I'd second that request. I've been considering 'going nomad' for a while and I'm very interested to learn more about it, 'good' or 'bad'.

mskvsk 10y ago

The majority of nomads I've met were nice people and didn't have the master/servant mindset. However, I knew some people who do, though. As for the term, I don't like it either, but this is how languages work, I guess. There is little we can do at that point.

yummyfajitas 10y ago

I quite enjoy having servants when I'm in India. There are many jobs where I don't have a comparative advantage so I pay people to do them. Your language "own a full time servant" is nonsensical, it's "pay a person for their labor at a mutually agreed upon wage". If an employee finds something better (which they often do in a fast growing economy) there's nothing I can do to keep them besides offer them more money. By contrast, in the US, I'm forced to pay people not to work. Why is preferring the former "creepy"?

someguydave 10y ago
http://thefutureprimaeval.net/servants-without-masters/ http://thefutureprimaeval.net/servants-without-masters/ White Americans have a very odd bias against personal service. Honestly I think it is a major obstacle to economic growth - image how much more productive the average upper middle class family could be if they could employ servants to get things done at home. Instead USG pays a big portion of "poor" people not to work, and also insists that they cannot work for low (market clearing) wages.
- eli_gottlieb 10y ago
  I wouldn't describe human dignity and equality as "a very odd bias".
  - deleted 10y ago
    [deleted]
  - someguydave 10y ago
    So you are putting forth the idea that all forms of personal service require sacrificing dignity? What does equality even mean with respect to one's work role?
    - eli_gottlieb 10y ago
      >So you are putting forth the idea that all forms of personal service require sacrificing dignity? Well yes. Following orders is always a sacrifice of dignity, even when we make it a small, subtle one. > What does equality even mean with respect to one's work role? That you can give input and have as much voice in the group's direction as anyone else.

gbog 10y ago

Being served, as in having a guy behind your chair when eating and handing you your shirt, like in Burmese days (Orwell)? I bet this is kind of rare nowadays. But to me employing local people to do some very noble tasks like attending to kids is quite ok, and in fact a very healthy way to share your wealth with people that have good use for it.

kirso 10y ago

It's called living above your means and be a society expectations freak. Also sometimes referred to as "1st world problems"