Hey gang, I'm really looking forward to meeting everyone who's coming out for the unconference in Austin.
I wanted to point out a blog post that might be worth discussing online or at the event, or both. I'm curious to hear what thoughts other folks might have. This blog post, on http://ribbonfarm.com, is perhaps the best analysis of the coworking movement I've ever run across. And notably it's by someone who hasn't even been to a coworking space. (Forgive me if this has been covered on the group in the past. That might've been before my time!) A quote from the post: "Dig beyond this surface value proposition though, and there is a very definite philosophy at work within the movement. A philosophy anchored by an uneasy mix of primary-colored, bubblgum communitarian values, economic bets, and ideas about the business of making a living and living a life. The philosophy has a lot of potential, but also some limiting self-perceptions which could end up being fatal flaws. Can it cross the chasm, and go from being a marginal counter-cultural trend to a mainstream model of work? At the moment, I would offer 3:1 odds against, barring some critical re-engineering of the movement’s DNA." That last line is very interesting and is what I believe many of us are working on: perhaps not re-engineering, but at least massaging the DNA of coworking in order to create a profitable business (or, if you're not focused on filthy lucre, creating a sustainable site). Another phrase that jumps out at me is "mainstream model of work." I am very curious about whether/how/when coworking, or some genetic mutation of it, will become a mainstream phenomenon – and what the coworking ecosystem will look like once that happens. Here's the post: http://www.ribbonfarm.com/2009/04/15/coworking-im-outta-here-by-jones-sundsted-and-bacigalupo/ So, what do you think? Cheers, Don Ball CoCo coworking and collaborative space St. Paul, MN -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Coworking" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. 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.
