Hello, Dusty Reagan from Austin TX here. I'm a programmer / entrepreneur who's interested in coworking and the concept of applying the open source model to business. I'm really excited to see that there is a movement and community developing around these concepts.
I've been thinking about how a coworking facility based on open source values like transparency and fairness would work as profit making venture. Coworking (and open source in general) seems to have a very socialist spin. Does opening a coworking facility as a business undermine the qualities that make coworking different (and arguably better) than a shared office? Specifically in regards to transparency and fairness. Are the individuals that are making a profit from the community exploiting the community? Potentially causing a break down in transparency and trust? Is the only way an honest coworking facility exist is as a non-profit organization? My next thoughts are well, is it not fair that the individuals who took the risk of starting the facility reap the rewards of profit, thus keeping "fairness" in check. Arguably they could have started the organization as a non-profit and focused on securing a working salary for themselves to run the facility and nothing more. Following this thinking a little deeper. If individual profit making undermines fairness and transparency, does that make business and open source incompatible? What if the community worked together as a service company and split the profits on some formula developed on "fairness" to the individuals in the community while still allowing the come and go as you please participation model found in open source? In summary. Can a coworking facility be a business? And further could a profit making company in general fit into a open source model? Interested to hear everyones thoughts! :) --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Coworking" group. To post to this group, send email to coworking@googlegroups.com To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/coworking?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
