4 ms·
I've occasionally thought it would be interesting to have a place where programmers and other people involved in "knowledge work" could live and work half of ea
by floren 7y ago
I've occasionally thought it would be interesting to have a place where programmers and other people involved in "knowledge work" could live and work half of each day at intellectual tasks and spend the other half in physical labor to support themselves. So you get up and milk the cows, then go write some code, then later in the afternoon hoe the corn. I get most of my best thinking done when I'm doing a repetitive task like washing the dishes or maintaining the lawn, anyway.
- rtkwe 7y agoIt'd be hard because manual labor isn't that profitable, farms are so mechanized for a reason and that's because machines are better and more consistent than migrant workers who get paid very little and work way more than half a day. Manual labor on farms mostly exists in a few areas where mechanization hasn't happened yet like berry picking, etc.
- floren 7y agoYou're not doing it to make money from the farming, you're doing it to grow fresh food for yourself and the other people there. Presumably your actual income would come from contracting or remote work, although part of the idea of raising your own food is so you don't need as much income.
- rtkwe 7y ago> the other half in physical labor to support themselves Sounded a lot like OP was talking about an artist colony type where the main programming you were doing wasn't for work/profit but for exploration (or maybe future projects but not current work). If it's a long term setup for the location to 'support' itself they'll have to make enough to buy the other food they want (growing all your own food limits your diet just because of seasonal foods), make money to pay taxes and utilities, and to pay for maintenance (even if they're doing the work with residents they'll need materials).
- stanferder 7y agoSeymour Cray used to dig tunnels. NOTE: This is probably a very dangerous activity.
- mapmap 7y agoThis is a thing. Some people just like to dig. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-unfathomable-pursuit-of-personal-tunneling https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-unfathomable-pursu...
- Liquix 7y agoHeck yeah it's dangerous! Ever read about the bitcoin millionaire who hired someone to dig a tunnel system under his house and the worker ended up dying on the job? Crazy story: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/md-millionaire-charged-in-death-of-man-he-hired-to-dig-tunnels-beneath-his-home/ https://www.cbsnews.com/news/md-millionaire-charged-in-death...
- jandrese 7y agoTo be fair, digging tunnels is not quite as dangerous when your boss isn't a complete nutcase. This was an exceptional case.