Are You A Digital Nomad?......

[theblether]

I'm meeting more and more people on my travels who are Digital Nomads, " have laptop, will travel " types. I spend almost every night in the company of web designers, bloggers, digital entrepreneurs etc

I'm normally invited to look over there business plan as I have a traditional business background, which seems to be faintly old fashioned these days, while knowing enough about Social media development etc to follow what is being said to me. This very night I've helped to restructure someone's business plan as they were getting confused as to the best way forward. That was my pleasure, and I hope they follow / stick to the advice ( which to be honest was obvious, but sometimes when you are too close to a problem, you can't see it ).

It's also a great pleasure to see so many people, mainly youngsters but not all, having the bottle to have a go at making a living from the net. A lot of them are on the road to being wealthy, while obviously others will fail, there's no certainties in life.

I know a lady who has just spent two weeks volunteering at a Monastery / Orphanage in Mynamar, she was there to teach the kids English and now she is settling down for the Summer to blog all of her experiences. It seems an idyllic and interesting way to make a living.

Would you count yourself as a digital nomad? or do you dream of being one, one of these days?

[muythai2013]

Was thinking of touring all the sites in Afghanistan.

I here it's nice in the summertime and the people are quite friendly.

More Americans and Australians there then ever so I would like to take my laptop and find out what the attraction is.

Will stop off In Somalia first for a short time.

[TheFishman1]

O K you want a pat on ur back

[theblether]

O K you want a pat on ur back

Was thinking of touring all the sites in Afghanistan.

I here it's nice in the summertime and the people are quite friendly.

More Americans and Australians there then ever so I would like to take my laptop and find out what the attraction is.

Will stop off In Somalia first for a short time.

Ross Kemp has made a fortune from his Afghanistan book........there's a massive market for that type of story.

[pigeonjake]

maybe just maybe, hes got the experiance to do so,

and what ever he has done or hasnt done in the past, in exacly that in the past

jake

[theblether]

Yup, still running two successful companies Jake.

I'm a dinosaur compared to this new generation, they're floating around the world making serious money while enjoying life to the full.

Excellent.

[arthurwait]

DId you meet any noveau riche IT millionaires who shouted drinks all night. With the amount of them on TV you must have met some.

[pigeonjake]

well done thr blether,

well im still the old welding supervisor,,

but its a mean to an end,

chat to you soon mate,

jake

[theblether]

DId you meet any noveau riche IT millionaires who shouted drinks all night. With the amount of them on TV you must have met some.

Not yet, the one's I've met so far seem to be down to earth individuals. Some of the work I'm seeing is top class, and a real education. I read a story about a Phuket based individual yesterday, an American lady, that's making a fortune from social media.

There's a large contingent of these types either in Thailand or moving through Thailand. I would suggest that some of the members should look at it as a way to make an income or supplement an income here in Thailand.

Naturally though, rather than look at the topic and maybe get an education, a certain contingent feel the need to play the man.

Typical TV morons.

[StreetCowboy]

well done thr blether,

well im still the old welding supervisor,,

but its a mean to an end,

chat to you soon mate,

jake

well done thr blether,

well im still the old welding supervisor,,

but its a mean to an end,

chat to you soon mate,

jake

But the internet thingy and all this telecommunication and electricity and all that has benefitted us as well. I'm a dull and simple chap, doing what dull and simple chaps have always done, but the colleagues from my last job but one are scattered in the UK, Dubai, Qatar, Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and the grave; The world now is a very small place, and whereas when I was young I was afraid of the boot boys from the wrong side of the river, I would now be foolish to abhor chaps in turbans

SC

[muythai2013]

Ross kemp has a big heart, has my total respect, I watch every show he is in.

[arthurwait]

Ross kemp has a big heart, has my total respect, I watch every show he is in.

I'll grant you that.

[David48]

Wow...so they let a divorced, obese, reformed alcoholic amend their business plan...

Why?

I'm surprised that a self proclaimed multi-millionaire like yourself, doesn't acknowledge the value of a Business Plan?

And if you really considered you would realise just how normal theblether is.

Compare him and me.

We are both about the same age, though he's a few years younger.

I have a Business Degree and worked helping SME's for 5 years with both the Local Government and the Chambers of Commerce.

He's been involved in a thriving Family Business for many years, so we both have the practical skills.

He's divorced, I'm not. Statistically about 1/3 of marriages end in divorce. Nothing unusual there for either him nor me.

Technically I'm classed as overweight or obese. Actually 63% of my fellow countrymen are classed as either overweight or obese. So if I wasn't, I'd be in the technical minority. He's bigger then me ... but he's also taller.

As for being an alcoholic ... as classed by my government, I enjoy more then 2 standard drinks a day, so not I have become a bad drinker ... I'm sure theblether enjoys a drop or two.

So when it comes to being normal ... we both fairly much hit the mark.

As for who is the most hansum? You have to ask the ladies about that ...

So what's not normal ... hummm ... maybe a self-proclaimed multi-millionaire who rides a scooter everywhere and takes the bus from Phuket to Udon/Ubon ... I forget which one.

So, thanks for sharing ... but just pop back on that trusty scooter of your and ride quietly off into the sunset ... that's a good Lad ...

BTW ... since you are such a caring sharing sort of person ... just how did you amass your multi millions ... we could learn a thing or two from you. Must have been a hell of a Business Plan ...

.

[Kitsune]

Wow...so they let a divorced, obese, reformed alcoholic amend their business plan...

Why?

[chrisinth]

@TB

Almost everyone I know over here could be classed as a 'digital nomad' (although they do have beaten tracks and seldom move from them!) in that they carry with them some device that will connect them to others (via the internet or mobile network) with said devices able to create or modify documents.

With the improved technology of the smart phones & tablets, the laptop/notebook seems to be taking a back seat when on the move, IMHO due to mobility.

Personally, I would never dream of travelling anywhere (only when business is involved) without my notebook and smartphone, and I am sure there are many other like-minded people in a similar position.

Along the 'social media' line, what I have noticed is that the art of conversation is gradually dying! On a night out, check the tables and see how many people are on their mobile devices compared to those talking to each other. The last time I took a flight from Don Muang back home, I was amazed by the silence in the waiting area of the departure lounge. People playing on their tablets & phones. I even saw a couple sat back to back communicating through FB!

Incredible........................

[Morakot]

she is settling down for the Summer to blog all of her experiences. It seems an idyllic and interesting way to make a living.

That's new! Writing a blog makes money.

[theblether]

she is settling down for the Summer to blog all of her experiences. It seems an idyllic and interesting way to make a living.

That's new! Writing a blog makes money.

Not at all, decent blogs with decent traffic flows can make serious money from google adwords among others. You need to apply to G.A. for inclusion in the programme, and abide by their ever stricter set of rules. A well known Thai centric website stopped trading as the change in google adwords rules destroyed it's business plan.

A lot of bloggers also do email capture and sell products direct to their readers, as well as referring them to their Facebook pages which now include links direct to Ebay, Amazon and other portals. I'm no expert in this field, but cross marketing including building a following on twitter get's results.

If you want proof of that, this website is superb at cross marketing. Many members access their news via twitter and Facebook feeds.

There's serious money in them there social media markets............

[theblether]

Anyway, once again a serious topic which may have made a financial difference to some members has been derailed by trolls.......in as much as I need to defend myself, and I don't, I have run companies for decades, and I can retire any time I want, which will be in about 25 years time, or when the wooden box comes calling. Up to me. I enjoy my businesses and I enjoy my lifestyle, I'm lucky in that regard.

As for the pathetic crack about my weight and so called alcoholism, there's a thread running just now where I have discussed the battle of my life against obesity and the repercussions.

Unlike these cowardly half wit trolls I have the bottle to tell the truth in the hope that it may help someone else. Once again.....up to me

[AnotherOneAmerican]

Wow...so they let a divorced, obese, reformed alcoholic amend their business plan...

Why?

Maybe it's because I've lived a full life, and not become a washed up obnoxious troll like you.

Back on track to the OP

And all these digital nomads have the same money, expectations and futures as the original non-digital nomads.

Broke and homeless, sometimes begging, sometimes stealing.

(We used to call them tramps, bums or hobos depending on their work ethics)

Edited June 6, 2013 by AnotherOneAmerican

[theblether]

Wow...so they let a divorced, obese, reformed alcoholic amend their business plan...

Why?

Maybe it's because I've lived a full life, and not become a washed up obnoxious troll like you.

Back on track to the OP

And all these digital nomads have the same money, expectations and futures as the original non-digital nomads.

Broke and homeless.

They won't all make enough to survive on, that would be unrealistic, but I do know a few who are doing well.

[AnotherOneAmerican]

Wow...so they let a divorced, obese, reformed alcoholic amend their business plan...

Why?

Maybe it's because I've lived a full life, and not become a washed up obnoxious troll like you.

Back on track to the OP

And all these digital nomads have the same money, expectations and futures as the original non-digital nomads.

Broke and homeless.

They won't all make enough to survive on, that would be unrealistic, but I do know a few who are doing well.

I know many who claim to be doing well, but it's never their round.

[Briggsy]

Advice for digital nomads : i.e. people working online off their own bat here in Thailand.

Don't shout about it too much. The police may well be interested in your visa status if you are working here. If you are making a decent living, don't flash your money about too much.

Get the best internet connection you can. And then have at least one back-up. Thai internet is apt to let you down at the most inopportune times.

Consider investing in a VPN. The ICT ministry has very tough laws to back up action on anything which it doesn't like. You may not want them snooping on or blocking your activities.

[theblether]

Good advice Briggsy.......I have mentioned to a couple to quieten down a bit. There's a lot of jealous people about, both Thai and farang that will happily grass them in, especially spurned exes.

Edited June 6, 2013 by theblether

[SeaVisionBurma]

Several off topic and a troll post (and replies to them) have been removed.

[MrHammer]

I do what you describe. There are quite a few - actually many - who do so in Thailand. The word has been out for some time, but most people probably wouldn't know what all these younger people hanging around in the nicer parts of Bangkok do and we're unlikely to tell you except 'something with the internet' ;-)

[lazygourmet]

Ditto...

Doing that since last century, using Nokia Communicator and Psion Organiser on those auspicious times

[theblether]

See, a fair few oldies look down on the youngsters and don't realize that many of them are making more money on the quiet than tongue can tell.

I've been reviewing a business plan and strategy with a nomad this week, asking them to get together all the provable streams and data. We worked out last night what was causing the peaks and troughs in cash flow, it was only a question of relating data to activity.

In this case the individual discovered that the activity they hated most, facebook blogging, was easily their best source of income. It created waves of traffic to their cash generating portal. You can't overdo facebook, you will p*ss people off if you're promoting too much, so it's essential to work out when your potential traffic flow is at it's highest and post then.

Traffic flow peaks are different for different interests, so it's essential to try to discover when your peak period is so that you are online then. We've worked out that the peak flow period for this particular nomad is between 9.00am and 12.00 on a Monday morning, why? because of the time differential with the US time zones and a couple of other bon mots relevant to their particular trade.

This person, who already makes a good living from the internet, hadn't thought of that. The temptation with nomads is to build it and expect the traffic to find you, where the reality is that you can get a competitive advantage by ensuring you are targeting your time correctly.

[Phronesis]

See, a fair few oldies look down on the youngsters and don't realize that many of them are making more money on the quiet than tongue can tell.

I've been reviewing a business plan and strategy with a nomad this week, asking them to get together all the provable streams and data. We worked out last night what was causing the peaks and troughs in cash flow, it was only a question of relating data to activity.

In this case the individual discovered that the activity they hated most, facebook blogging, was easily their best source of income. It created waves of traffic to their cash generating portal. You can't overdo facebook, you will p*ss people off if you're promoting too much, so it's essential to work out when your potential traffic flow is at it's highest and post then.

Traffic flow peaks are different for different interests, so it's essential to try to discover when your peak period is so that you are online then. We've worked out that the peak flow period for this particular nomad is between 9.00am and 12.00 on a Monday morning, why? because of the time differential with the US time zones and a couple of other bon mots relevant to their particular trade.

This person, who already makes a good living from the internet, hadn't thought of that. The temptation with nomads is to build it and expect the traffic to find you, where the reality is that you can get a competitive advantage by ensuring you are targeting your time correctly.

Blether...couple of things

First, there is a huge elephant in the room. Many X and Y gens now live the digital nomad lifestyle not because of the rivers of gold and freedom you describe, but because back in the UK or Australia or other Western countries they are locked out of home ownership (or crushed by high rents) because of the monopoly the Baby Boomers hold over the property market (and government policy).

Lots of X and Y gens are still back in their respective countries working their backside off only to then be raped by taxes, high rents and mortgage repayments. The smarter amongst these generations have realised the above lifestyle is a losing scenario and have subsequently re-engineered their lifestyle and income to avoid that trap.

Second, blogging is where you make a static post. So it is not relevant when your audience logs on to view it. They will log on when they can, or want to. So your sage advice is not valid regarding making blog posts. Perhaps you mean online chat?

That said, observing traffic times is important to any online business model. I have already posted extensively here on TV my tips for success on Ebay. Timing when your ads go up is a very important facet of that success. Fortunately, software is available to upload your listings at the desired peak times.

You had me for a while with your latest post...but...then you crashed and burned...

Why?

• There is software available that will monitor and report peak activity periods.
• There is software available that will automatically time ones Facebook posts.
• There are also applications available to automatically generate the post content.

A newly self proclaimed e-commerce expert like yourself would have already pointed your nomads to the above solutions. Then they would not have wasted time sitting at a table with you.

Edited June 7, 2013 by Phronesis

[theblether]

See, a fair few oldies look down on the youngsters and don't realize that many of them are making more money on the quiet than tongue can tell.

I've been reviewing a business plan and strategy with a nomad this week, asking them to get together all the provable streams and data. We worked out last night what was causing the peaks and troughs in cash flow, it was only a question of relating data to activity.

In this case the individual discovered that the activity they hated most, facebook blogging, was easily their best source of income. It created waves of traffic to their cash generating portal. You can't overdo facebook, you will p*ss people off if you're promoting too much, so it's essential to work out when your potential traffic flow is at it's highest and post then.

Traffic flow peaks are different for different interests, so it's essential to try to discover when your peak period is so that you are online then. We've worked out that the peak flow period for this particular nomad is between 9.00am and 12.00 on a Monday morning, why? because of the time differential with the US time zones and a couple of other bon mots relevant to their particular trade.

This person, who already makes a good living from the internet, hadn't thought of that. The temptation with nomads is to build it and expect the traffic to find you, where the reality is that you can get a competitive advantage by ensuring you are targeting your time correctly.

Blether...couple of things

First, there is a huge elephant in the room. Many X and Y gens now live the digital nomad lifestyle not because of the rivers of gold and freedom you describe, but because back in the UK or Australia or other Western countries they are locked out of home ownership (or crushed by high rents) because of the monopoly the Baby Boomers hold over the property market (and government policy).

Lots of X and Y gens are still back in their respective countries working their backside off only to then be raped by taxes, high rents and mortgage repayments. The smarter amongst these generations have realised the above lifestyle is a losing scenario and have subsequently re-engineered their lifestyle and income to avoid that trap.

Second, blogging is where you make a static post. So it is not relevant when your audience logs on to view it. They will log on when they can, or want to. So your sage advice is not valid regarding making blog posts. Perhaps you mean online chat?

That said, observing traffic times is important to any online business model. I have already posted extensively here on TV my tips for success on Ebay. Timing when your ads go up is a very important facet of that success. Fortunately, software is available to upload your listings at the desired peak times.

You had me for a while with your latest post...but...then you crashed and burned...

Why?

• There is software available that will monitor and report peak activity periods.
• There is software available that will automatically time ones Facebook posts.
• There are also applications available to automatically generate the post content.

A newly self proclaimed e-commerce expert like yourself would have already pointed your nomads to the above solutions. Then they would not have wasted time sitting at a table with you.

Oh dear, someone can't read.

Anyway links to the software please..........and while your at it send the links to the software that accurately predicts the busiest time slot for your target demographic and interest group.

Country by country too if you have it.

Rather than spend your time flaming bring some real info to the table for a change.

ps. Terapeak is great huh?

Edited June 7, 2013 by theblether

[roamer]

I'm fully digital these days though not by any means a "younger" person, when I first started out overseas it was poste restante letters weeks old and a bag full of books.

Last year I was working for a large company that now brings in psychologists to talk to younger personnel being posted overseas about the problems of being connected in the digital age.They realised that these people actually found it harder to make the transition of being overseas than previous generations did. Part of the reason was that they were still "living" back home by means of Facebook and Skype rather than immersing themselves in their new physical location. The more connected you are to your life back home the less you are connected to where you are.

Last year in a rather idyllic island hideaway there were 2 girls on a table near me that spent the whole evening Face booking and regaling each other with the gossip from back home and totally oblivious to what was going on around them. A couple of days later they were on the boat heading back to the mainland, a really beautiful trip, if they had looked up from their screens that is.The irony of it was that they were traveling around the region for the first time and seeing none of it.

Not quite the same as the digital nomads you mentioned, no doubt many of them are able to make the best of both worlds but there are a surprising number of people who don't.