Like others I wasn't there and won't second-guess the OP. That said, I think it's generally worthwhile to offer benefit of the doubt upfront. I can see good or "evil" in the terms that were described as offensive, and prefer to assume good. In any event, it's definitely worthwhile to ask questions during the presentation if possible and at the very least ask afterward.
My own thoughts are that "bouncing around" can indeed work out for everyone, including providers of for-pay spaces. Jacob made some good points in that regard but there's also the fact that sooner or later free spaces fill up, especially with the natural publicity we can expect. So given time, that "problem" can solve itself. If I ever stumble into the funds necessary to start my own space (my ultimate dream), I plan to offer a percentage of free use right along with for-pay-- and applying some common-sense strings to the former. Of course facility services are a good carrot to encourage for-pay membership, but at the same time, positive stipulations can be applied to free spots. Ask for community service in return, for example. That could even mean mentoring, a natural fit for coworking anyway. If we rise out of the lead-weighted depths of frustration and look at this activity creatively, it's really not that difficult to convert problems into benefits. Randy On April 18, 2012 at 2:26 PM Jacob Sayles <ja...@officenomads.com> wrote: > I think there might be a misunderstanding here. I've spent a considerable > amount of time with the loosecubes folks and they get it. As someone who > tends to blather on and try new wording quite a bit I understand how > painfully awkward it can be to do that in a public forum and miss the mark. > So I'll start by giving them the benefit of the doubt. > > As for the question of "bouncing around" I think this can be tremendously > valuable and here in Seattle we encourage it. Not so that people can get > as much free lunch as possible, but so they can feel out the right space > for themselves. As I expressed in the first point I made, words can only > get you so far and you really need to try things out to know if they will > work for you. > > Jacob > > --- > Office Nomads - Individuality without Isolation > http://www.officenomads.com - (206) 323-6500 > > > On Wed, Apr 18, 2012 at 9:43 AM, Joshua Marpet > <jmar...@datadevastation.com>wrote: > > > Wow. Strong words. I was not there, I am not saying the Loosecubes guys > > are scum for ignoring the communities at the places they crash at, or > > heroes for helping individual coworkers save some money. > > > > I am just, I guess, a little unhappy that the really pleasant group of > > people who have gathered here in this online coworking community are seeing > > the rise of elements that they feel prey on coworking. > > > > I wish it weren't so, but it is. So let's discuss it. > > > > Who thinks that the Loosecubes idea of "bouncing" from space to space is a > > horrible one? > > > > Who thinks it's acceptable? > > > > Why? > > > > Why not? > > > > How can we, as a community, protect our spaces, our members, our > > communities, our revenues (kids gotta eat!) from elements that we, as > > individual coworkers, as space owners, and as community stewards, find > > objectionable or unacceptable? > > > > Whether it's a NY Bah-gain hunter, or a Californian indulging a bit too > > much before coming to the space, there will always be individuals or groups > > that make us grit our teeth. How do we deal? > > > > My $.02. > > > > Joshua Marpet > > > > > > > > On Wed, Apr 18, 2012 at 12:31 PM, anothergain <anotherg...@gmail.com>wrote: > > > >> I attended the monthly meeting of the New York Freelancers Union > >> last night and was disgusted by the speakers for "Loosecubes" Anthony > >> and Kevin. Anthony and Kevin were bragging that there are 50 spaces > >> in NYC that offer desks for "free" and were encouraging the > >> Freelancers Union members to bounce around and "pay no money" as the > >> best way to get their cowork on. > >> Coworking is about building a community of individuals, sharing > >> resources and through that becoming a unit that is stronger than its > >> parts. What Loosecubes seemed to be doing is encouraging people to > >> use as many desks as possible for free without a sense at all of > >> contributing or creating value for themselves or for the spaces. Even > >> the Freelancers Union members were uncomfortable with their line: > >> "Nobody gets paid? Great business model!" > >> I can see a successful business offering up a desk that they're not > >> using for free but any person who has found investors and opened a > >> coworking studio as a means of community building should be appalled > >> at Loosecubes undercutting the value of what these studios are trying > >> to put together. > >> It is obtuse to assume that an established business with spare desks > >> offered for free just for the hell of it and a studio that opened > >> simply for coworking sake could possibly be in the same position as > >> far as what they can offer for what price. Encouraging people to use > >> the New York spaces as if money were no object to any of us is a gross > >> misrepresentation. The Loosecube representatives came off as a con man > >> and it was disgusting to know they've been entrusted with the > >> stewardship of so many coworking spaces. > >> Thank God the Freelancers Union also had Frank from Colab speaking. > >> Frank spoke as a member who pays a monthly membership fee, is > >> obviously a huge, contributing member of the community at Colab and > >> spoke of the the value and benefits in the use of that space. > >> As Loosecubes an organization that is perched on the coworking > >> industry for its existence I would expect a much better understanding > >> of coworking model and a much better representation of the coworking > >> communities needs by its representatives. Rent in NYC is NOT free. > >> Contribute. Collaborate. Share resources and as such become a > >> stronger. > >> > >> -- > >> 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 > >> coworking+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > >> For more options, visit this group at > >> http://groups.google.com/group/coworking?hl=en. > >> > >> > > -- > > 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 > > coworking+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > > For more options, visit this group at > > http://groups.google.com/group/coworking?hl=en. > > > > -- > 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 coworking+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. > For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/coworking?hl=en. > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Coworking" group. 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