A couple of things stand out for me regarding Joel: 1. Privacy is very very important for him. He accentuates the need for closed doors and separate offices. One of the core principles of all of the coworking spaces we've been working with (as well as ours) is that open, collaborative spaces is essential. 2. He pointed to the article on coworking in businessweek, which included many different types of spaces, from businesses that rent desks to the open concept model, I think he really wanted to 'run his own' shop instead of renting from others
His price is pretty high, too. It's $700/month. Not as 'casual' an offer as coworking is. I'm sure there are loads of developers that code out of coffee shops and alongside friends in their living rooms. There can be a bit of a distraction involved in collaborative spaces, for sure, but if it becomes part of your daily routine, rather than the occasional drop in environment, I think it gets easier. I'm not a programmer, but I have equally intensive parts of my work (like deep research and report writing). When I worked out of home years ago, I would "get stuck" on repetitive information and ideas and need a fresh space to recharge at least once per week, but the new environment wasn't about getting things done, it was about refreshing. Now we have Citizen Space, where we get up to go to daily...it's our office. It's where I get things done AND get unstuck. Coworking spaces are for both experiences. Sounds like Joel has only had the former. Coworking isn't for everyone, either, and that's a good thing. Joel kind of seems like a 'no-nonsense' less social kind of development guy. I don't know him, but I've taken issue with some of this writing previously in that it feels like he strips out the human element (and also assumes all developers are men). Like Dave says, maybe coworking just isn't for him. We're really picky who rents a desk at Citizen Space. You have to have a core understanding that the space is for the community and that the price you are paying per month, goes towards donating space to vagabond hackers and meetups and other such drop ins. Tenants have to believe in the communal space as well as need a space to call their own. That certainly doesn't fly with everyone. Tara On 3/3/07, Simon L <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > Joel Spolsky doesn't seem to think Coworking space is the right > environment for programmers. > > "We're also toying with a fourth idea: getting too much space and > renting it out in small chunks to software startups that need an > office or two while they're bootstrapping, and who would appreciate a > working environment designed for programmers rather than a coffee shop > or one of those coworking places." > > http://www.joelonsoftware.com/items/2007/03/02.html > http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/BionicOffice.html > > Any programmers been using Coworking space a few times a week? Have > you found it possible to get real development work done, rather than > just checking e-mail and performing other less intensive (than coding) > tasks? > > --Simon > > > > > -- Sincerely, Tara ----------------------- tara 'miss rogue' hunt agent provocateur Citizen Agency (www.citizenagency.com) blog: www.horsepigcow.com phone: 415-694-1951 fax: 415-727-5335 --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ 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 -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
