Ask HN: Best country for hackers to work/live in?
I have never worked or lived anywhere other than Singapore for any length of time, and I desire a change in scenery. Ideally, this place should have the following characteristics:
1) Fast broadband and interesting programming jobs that pay well. The economy values hackers, is what I'm saying here.
2) Population mostly speaks English.
3) Easy for a Singaporean to get a residence/work visa.
4) Temperate climate. One of the reasons I wish to relocate for a coupla years is because it's hot here.
5) Since I aspire to eventually start a business, this place should also be easy to start one in.
Any suggestions and reasons for them?
22 comments
[ 3.4 ms ] story [ 55.4 ms ] threadI use http://www.bestplaces.net/ for comparing US cities.
I currently live in a hot place. I would like to go someplace more temperate and my sons would like to go someplace generally cooler than here. The difference between these two views is that we all agree summers are too hot but, unlike my sons, I don't really want to freeze my arse off in the winter. The reality is that most places which are cooler in the summer will also be colder in the winter. The San Francisco Bay Area has the only Mediterranean climate in the US, which is not so hot in the summer but is also not too cold in the winter. Hawaii is also pleasant year-round in terms of temperature, which is probably why it is hellaciously expensive to live there. (I have other reasons I don't want to live in Hawaii -- and, yes, did look into it/ask around -- but even if I wanted to, I couldn't afford it).
Anyway, I personally think you would get better feedback if you asked for links to websites with info on each one (individually) of your criteria -- and I would love to add such links to my stash of place-comparison resources.
(I occasionally toy with the idea of doing something like bestplaces.net but with a different set of criteria. It will probably never happen. <shrug>)
I am only talking about America because it is what I know the most about. I have lived in Germany, a long time ago. I have lived a number of places in the US: Georgia, Texas, Kansas, Washington (state, not DC), and both Southern and Northern California. I also have driven through quite a lot of the US and was hoping to pursue a career in urban planning before life sidetracked that goal. So I have taken classes related somewhat to city planning stuff and spent time on an urban planning discussion board. I also am not happy with where I am currently living and hope to move at some point.
Some of the resources I use for assessing potential places to move:
Some of my criteria: At the moment, I am considering moving to Cheyenne Wyoming -- assuming some miracle or twelve makes it possible for me to leave here and go someplace of my choosing. I was considering Port Aransas Texas at one time but the opportunity never came up and that notion has since died.Good luck with this.
The coastal parts of Los Angeles and San Diego also have Mediterranean climates.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Medclim.png
Having been to both of those places, I don't think of them that way. LA is hot as hell and very dry -- unless you are wealthy enough to be right on the beach (of course, you did say "coastal"). San Diego seemed to me a bit more temperate than LA but still quite dry. However, I spent like one day there, so my first-hand knowledge of that area is very limited.
If you want to stay cool and not too dry, it's not too expensive to live in the southern areas or even Long Beach.
Maybe New Zealand but I don't know anything about hackers culture there. I guess Australia might be better choice here (at least I know one Australian hacker while I live in Eastern Europe).
You can estimate other proposals by looking at "doing bussiness" list. Estonia (24th in list) most probably is good choice as well but it is really cold there. Here in Lithuania (26th in list) winters are cold sometimes and Estonia is north from us.
1) Broadband speeds are good although maybe a little pricey by global standards (eg $55/month for cable, $60/month for ADSL. FYI 1 NZD ~ 1 SGD). The main cities (which generally implies Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch) have good universities and IT jobs. Also IT jobs pay well (that's compared to other local jobs, NZ salaries in general are lower than other larger western economies)
2) English is one of the official languages.
3) I dont know your age but there's a new Silver Fern visa for skilled migrants under 35 which allows you to move to NZ without a job offer (http://www.immigration.govt.nz/migrant/stream/work/silverfer...). With IT skills you should qualify for standard Skilled Migrant visas too.
4) New Zealand has a maritime climate (Köppen Cfb ie not too cold and not too hot) so is much cooler than Singapore. The country runs north - south so there's pleanty of variation in temperature. The main cities all get just over 2000 sunshine hours which is about the same as Singapore. However the rainfall of Auckland and Wellington is 40% less than Singapore and Christchurch is 60% less.
5) Kiwis have long admired those who have a go at starting their own company and take on the big fish. And as daliusd mentions it's easy to start a company.
6) Also there's plenty of easy direct flights from Singapore to New Zealand.
English speaking, high demand for skilled programmers, brilliant climate (Johannesburg, especially). Jobs are mostly in the financial sector.
Good broadband is expensive, but prices are expected to drop quickly. World class healthcare, if you can afford it (as a programmer, you WILL be able to afford it). Reasonable cost of living.
There is a lot of crime, but if you live in an area like Sandton, it shouldn't bother you much if you take basic precautions.
The country does run the political risk of being hijacked by populists, but as a foreigner, with little invested in the country, you will be able to leave before things get bad.
Starting a business is doable, and, barring political problems discussed above, there is good upside potential.
Many thanks.