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150 days of living and coding in a van

ruby-on-wheels.github.io

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Re: 150 days of living and coding in a van

#201

Post by jmkni »

mmahemoff wrote: post #94

I'm curious - don't people miss big monitors when coding on a laptop? I've done a fair amount of coding on laptops while travelling and it's okay, but I feel like a big monitor is optimal for most work and wouldn't want a permanent situation with just laptop. I like to have logs, command line, and editor all visible, and ideally a browser too. The editor alone is much more useful in a big window where you can see a f…

I think for a lot of developers, it's a style thing.

Coding hunched over a laptop looks cool and hackery, coding with a big 27-inch monitor (maybe a couple) looks businessey.

I know a guy who does a lot of Excel work on a Macbook Air (1366x768 IIRC), and it just looks painful. When I suggest investing in a decent size/screen resolution monitor, he looks at me like I have two heads.

Looking like Mr Robot is more important for a lot of people than being practical, even if they end up with back problems in later life!

Re: 150 days of living and coding in a van

#202

Post by moretai »

toomanybeersies wrote: post #166
sdfjkl wrote: post #131

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We get this a lot. We're sailing cruisers - similar to the van thing, except on water and you use wind and pull on bits of string for propulsion, with the diesel engine only a secondary (but important) means. Especially from the mate's mother: "When are you going to stop this nonsense and get a real job and a home?".

There's a whole community of us global travelers who have shunned the whole "being an adult" thing. I know several people that have been backpacking and doing the working-holiday thing for 4 or 5 years. Never staying in one city for more than around 3 months, and moving countries when their working holiday visa expires. Their families have mostly been saying the same thing. Settling down isn't for everyone.

Won't life eventually catch up to them? Or is that part of the adventure to see how long running away can last?

Re: 150 days of living and coding in a van

#203

Post by lilbobbytables »

p0nce wrote: post #140
mmahemoff wrote: post #94

I'm curious - don't people miss big monitors when coding on a laptop? I've done a fair amount of coding on laptops while travelling and it's okay, but I feel like a big monitor is optimal for most work and wouldn't want a permanent situation with just laptop. I like to have logs, command line, and editor all visible, and ideally a browser too. The editor alone is much more useful in a big window where you can see a f…

I develop wth a mobile setup (3G/4G + laptop + laptop stand) most of the time, but not with a nomadic lifestyle. I don't miss big monitors while on the go. Either I forgot how good they were or one get used to it. What I favor infinitely more is the mobility itself. I don't understand why remote people don't move more when given the chance. YMMV, I still have a big monitor at home, else I would feel cut from my custo…

> A problem with smaller screen is the additional eye strain

I almost have more of an eye strain with multiple monitors because of more horizontal movement of my eyes, and often being a little bit further from the monitor. (and my bigger monitor isn't the same resolution as my laptop)

Re: 150 days of living and coding in a van

#204

Post by lilbobbytables »

brookside wrote: post #142
mmahemoff wrote: post #94

I'm curious - don't people miss big monitors when coding on a laptop? I've done a fair amount of coding on laptops while travelling and it's okay, but I feel like a big monitor is optimal for most work and wouldn't want a permanent situation with just laptop. I like to have logs, command line, and editor all visible, and ideally a browser too. The editor alone is much more useful in a big window where you can see a f…

I use the app "duet" to connect an iPad as a second monitor for the cases when a second display is really useful (like playing spot the difference with a site vs Sketch design). This would be wonderful I'm sure with one of the newer 12.9" iPad pros. And for 1/10 of the cost you can pick up something like a "15.6” Widescreen Flat-Panel USB 3.0-Powered Portable LED Monitor - $99"

The only time I want multiple monitors is when doing web work because of the design aspect and needing to referring back and forth as constantly.

Re: 150 days of living and coding in a van

#205

Post by flak48 »

phillc73 wrote: post #56
hycaria wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Don't you worry about the objectively lower education for your children there ? As much as I dislike cities, I can't imagine raising children somewhere else. Education, culture and network potential (through friends) is just not the same.

No, it's not something I worry about at all. I'd be interested to know why you think the education would be objectively lower. I'm still living in a city, just a small one. Having checked Wikipedia, it tells me the population is officially 320k. There are six Universities and the city is UNESCO listed as a Cultural Heritage site. I just don't see this location disadvantaging my child. In fact, I think it's a location…

Cordoba?

Re: 150 days of living and coding in a van

#206

Post by coldtea »

aidos wrote: post #193
coldtea wrote: post #188

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> This seems to have attracted a lot of downvotes, I guess because it's overtly antagonistic Not exactly antagonistic -- meant to give some historical context to answer the parent's question which made it seem like big monitors are some physical necessity that people just can't do without. It's not like big monitors where any kind of norm before at least 2000. I know tons of people happily coding away on a laptop wit…

Well, the only part of your comment I was referring to was the "having 10 BS windows asking for our attention", because really I agree with you (and I upvoted you to try to help normalise the discussion). It's a very strange thread to read. Judging by the downvotes, it seems as though there's a really negative reaction to people who code on small screens. Whatever people want to do is fine, but it's pretty weird to a…

>Well, the only part of your comment I was referring to was the "having 10 BS windows asking for our attention"

A, yes, thanks. I think where big/dual monitors make more sense are for admin style work -- when you need to, non pun intended, monitor, several things at once.

Re: 150 days of living and coding in a van

#207

Post by ForRealsies »

toomanybeersies wrote: post #166
sdfjkl wrote: post #131

Earlier quoted context omitted.

We get this a lot. We're sailing cruisers - similar to the van thing, except on water and you use wind and pull on bits of string for propulsion, with the diesel engine only a secondary (but important) means. Especially from the mate's mother: "When are you going to stop this nonsense and get a real job and a home?".

There's a whole community of us global travelers who have shunned the whole "being an adult" thing. I know several people that have been backpacking and doing the working-holiday thing for 4 or 5 years. Never staying in one city for more than around 3 months, and moving countries when their working holiday visa expires. Their families have mostly been saying the same thing. Settling down isn't for everyone.

I find two things bring a sense of fulfillment: Responsibility and Affecting others. Does that lifestyle offer either?

Re: 150 days of living and coding in a van

#208

Post by mantas »

victornomad wrote: post #137
mantas wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> of us want to have a slower life, cherishing small things in nature and learn about the world directly, without intermediaries. Which is exactly what small town life is. No need to go nomad for that. In my experience, backpacking is neither slow life, nor cherishing small thing. It may be compared to multi-million city, but it's not compared to living in small town or village.

I didnt go nomad because of been raised in a small town. I went nomad because I like it :) I just mentioned that to contrast the first comment where suggested that people from big cities become nomads to escape from them. Backpacking is not black or white. There is backpackers who multihop cities every couple of days to get laid in backpacker hostels, some others travel slow, some to remote places, some others move w…

I get it that backpacking/nomading crowd is diverse. It's just weird when people attribute living slowly to that. I know some backpackers do embrace living slowly. But their lifestyle look too similar to small town (or even backwoods) living. Well, aside from the part how they got there. And likely not-so-slow period of change to move to next slow destination.

Re: 150 days of living and coding in a van

#209

Post by kalleboo »

mmahemoff wrote: post #94

I'm curious - don't people miss big monitors when coding on a laptop? I've done a fair amount of coding on laptops while travelling and it's okay, but I feel like a big monitor is optimal for most work and wouldn't want a permanent situation with just laptop. I like to have logs, command line, and editor all visible, and ideally a browser too. The editor alone is much more useful in a big window where you can see a f…

When I was a broke student, I scrouged CRTs people threw out and had a 3-4 monitor setup, but still found myself only concentrating on the middle monitor ignoring stuff off to the sides.

Then I got Apple's nice big 30" cinema display and everything was good.

Then it broke and right after that I started living nomadically with my 1900x1200 equivalent 15" retina laptop and never minded the difference.

I have good eyes after correction and use 9 point fonts everywhere so I can fit a lot of text on screen.

Re: 150 days of living and coding in a van

#210

Post by bamboozled »

I live and work to travel and go on adventures and what I don't live for is work. Why would someone want to mix the two?

I work full time remote out of a home office, but I couldn't think of much worse of an idea going on a "working holiday". I've done it and it just distracts me from enjoying my time.

I mean, is the author really productive or just having fun and doing much less work?

I'm not judging anyone for working less, I'm all for it, but this taking your work with you everywhere sounds horrible.

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