The Digerati Life: Dedicated To Personal Finance & Business

Welcome to The Digerati Life! A lot of people wonder where we came up with this site’s name. Beyond the fact that it sounds cool, we also thought it would inculcate some of the things we stood for and what we would like to present here. The reality is, we are based in the technology mecca called Silicon Valley, so we thought to acknowledge those roots in this site. Here’s what the term “digerati” actually means, for those who are curious:

Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, American Heritage Dictionary, the word “digerati [dij-uh-RAH-tee]” refers to those “people who are knowledgeable about digital technologies such as computer programming and design”.
[Origin: 1990—95; dig(ital) + (lit)erati]

“Digerati” may also stand for knowledge (or enlightenment) in reference to the web or the internet. So on that note, our official mission here is this: to provide a great online resource for anyone who wants to earn more, save more and invest more of their money. Why the subject of personal finance? It’s something we’re passionate about and something we feel we know a lot about. So we’re hoping that our site can be a casual place to learn more about how to manage money and how to grow it further. This is a place where we can trade notes about these matters.

We intend to write about money, business, technology, our entrepreneurial endeavors and what the culture is like where we work and live. We want this to be a place where you’ll find informative content, discussion and valuable resources in the areas of money management, investing, spending and shopping, self development, entrepreneurship, and much much more. Heck, anything that touches the subjects of finance and business will be fair game. While this site is currently a personal finance blog, we’re working hard beneath the covers to transform our blog into a more comprehensive personal finance web resource with a variety of features.

We aim to make things interesting and educational, as well as entertaining, and we hope you find this place conducive to discussion and commentary. While we encourage you to learn as much as you can about how to manage your money well, if you find that you DO need financial advice, then please meet with a professional.

The Digerati Life Community

We’d like to invite you to subscribe to fresh, free updates from our blog. If you are so inclined, you can connect with us via:

Check out media and other online coverage of The Digerati Life by visiting our Media Page!

~~ooOoo~~

A Message From The Editor

The Digerati Life's Silicon Valley Blogger
A different kind of Valley Girl

This site is run by the Silicon Valley Blogger, also known online and in social media as Finn Lane.

I am a web publisher with a background in software engineering. I work and reside in Silicon Valley, California USA, the land of technologists, venture capitalists and liberals. I have been based here for almost 3 decades and have witnessed some amazing things first hand, such as the incredible prosperity befallen so many of my colleagues and peers.

From the moment I graduated from one of the Bay Area universities, I’ve had a rather amazing ride through several well-known tech giants as well as a few startups, some of which were victims of the dot com fallout. Because of this exposure, I feel fortunate to be in a geographical location that affords a melting pot of opportunities and a chance for me to exercise my creativity and be rewarded for it.

I am a fairly busy person with passions in finance, entrepreneurship and technology. Ages ago, I tried blogging on a whim, as a business and social experiment. I had some business ideas I was tossing around and in the midst of performing market research, I decided to blog. Then I guess the bug bit me, as they say, and so far this experiment has stuck. At this point, I am dedicated to doing this work indefinitely!

From Fun Hobby To Serious Online Business

I started blogging in 2006 while still holding a 9-to-5 job. In February 2008, I quit my job and left my career in software development to focus on building my online business. I’ve since switched gears to become a “problogger” and web entrepreneur. Recently, my focus has been to create an even better personal financial service for consumers. For more on the things that have inspired me and resources that have helped me to get where I am, check out these articles I’ve written:

If you’re at all curious about my thoughts on finance, business and blogging, do check out this Wise Bread Q & A forum thread where I conducted a lengthy dialogue with Wise Bread readers.

Current Online Projects:

  • I have joined the Wise Bread team as a contributing writer. Wise Bread is a premiere personal finance site, and counts as one of my all-time favorite money sites to visit!
  • I help promote a consumer site, Best In Class, which is a recommendations site for various products.
  • I run a few blogs in various niches.
  • I help companies with their blog outreach and internet marketing projects.
  • I am a regular contributor to several high profile financial sites.

Past Online Projects:

  • In other blogging escapades, I also contribute to the ePlay entertainment blog. ePlay is an interactive entertainment site that allows you to vote and predict the outcome of events. If you get things right, you get points and win prizes!
  • I’ve worked as a blogger and member of WorkItMom.com, a web site for working mothers.
  • I’ve worked as a contributor and the interim corporate blog editor for Mint.com, a personal finance software company.
  • I’ve contributed to Prosper.com’s blog, an online peer-to-peer lending company.

~~ooOoo~~

Disclaimers and Policies

Our Disclaimer: We have been following personal finance and investment studies for as long as we can remember. Also, what we share here with you is based on our personal experiences and research, which we typically use as one way to incite interesting discussions among those with similar interests in money matters. Some of us are successful financial journalists who have been able to work with and collaborate with many commercial sites and respected online publishers in this field. Nevertheless, we are not liable for the information you decide to use or take from this site. Read, learn, surf, lurk and form your own conclusions.

Our Comment Policy
1. Readers are solely responsible and liable for their comments.
2. We will not publish comments we personally don’t understand (e.g. written in a language other than English), are irrelevant or are considered spam.
3. By commenting, you grant The Digerati Life license to use, modify, delete any comment.
4. Link backs made by commercial sites may be deleted.
5. Policies are subject to change at any time.
6. Reader questions to our email box may be reprinted and used as subject matter in posts.

Most importantly, please be aware that the content on this site is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as professional financial advice. Rates and offers shown here may change without notice: please visit referenced sites for up to date information. The Digerati Life may also be compensated for our personal opinions and views on featured products and services.

You can also read about our Privacy Policy here.

~~ooOoo~~

Commitment To Quality

We’d like to invite our readers to send us their thoughts about this site. We’d like to welcome your feedback so if you find something that needs improvement or helps you, please feel free to drop us a line via our Contact page or at svb [at] thedigeratilife [dot] com. We are striving to keep The Digerati Life a top destination for personal finance resources, ideas and worthwhile discussion.

~~ooOoo~~

Advertising and Other Inquiries

The Digerati Life has grown to the point where we are now able to accept sponsors and advertisers, but take note that we are very particular about our sponsors. Please contact us at the following email address if you are interested in advertising on this site: svb [at] thedigeratilife [dot] com.