mjnaus

Mostly PHP applications so far. An yeah, these are products people are searching for (I assume so since they're selling pretty well)

Since March this year, I have been able to build a semi-passive income of around $1500 per month (lowest around $1000 and highest $2000) by building/selling items on CodeCanyon.

Granted it's not truly passive income, rather semi-passive. That said, with minimal monthly efforts, the money comes in each month.

I'm quite interested in the book. However, was hoping the sales page would discuss the author and his/her background a bit more. I'd like to know who wrote the book and what makes the author an expert on the subject. Tnx!

You can, however this simply means the entire application would load within that iframe, you'd still have to login, etc to get some data inside that iframe.

We are working on an update which allows users to embed public data in external websites. Would that suit your needs better?

1. This would require an extended license (key being the fact that the final product is used by multiple customers)

2. How exactly would this embedding take place? Using an iframe?

3. Thanks for pointing this out, we'll get that sorted out asap

Yup, in hindsight I should have done just that. However at that point I was still hopeful and positive that VPS9 support would step up (since they've been helpful in the past with smaller issues).

Although Grow looks very cool, it doesn't allow me to use any given CMS (Wordpress, Drupal, etc) to build static HTML sites.

It kinda would, however it would be limited to Wordpress. I'd like something that works with whatever CMS/platform the site's build on.

Yep, they do. However not as a service. With Httrack, I'd need to download their software first, and then run it whenever the site's been updated. I'd like a online service that handles it all for me.

No, not really. CloudCannon allows you to build static websites on Dropbox (if I'm not mistaken). What I'm after is means of building and maintaing a site using your CMS of choice (Wordpress, Drupal, etc) and then have this site compiled into a static HTML site (on request or using some sort of timer/interval) and uploaded to wherever I'm planning to host it.

Looking to get away from the speed and security issues of CMS based sites but still having the flexibility and ease of use when building/maintaining a site. Basically using any CMS to build and deploy static HTML web sites.

These solutions seem to, kinda, take a stab at the concept, but what we're really after is something way simpler. Think a simple text field into which you type a URL. Then this service would visit, crawl and compile the entire site into a static HTML site (with options to enhance the final version of the static site).

This would have to work independently of the platform used to build the original site and ideally the service would also provide a means of getting the newly created static site onto it's hosting platform (be it Dropbox, Digital Ocean or whatever other platform you want to host the static site).

A service combining the flexibility and ease of use of a CMS site (Wordpress, Drupal, Joomla, etc) with the speed and security of a static HTML site.

The CMS version would be a private site (not accessible by the general public) which is compiled into a static HTML site which is publicly accessible.

There should be a way to deal with formerly dynamic elements, such as contact/comment forms, site search, etc. (possibly using third party APIs)

There also should be a way to deal with updates to the CMS version of the site, so that these changes are detected, compiled and processed into the static version of the site.

Doesn't sound like the author has convincing story, as most of the examples he discusses are not actually producing static (flat) files.

Also, I could be wrong, but hasn't Jekyll become rather popular in the recent months?

The author also names Ghost as an example which is doing things correctly (in his opinion). Did I miss something or is Ghost not powered by a database and creates dynamic output like all other regular CMS out there?

Do you work at MicroSoft?

First learn how to turn a profit, then give out advice about how to build a startup... The other way around makes you look a bit silly.

I am curious as to why one would hope that... Around the world there are plenty of small businesses which are in no need of any kind of limited liability, however they still make money by turning a profit so I'd still call them a business.

Hatyai, Thailand (southern region, close to border with Malaysia)

Monthly expenses: rent (three bedroom, two bathroom, AC, carpark): $150 electricity (incl AC): $40 water: $7 food (eating out in nice restaurants 80% of the meals): $300 groceries: $166 car/motorcycles: $183 other expenses: $133

total: $979

Starting salary for designers/developers just out of uni: $400 Salary senior developers/managers: $665

The way described in the article is indeed the way it has been until a few years back, but recent governments have made some attempts to become more open for foreign entrepreneurs; granted, it's still hard sometimes but I do have the feeling it's getting better.

As far as our own company goes: we registered our first company a few years (2?) back and when we went into the process, we were also still under the impression that the foreign shareholders can only hold up to 49% of the shares. However, we quickly found out it was indeed possible for foreigners to fully own the company (according to the government official the regulations changed about a year before that). But we also quickly learned that this route would mean tons more paperwork and it would become more costly. We also needed to present our paperwork to the BOI, pay extra fees and hope they would accept the paperwork. And according to the government official, we would expose our company to tighter control from the government (which would probably mean more "tea money" as well). So, in the end we decided against full foreign ownership, although it was an option we considered.

I realize many people are negative against owning a business here Thailand, perhaps due to bad experiences. I can only speak for myself (and a few relations who enjoy doing business here as well). Maybe I should mention I don't actually do business here, we pretty much only work with customers abroad. I love living and working here and wouldn't want it any other way for the time being!

You're wrong here. For certain businesses, foreign ownership can be the full 100%. When we opened our business here, we actually had the change to go this route, but choose not to because it would have been more hassle though.

But I am also wondering how accurate this list is. And what qualifies as a "business"? Here in Thailand, many small businesses don't requite any form of legal entity and opening a small shop for example would be as easy as renting some space, putting in inventory and open your doors.... doens't get much easier then that. Imagine trying that in the US or UK... The ease of opening a small business here in Thailand beats any country that comes before Thailand on that list...

I am guessing the profit is nothing to brag about, otherwise I am sure they would have...

For crying out loud people... The sun's still shining, the beer's still cold, in some parts of the world people are still dying due to lack of clean drinking water, to go short... in the big scheme of things; Apple's recent decision DOES NOT MEAN A DAMN THING. Get some perspective, perhaps cry like a baby for 30 minutes or so and get on with your life... You'll be OK!

Are we still on this?

The curtain has closed; Apple is now evil... move on.

"If you were born 100 years ago in 1909, you'd expect to die in 1961. Current life expectancy is 78 years, and there's a good chance babies born in 2009 will average living to 2109. That's frigging marvelous, despite wasting some food and furniture."

This shouldn't automatically be considered a positive...

Who beat who to the punch is completely and utterly irrelevant here. It's all about sending out the right signal and taking a bold stand in bringing the web forward.

The fact that people sit down and make time to come up with initiatives like this is something I truly admire, no matter how big their audience or the volume of their network.

doesn't fly on a Mac....

Seriously, what is this stuff doing on HN? I don't need to see this crap during my breakfast! wargh! The whole world is going mad...

I don't have any problem with people mentioning ethics; however in this case it has NOTHING to do with the point the writer of this article is trying to make.

If you feel so strongly about ethics, write an article about it and post it here.

Nope, no tourist visa. I am staying on one-year non-immigrant visa's (multiple entry, usually type O). This requires me to go back home (The Netherlands) at least once a year and get a new one.

Getting a work permit is a bit tricky since I am not employed by a Thai company (requirement). The only other option is to setup my own company here which right away brings loads of administrative headaches with it (been down that road and got out rather quick).

Doing it in Thailand (have been for almost 5 years):

rent: 90 euro, car: 65 euro, food/drinks: 300 euro, visa: 10 euro, health insurance: 15 euro, other: 50 euro

Me and my girlfriend life a very comfortable lifestyle and we really don't cut back that much; eating out here is cheap (as long as you stay away from tourist spots) and we take regular short trips around Thailand and other parts of south east asia.

Not if you live here (Thailand) and contract for westerm companies.