So, commenting late so may not get a response. But I am curious about handling stuff like bank accounts, health insurance etc. like that require you to specify an address. How does that work out?
Thirteen Months of Working, Eating, and Sleeping at the Googleplex
111–120 of 120 posts
Re: Thirteen Months of Working, Eating, and Sleeping at the Googleplex
#112Earlier quoted context omitted.
The rationale behind it makes perfect sense. Do you really want to give someone $2-3000 per month or $24-36k a year just to have a box around you? Really? You honestly can't fathom why some people might desire their own, private space, away from their work environment, where they might, I dunno, live their life outside of their day-to-day drudgery? I'm not even sure how to react to that. It's such an alien way of thi…
When every one thinks alike, no one is thinking. I welcome frugalists who do not want to own home or pay rent, even though that is not my lifestyle. I see their point. Different strokes for different folks.
I can't see that as "frugalism", more just freeloading. They want the benefits of having a place to live, but with none of the responsibility or bills.
Re: Thirteen Months of Working, Eating, and Sleeping at the Googleplex
#113Earlier quoted context omitted.
Only on HN! Doesn't this beg the question: Why would you suffer such an unreasonably irrational wife?
Not sure that this deserves to be down voted. If the only reason for not continuing this lifestyle is his wife, doesn't that imply that his wife is being irrational?
No, it doesn't. It's just as plausible that he's the one being irrational.
Re: Thirteen Months of Working, Eating, and Sleeping at the Googleplex
#114So he got food, water, shower and toilets from Google's office. He only used his van as a sleeping place. He should definitely do an AMA: What about Internet access? What about the cold? Sleeping bags? Isolation inside the van? What about the hot? Air conditioning?
Regular California apartments don't have air conditioning anyway.
Every apartment I've had in Southern California has had air conditioning.
Re: Thirteen Months of Working, Eating, and Sleeping at the Googleplex
#115Part of my ‘problem’ with some elements of programming culture, is I fundamentally I don’t think I have that part of my brain where code is my hammer and every problem looks like a nail, so I struggle to even imagine a self-made project I’d have that kind of dedication to, let alone some random corporate or startup app thing. Like what does Google even do that’s really deserving of that kind of dedication? There are…
Did you read the article? I would agree with you in general, but this seems like an off-base comment about someone whose express objective is moving back to the farm to await the collapse of civilization.
Re: Thirteen Months of Working, Eating, and Sleeping at the Googleplex
#116Part of my ‘problem’ with some elements of programming culture, is I fundamentally I don’t think I have that part of my brain where code is my hammer and every problem looks like a nail, so I struggle to even imagine a self-made project I’d have that kind of dedication to, let alone some random corporate or startup app thing. Like what does Google even do that’s really deserving of that kind of dedication? There are…
Did you read the article? I would agree with you in general, but this seems like an off-base comment about someone whose express objective is moving back to the farm to await the collapse of civilization.
The impression is, in fairness, less about the main subject, than some of the other stories told in the article.
Our future farmer may've been more 'practical suffering' than 'true believer' but some of the other tales, and the more beyond I've heard over the years, very much seem to come from the latter.
Re: Thirteen Months of Working, Eating, and Sleeping at the Googleplex
#117Earlier quoted context omitted.
That's so strange. If you're going to park your tiny home somewhere, why not make it the size of a regular car, like the VW Westfalia camper van? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_Westfalia_Campers
Westfalias retail for upwards of ~$50,000, with 1980's models still fetching upwards of $15,000... If the Elio [1] can retail for $6,800 new, it's not a stretch to imagine a modern minimal camper-motorcycle/tuktuk/scooter for under ~$20,000... models for countries with less regulatory requirements like India or Asia regions might have much less expensive versions. [1] http://eliomotors.com/
Westfalias are expensive because they are a bit of a fetish item. I have a 2000 converted camper van (pop top, fridge, solar panels, stove, running water) that I bought for 13k. It's still expensive, but not compared to a tempermental westfalia that's 20 years older.
Re: Thirteen Months of Working, Eating, and Sleeping at the Googleplex
#118So, commenting late so may not get a response. But I am curious about handling stuff like bank accounts, health insurance etc. like that require you to specify an address. How does that work out?
I'd be willing to bet most people use their parents address, or a friend, or a girlfriend/boyfriend. They can probably also use their actual work address for some things or a po box.
Re: Thirteen Months of Working, Eating, and Sleeping at the Googleplex
#119Earlier quoted context omitted.
Westfalias retail for upwards of ~$50,000, with 1980's models still fetching upwards of $15,000... If the Elio [1] can retail for $6,800 new, it's not a stretch to imagine a modern minimal camper-motorcycle/tuktuk/scooter for under ~$20,000... models for countries with less regulatory requirements like India or Asia regions might have much less expensive versions. [1] http://eliomotors.com/
Westfalias are expensive because they are a bit of a fetish item. I have a 2000 converted camper van (pop top, fridge, solar panels, stove, running water) that I bought for 13k. It's still expensive, but not compared to a tempermental westfalia that's 20 years older.
I assume it's somewhat due to the slim form factor?
There are ford/dodge van campers but they're cumbersome compared to the slimmer Volkswagen Westfalias and similar early Toyota TownAce models. Westfalias have a much larger userbase and parts aftermarket though.
Re: Thirteen Months of Working, Eating, and Sleeping at the Googleplex
#120Earlier quoted context omitted.
Ben and I started at Google on the same day. I was pretty psyched to meet him because I'd followed his website ( http://vterrain.org/ ) for years. He's a fairly loud, outgoing guy. Among a bunch of quirky nerds he sticks out with his 10" ponytail. When he first told me he was living out of the parking lot, I thought he was joking.
How quirky are these nerds if someone sticks out by having long hair ? Did I fall asleep in 2015 and wake up in 1962? Thanks for the link to his website! It looks awesome!
Yeah, in retrospect that reads way more derpy than I expected. Ben's a great guy. :)