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This lifestyle is ok for writers, not programmers. As the author states, he was writing a book, which is not a collaborative effort. Typical programming is tea

This lifestyle is ok for writers, not programmers. As the author states, he was writing a book, which is not a collaborative effort. Typical programming is team work, with milestones and deadlines. Deadlines which are set in one time zone. So, while I applaud this young man for doing what he did, it really is normal travel porn. If you have no obligations, great, do it. I bet in most cases you'll be under 30 if you can pull it off.

jtheory 15y ago
Agreed on this -- my work is all-remote and quite flexible, but I have to make it to conference calls 3-4 times a week, and I just missed most of one because the prepaid mobile broadband sim card wasn't all the way set up (and to finish it I had to figure out some Malay text in minuscule print). And the call was at midnight for me, because we have developers scattered across 16 hours of timezones, and that's the best time, all things considered. I do travel somewhat -- I left the US for France (but basically settled there), and periodically spend up to a month or so back in the US, or Malaysia (where I am now... hence the sim card). But keeping working is always a hassle (even though I'm almost always staying with family, and I know my way around), and each time I switch locations there are days of productivity down the drain due to jet lag, internet issues, actually seeing all of the people I travel to see, let alone time spent on planes, in airports, trains, etc., where I can get little bits of work done, but never much. We probably could travel more (and to more new places...), but it wouldn't be worth the stress of figuring out the same damn things all over again for each new place. Leaving your comfort zone is great, but leaving the same comfort zone in the same way over & over -- shifting to a new & strange place and sorting out the same basics -- isn't wonderful indefinitely. :)

jtheory 15y ago

Agreed on this -- my work is all-remote and quite flexible, but I have to make it to conference calls 3-4 times a week, and I just missed most of one because the prepaid mobile broadband sim card wasn't all the way set up (and to finish it I had to figure out some Malay text in minuscule print). And the call was at midnight for me, because we have developers scattered across 16 hours of timezones, and that's the best time, all things considered. I do travel somewhat -- I left the US for France (but basically settled there), and periodically spend up to a month or so back in the US, or Malaysia (where I am now... hence the sim card). But keeping working is always a hassle (even though I'm almost always staying with family, and I know my way around), and each time I switch locations there are days of productivity down the drain due to jet lag, internet issues, actually seeing all of the people I travel to see, let alone time spent on planes, in airports, trains, etc., where I can get little bits of work done, but never much. We probably could travel more (and to more new places...), but it wouldn't be worth the stress of figuring out the same damn things all over again for each new place. Leaving your comfort zone is great, but leaving the same comfort zone in the same way over & over -- shifting to a new & strange place and sorting out the same basics -- isn't wonderful indefinitely. :)