This is an honest question, and one that I’d love more feedback on from you readers since it’s pretty much new territory for me (which means I’m a complete n00b).
“Coworking,” for those that may be unfamiliar is simply:
Coworking is cafe-like community/collaboration space for developers, writers and independents.
Or, it’s like this: start with a shared office and add cafe culture. Which is the opposite of most modern cafes.
I, for one, find the idea pretty neat, and I think it speaks enormously to the aspects of community (which we all like throwing around now in our discussion of the online space, so cheers to that!).
In addition, here are some 6 Reasons Why Coworking is hip and why you one should do it:
- You’re lonely
- You need motivation
- You love to learn new things
- You have no idea what’s going on in your region
- Your work/life balance is out of whack
- Sharing of Resources is rad
Now, can the (or is) the online space do/doing this? Should it? Is coworking a model for us? Do some of the already existing online technology allow “digital coworking”?
Unsure.
The jury’s still out for me, but I’d be curious if anyone’s got any experience on this one, because obviously I’d be doing it b/c I’m a lonely internet-er and not because I want community or anything cool like that.
…
Psh.
I think this is a great idea. I like the digital co-working idea, but have no clue on how I would even implement it or with whom. I like the idea of collaboration and bouncing ideas off of each other.
My business partner/wife is a designer so she does not quite get it when I talk about programming and shows a slight interest to make me happy, but I know she either could care less or has no clue what I am talking about.
I think that is why I like blogs so much right now. Using the comments as a little more of a discussion board allows us to have more convos than I would normally have sitting in the office by myself.
I assume that Carlos and you get to work with each other down at NorthPoint. If that is the case, I bet you guys have a great time. I love reading all three of your blogs and if I ever come down to the ATL for the weekend I will have come and check out one of your churches.
Do you guys employ much of the coworking concept there?
i hope it works, because my team has committed to it for our new office space. the adventure begins in a few months.
tony
whoa! Would love to hear how that goes and what you learn, culturally, from it.
yo, the biz-partner-wife-scenario is sweet! how goes that? I know, for some, that it can be a real stress on the marriage… not so sure that sue and i could rock that.
we should brainstorm an open collaboration forum… where everyone can “sit” and just shoot the breeze while working.
ah, unfortunately @loswhit and i are on different campuses… but, he makes a stop by up here at the alpharetta campus once a week or so and i go south to the buckhead campus. he's only a tweet away though…!
That's true. Whether you are twenty minutes away or three hours you are always only a tweet (or a Facebook post) away.
It is amazing how the Internet helps make everyone seem closer.
but.. i'm telling you dude… we should think of the digi-collab space… a “forum” seems so old school…
The biz partner-wife setup is great for us… that is until I buy an eee PC without quite getting her approval on it. I had to do a little bit of repenting for that one.
I love the idea of an open collaboration area. I am trying to think if there is somewhere online that allows for this already.
I agree with you on the forum. I participate in a few, but they are a little old school. There has to be a better way for those of us who want to have a little more of a digi-collab space.
That would be a great way to connect even better over long distances.
We have the cameras, the im'ing ability and the twitters/facebooks available at our disposal. Are these enough or is there a better way?
yummy. taking it offline…
omg. no way. i just did the same thing… SHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. dell. mini. 9.
Too funny! Great little computers for when you are on the go, huh?
I know that Tom Kelley at IDEO writes about coworking and is a proponent. I really hate being by myself in my office. I think that separate offices can help to build silos. I do whatever I can to stay out of my office. My desk phone doesn't work so everybody calls me on my cell which helps my nomadic tendencies. The collaborative community invites more immediate feedback and allows for quicker refinement of ideas. Plus things seem to be funnier in a group of people. Do you laugh more by yourself or when you are in the company of others?
rocking. thanks tony for mentioning it. keep us posted on how it works out
… hmm. great question about the laugh… i'm really thinking about that…
but also great stuff. going to check out tom @ IDEO.
there's a better way…