So uh, I was reading about freelance programming and web development, and other than the actual programming part, it seemed pretty much perfect. Even if it doesn't work out, the skills I'd have would still make it possible to get a "real" job, or it could be used to supplement income from a crappy job(woot call center in Spain).

Has anyone ever done it successfully(or unsuccessfully, I suppose) in any field? Thoughts on it?

I haven't done it personally, but know a handful of people who have done both freelance programming and writing.

Understand that you are competing with programmers and writers from india, malasia, the philiphines, etc. They're standard of living is at least half of what is in the states, so you are going to have either being willing to work for nearly the same amount, have much more in-demand/hard to find skills or simply just be willing to post a ton of bids to be able to land work that is more ideal.

Generally speaking, you are better off working at mcdonalds. Unless you plan to make a career out of programming or writing, in which case any work experience is good experience, especially in the current economy.

Yes, I'm fully aware that it's a global market and the problems that come with that, but some people in the US still manage to make a reatively decent profit. And yes, my career goals seem to be heading in the programming direction anyawys, so it isn't like it will be detrimental to at least try it.

i have a diploma in graphic design so i've done some freelance stuff in the past.. but i hate dealing with clients, bunch of jerks!

and i'm just too lazy

Then go for it, I had no intention to steer you away from it, just share honestly what I have seen.

I wish you nothing but the best if you pursue it.

Yes. You could make money through programming and such, but I think there are better ways of making money online. It all depends on who gets you to do work for them, really. Some people get lucky - some not so much. By scouring the net, you probably could find someone who'd be willing to pay you to do work for them.

I could earn money through affiliate marketing, but have to (completely) learn the ropes.

I know of a site where I could potentially earn $2 dollars per page on a per-month-basis. This may not sound like much, but let's say I write 10 to 20 high-ranking pages per day. This could eventually earn me thousands per month. I'd just have to make sure to go back and edit my pages from time-to-time to make sure that Google would see that my pages are being constantly updated which would prevent Google from lowering their page rank. With time, I could be earning "automatic" money. I could actually refrain from creating pages for weeks or months at a time and would still have a strong cash-flow.

I may seem overly ambitious, but people have convinced me that, by doing this, I could earn a lot of cash. I already know the SEO side of things - I just need to think of content to come up with. If I can provide both high-quality content and implement good SEO, all shall be well.

I personally hate anything marketing-related and don't view it as being a "proper" way to earn income, but whatever... I think I just can't stand marketers who rely on spam tactics.

I do freelance web development, but I'm just getting into it so I don't have much to show for myself yet (wish I could post links).

That said, it's great because I can work from literally anywhere, obviously.

People say that it's a competitive field to get into, but I already have more clients than I have time for even though I haven't completely set up shop yet. I think it's a matter of honing your skills and / or credentials, and finding a niche, and making it clear to your prospective clients that you know what you're talking about. Then the more work you do, the more you have to show future clients and hence the more jobs you get.

Good line of work to get into while you're in school, preferably studying a related subject. (That's what I'm doing.)

Yeah, who you work for makes a BIG difference, especially when you start out, because your first clients will refer you to their friends and associates, who will probably be a lot like them.

That's why I'm starting by focusing on a music-related non-profit with high visibility and support from the kind of people I'd want to work for (and who'd have work to offer me). It's a volunteer job > internship > paying job situation.

I think it's worth it to start out by volunteering if it gets you into the niche market you want to work with.