The Rise of the Digital Nomad 273
krou writes "The Washington Post has a look at the rise of the digital nomad, workers who have shunned the idea of working in an office, or working from home. Instead, they've taken the next logical step in the evolution of teleworking, and work wherever there is a Wi-Fi or 3G connection, using tools such as Facebook, Skype, and Twitter, to gain both primitive ('If I'm working at home by myself, I am really hating life. I need people.') and practical ('There is no hope for the road system around here.') benefits from this nomadic lifestyle. The need for contact with other people has driven some nomads to start working with others in public places and at strangers' homes. Other benefits from nomadic working include changing the scenery, and starting the work day 'long after many of their colleagues out at the cubicle farm have spent hours preparing for and getting to their workstations.' Coffee shop owners love the trend, and so do some employers, one of whom (an AOL manager), says: 'It's a win-win' because the employee in question 'is happy doing what he loves and from a business perspective, we gain valuable industry knowledge, contacts, and insights.'"
Old fashioned attitudes (Score:5, Interesting)
Am I the only one with an employer that has the attitude "If I can't see you working, you aren't working"?
In fact, the last few companies I've worked at have been like that. Maybe I've just been unlucky, but "working from home" hasn't been an option at any point in my career.
Comment removed (Score:5, Interesting)
My personal experience as a "Nomad" (Score:4, Interesting)
I'm currently a student working for a professor at my university and I've been given the opportunity to do most of my work from home. I program for him, mostly in PHP for a website he is in charge of.
I do most of my work in libraries, parks, and restaurants. There are pros and cons to each environment. I think the greatest problem I've encountered is finding reliable and free wifi. Denny's restaurants tend to have free wifi, but it kicks you off every 30 minutes which is a real pain if you're trying to do something that requires long periods of thought.
Public libraries are most preferable, but at least here in San Diego, they are overcrowded and sometimes I can't find a desk to sit at. Libraries at my school are not crowded and have plenty of room to sit, however, parking requires permits. The park by the library is nice, at least during the day time, but sometimes if there is a lot of glare it is hard to work. Also, the wireless signal in a park is much weaker.
Starbucks is a no go for me since their wifi isn't free. And starbucks is the MOST crowded at all times of the day.
The Ralph's used to have free wifi, and is open 24 hours a day, so I would occasionally study or work from there. But recently they stopped offering free wifi. So I stopped going there.
Overall, I'd say the park is the nicest place to work. There is fresh air, light breezes. Ambient noise is neither repetitive nor distracting, but actually, in the same way the ocean is, relaxing. And you can always get up and take a walk to clear your mind. The other problem though is its hard to find power outlets. So you better have a nice laptop with a good battery, or else you won't be out there long.
better than life from red dwarf or that trek one (Score:3, Interesting)
This is making me think of homeless MMO players. Red Dwarf had an electronic drug that was essentially a VR life simulation. You get to live out the life you always dreamed of. The best part, of course, is that one of the characters trapped in the game was so full of neuroses and hangups that even his fantasies were a miserable wreck. But for those who had normal fantasies, they'd end up hooked into the game ignoring their own bodies as they slowly starved while lying in a puddle of their own waste. There was also a similar device featured in Star Trek, a game that got people so hooked they wouldn't notice aliens stealing the Enterprise.
When MUD's first became popular, I thought "Surely unemployment would be the addict's best friend. Get fired, lose the house, thus nowhere to plug in the computer, you're going cold turkey!" But the devices are getting so small, so power-friendly, and with games like EVE you can earn game-time just by playing a bunch, it doesn't take much of a stretch to imagine paying for wifi access via selling in-game gold and now the homeless guy living in the cardboard box might not be a wino but a game-o.
As for sending all the work over to Bangalore, I think that there's still going to be cultural barriers to doing so. Companies I've worked at, management has trouble figuring out where to go to lunch with a face-to-face meeting, let alone actually planning things in sufficient detail that a design doc could be sent overseas. At bare minimum an excellent project manager is needed to translate from vagueness to something the techs can understand, whether they're on this coast or overseas. Plus there's the pain in the ass of the differing time schedule. My dad had worked night shift at the phone company garage, a brilliant idea of management where the trucks get worked on at night and thus have greater availability during the day. The only problem is that the parts houses are only open during the day. A truck might be in and out same day on the day shift but for night shift they have to place the part order in the morning, let it arrive during the day, then wait for the next shift to do the work. That's the same sort of thing you're dealing with when working with India. Very delayed turnaround unless you can convince the Indians to work nightshift to fit American hours, a sure recipe for burnout.
Re:Old fashioned attitudes (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:Do Coffee Shop Owners Love It? (Score:1, Interesting)
Hence the importance of coffee shop owners to have an experienced network administrator set up their networks so that a passkey is generated with the print of a receipt. Every coffee shop I frequent has a similar system (I know because I keep receipts, and the passkey as of yet has not been duplicated).
good and bad (Score:2, Interesting)
yeah okay i'm one of these. web app developer been commuting for years.
Here's what stinks about working out of a panera or most cafes.
-It's usually freezing cold in summer, so i have to dress for winter in July.
-Yeah i have to buy food or drink, and usually it's fattening.
-Many places crank the lobby music so i can't hear my own music without causing ear damage.
-Lunch can be crowded and more loud than usual.
However I have enjoyed spending a month living in another state, with my sister, and just working out of a dunkin donuts during the day. Got in some family time at night and weekends I could not have otherwise.
Working at home (or out of cafe) does get a bit lonely. I miss the zany whacky coworkers, etc.
Steve Roberts ("Wordy") (Score:5, Interesting)
Way way back in the days before the Internet, CompuServe Information Services ($6 an hour plus phone bill, often referred to as CI$) important. At that time, there was a guy named Steve Roberts, aka "Wordy," who travelled around the country on a recumbent bicycle with a TRS-100, posting updates to CIS.
Googling suggests that he is still experimenting with a nomadic lifestyle... I think... Some posting suggest he has an email address at microship.com [microship.com] It's not clear to me whose website that is or what, exactly it is about... but perhaps it is his and perhaps he is still experimenting with a nomadic lifestyle.
Re:Ive seen these people (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Ive seen these people (Score:4, Interesting)
BTW, it isn't about the cost to the owner, it is about intent. If you are using the service, why would you not help defray the costs? The service does cost the owner money. Is there a good reason that you would not offer a little compensation? It is like not tipping the waiter. You are not compelled to tip, it is just the right thing to do.
and it sounds like progress to me (Score:4, Interesting)
all you are arguing for is an artificial inflation of costs
the guy working from india also has 1/10th the cost of living of the mcmansion living $1/gallon hummer driving american, so of course he can underbid you
why do you think it is your right and privilege to cost so much more than you are rightfully worth?
protectionism doesn't help anyone, it just slows down progress
and this is speaking as a programmer living in the usa
if someone can do in manila my job for 1/5th the price, i don't understand how i can justify my rate anymore. how can you?
Re:Ive seen these people (Score:3, Interesting)
It might be a different story at a McDonalds in the suburbs though.