My Friends and I Bought an Island • Hacker News Board

Re: My Friends and I Bought an Island

#241

Post by S_A_P » Tue, Sep 17, 2013, 12:54 AM UTC

corresation wrote: post #125

It sounds like you guys really thought this through (with the LLC, etc), however I can't shake the feeling that you're going to find this a bit like owning a boat: it sounds like much more fun before you actually do it. Five acres is slightly more land than I have (in the exurbs of Toronto), and is almost certainly much more awkward, with less usable space. I mention that because I can't imagine trying to facilitate…

I live on 4.1 acres. I can't imagine splitting it 10 ways in a manner that would allow for free space on an island with rugged terrain. It's big but not get away from 10 people you may or may not like big.

Re: My Friends and I Bought an Island

#242

Post by intenex » Tue, Sep 17, 2013, 1:02 AM UTC

tynan wrote: post #187

kamakazizuru wrote: post #127

"I bought an Island" ... on a blog about minimalism...

Yeah, but it's my ONLY island.

For now*. Don't forget the artillery for imperializing neighboring islands.

Re: My Friends and I Bought an Island

#243

Post by rektide » Tue, Sep 17, 2013, 1:04 AM UTC

Investors and builders, please remember that your property's value is sinking. Sinking, sinking under the waves of the rising sea.

Re: My Friends and I Bought an Island

#244

Post by cenhyperion » Tue, Sep 17, 2013, 1:06 AM UTC

lutusp wrote: post #64

Quote: "Over the years we'll build up the island, doing most of the work ourselves. We'll build a communal building with a shower, kitchen, lounge, and bathrooms. Each owner of the island gets to pick a spot on which to build their own little structure to sleep in. Together we'll build infrastructure, gardens, a fire pit, and whatever else we can come up with." So, not counting significant others, ten people sharing…

If you're not planning on living there permanently I don't see it as much of an issue. That said I'm used to living in cities where half an acre per person sounds like a huge amount of land.

Re: My Friends and I Bought an Island

#245

Post by base698 » Tue, Sep 17, 2013, 1:12 AM UTC

brandall10 wrote: post #157

Just for people new to who Tynan is, he's a pretty far out guy. Some things I recall (sorry haven't kept up over the years) 1) Ran a successful professional online poker playing business, actually hired employees and trained them to predictably win. 2) Was one of the main characters in the book The Game (yes, that PUA one). 3) Did polyphasic sleep experiments in earnest (was it a couple months or so?). 4) Had a giant…

Not common place before 2008? A lot of anti materialism propaganda started way before that: AdBusters, Culture Jam and lots of other films that were even main stream.

Re: My Friends and I Bought an Island

#246

Post by base698 » Tue, Sep 17, 2013, 1:14 AM UTC

GoldfishCRM wrote: post #223

In sweden you dont have to buy an island. All the island are free to camp at. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_to_roam

Not to mention Switzerland, Norway, and Finland as well.

Re: My Friends and I Bought an Island

#247

Post by jonah » Tue, Sep 17, 2013, 1:14 AM UTC

tynan wrote: post #104

isaacn wrote: post #73

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Congrats on your purchase! Having 4G internet is a very nice addition to your infrastructure, and critical in this day and age. Even if you want to disconnect for extended periods of time, you still have to pay your bills and taxes. Speaking from experience, solar panels and car batteries work very well to supply a minimal amount of power for daily use (LED lights, charging cell phones and laptops, etc), but a genera…

Thanks! I actually have an RV with solar and LED, so I'm very familiar with the awesomeness of running off the grid. I'm not sure we'll get enough solar to make it cost efficient, but we're still looking into it. I haven't done enough research into desalination-- I had no idea that shutting it down for a while is a problem. Why is that? We may also do rainwater recovery + filtration for drinking/cooking, and salt for…

My extended family owns a cabin on a tiny island on a lake in Wisconsin.

* You're right - having a house on an island is cooler than having a house on the shore. :)

* Probably not applicable to you, but when they need to move heavy things (Backhoe to dredge the dock, materials, etc.) to the island, they drive them in over the frozen lake in midwinter.

* The power comes in over an underwater cable. Something you might want to look into.

Re: My Friends and I Bought an Island

#248

Post by thejulielogan » Tue, Sep 17, 2013, 1:19 AM UTC

Step 1. Buy Island Step 2. Build treehouse Step 3. Swiss Family Robinson Step 4. Thwart Pirates Step 5. Become a host on AirBnB. "Lovely Family Getaway"

Re: My Friends and I Bought an Island

#249

Post by mathattack » Tue, Sep 17, 2013, 1:23 AM UTC

corresation wrote: post #125

It sounds like you guys really thought this through (with the LLC, etc), however I can't shake the feeling that you're going to find this a bit like owning a boat: it sounds like much more fun before you actually do it. Five acres is slightly more land than I have (in the exurbs of Toronto), and is almost certainly much more awkward, with less usable space. I mention that because I can't imagine trying to facilitate…

Do you see this ending in Lord of the Flies? I just can't imagine 10 friends all growing together with the land at the same pace. Some will have kids. Other want to be more rowdy. Or less. It sounds awesome though, I hope they make it work.

Re: My Friends and I Bought an Island

#250

Post by raldi » Tue, Sep 17, 2013, 1:26 AM UTC

tedunangst wrote: post #122

raldi wrote: post #28

What is it about islands that gives them their mystique? I don't think a post entitled, "My friends and I bought a five-acre plot of land near Halifax" would have garnered as much attention.

Well defined borders. You're either on the island, or not. Neither you nor your neighbors are likely to wander across the border without noticing.

Nope, that's not it.

Proof: Would you get excited about a story of someone buying a five acre plot of land with a fence around it? Or a moat-like trench?