I totally agree that we don't need a custom solution. We can build a Wufoo form in minutes that asks a few good open ended questions and provide that to coworking space owners and community leaders - and see what comes back. The data will be structured and we can do just about anything we want with it later when Jacob's magic system is ready :)
That's why I was suggesting some brainstorm around the types of questions we ask to elicit good stories. We've been working on interviews with a number of our members as well and they're structured in such a way to help them tell an important coworking story on their own. Things I like to ask: - where did you first hear about coworking? - what made you decide to come in for the first time? - what were some of your preconceived notions or expectations? - what's one thing you experienced that was unexpected? - who's the first coworker you remember meeting, and what happened? - how do you talk about coworking/indyhall to others? - what's one thing that you'd like to do but haven't yet? why? - what would you tell someone considering coworking/indyhall membership? -Alex /ah indyhall.org coworking in philadelphia On Tue, Feb 22, 2011 at 11:19 PM, Angel Kwiatkowski <[email protected]>wrote: > I agree--we'd need some serious buy-in to get enough stories....I > imagine that stories beget stories. No one wants to be the only person > with their story out there! To some extent, yes- "I have my mind made > up about this project" but my mind is made up insofar as I think it > needs to happen. In order for me to summon the energy to catalyze > something like this, I need to know if other space owners can get > behind it to spread the word. "Community first, stories second :)" I > also don't think we need a custom solution that's built from the > ground up. Can it really be as simple as a blog-like site that accepts > contributions and is easily searchable? > > On Feb 22, 9:07 pm, Alex Hillman <[email protected]> wrote: > > I don't think I was looking to introduce parameters or anything > complicated, > > I was genuinely curious what questions people ask in order to get the > > stories worth telling. > > > > That's valuable to share here (and document together) so that the goal of > > 2012 stories by 2012 isn't just a numbers game, but is tracking quality > > stories from more places that have stories worth sharing. > > > > There's nothing wrong with running ahead with something and it sounds > like > > you've got your mind made up on your this project, which is great. My > point > > was to make this something that could inspire others so you're not the > only > > one collecting stories, and let it live on beyond your e-book series. > > > > Of course it'll change as we go, that's how this whole thing works, but > > creating some constraints so that people know HOW to contribute is what's > > going to allow this to take off. Remember, not everyone's as comfortable > at > > writing, interviewing, storytelling, etc. > > > > -Alex > > > > /ah > > indyhall.org > > coworking in philadelphia > > > > On Tue, Feb 22, 2011 at 10:10 PM, Angel Kwiatkowski > > <[email protected]>wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > I'm not a big fan of getting everything figured out first and acting > > > later. Let's be honest, coworking is a baby. We don't know what size > > > shoes she's going to need in 3 years let alone in the next 2 months. I > > > don't want to get hung up in planning it to death or putting a hundred > > > parameters around it. What we do need is a solution NOW where > > > coworkers can tell their stories where other coworkers can search by > > > space or city name (it doesn't even need to bolt on to a database--I'd > > > just google a space I was interested in anyway)---be it a facilitated > > > q&a format or multimedia (upload a video or paint a picture) I don't > > > care, I just want them to be able to share! > > > > > We're going to do this with the next in the ebook series and unveil > > > the Cohere members' stories in a book at our 1 year anniversary party > > > in April. Beth and I had the planning meeting for this TODAY and we'll > > > produce the thing in less than 10 weeks. > > > > > My goal is to have 2012 coworkers' stories by 2012. Let's make it > > > happen. > > > > > Angel > > > > > On Feb 22, 7:22 pm, Alex Hillman <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > First, our members mostly just want a great place to work and they > > > think > > > > > it's neat that there are a number of other spaces around the world, > but > > > they > > > > > are more interested in the work they are doing. > > > > > > Jacob, you know I love you, but this sounds shortsighted. Just > because > > > they > > > > don't have an expanded worldview doesn't mean that they shouldn't be > > > given > > > > the chance to see what it could do. > > > > > > I can contrast that sentiment that most of our members, while not > > > > necessarily aware of the big picture at first or its sheer scale, are > > > > extremely excited to be a part of it (and in many cases, contribute > to > > > it), > > > > *given the opportunity*. They love the fact that in places all around > the > > > > world, people are experiencing something similar to them. We keep the > > > local > > > > focus, but think it's important to have a global perspective. That's > not > > > > just an attribute of a better coworker, or business owner/leader, > that's > > > an > > > > attribute of a better *citizen*. > > > > > > Without being presented with the possibility of being a part of the > > > bigger > > > > world just outside their doors, I don't blame them for "not wanting > to". > > > > They don't even know that they "could want to" let alone that they > > > "should > > > > want to". > > > > > > The trick is to give them the opportunity without also giving them a > * > > > > completely* blank page to work from. > > > > > > Like any interview, the key to this is knowing how to ask good > questions, > > > > and look for prompts for asking yet more questions. This is hard to > > > > automate, but some more in-depth interviews being conducted by the > > > members > > > > who want to know more about and be known more in the global community > is > > > > something that I firmly believe that many members will do if they're > > > given > > > > the opportunity. > > > > > > Personally, I'd love to see Angel's idea turn into a brainstorm of > the > > > kinds > > > > of questions and answers that members have with each other and > coworking > > > > space catalyst, founders, leaders, etc have with them as well. > > > > > > From there, I think we can put together some queues for conversation > to > > > get > > > > over "blank page syndrome" and simply provide enough context for the > > > stories > > > > - and the broader worldview that our members deserve to be able to > have > > > for > > > > themselves - to emerge. What we do with those stories could go in a > > > million > > > > directions, let's worry about that once we have figured out a good > way to > > > > capture them. > > > > > > -Alex > > > > > > /ah > > > > indyhall.org > > > > coworking in philadelphia > > > > > > On Tue, Feb 22, 2011 at 7:32 PM, Jacob Sayles < > [email protected] > > > >wrote: > > > > > > > Angel, > > > > > > > Yes yes yes! This has been the direction I've been working towards > all > > > > > along and there are some significant challenges to incorporate. > > > > > > > First, our members mostly just want a great place to work and they > > > think > > > > > it's neat that there are a number of other spaces around the world, > but > > > they > > > > > are more interested in the work they are doing. It's the space > owners > > > that > > > > > are more invested in the larger coworking movement so they are the > > > people > > > > > who are putting in the work. They want to talk about their space > > > mostly, > > > > > what they build, etc. I talk up our members and their incredible > > > stories<http://www.texttheromanceback.com/rachaelray>all the time but > I > > > wouldn't be able to keep individual profiles up to date. > > > > > It's enough work to highlight them on our website< > > >http://officenomads.com/category/featured-nomad/>. > > > > > > > I have lots of thoughts on the Coworking Registry and where it fits > in > > > the > > > > > wider vision. Mostly it starts with how difficult it is to > "organize" > > > the > > > > > coworking wiki which is currently mostly used to list spaces. If > we > > > could > > > > > get that buttoned up in a simple, central, neutral, way, and make > it > > > all > > > > > free and open data, then there is a lot we can do with that. It's > only > > > one > > > > > piece of the puzzle though. > > > > > > > I could go in so many directions from here but I'll leave it at > that. > > > The > > > > > conversation is going to be great in Austin. :) > > > > > > > Jacob > > > > > > > --- > > > > > Office Nomads - Individuality without Isolation > > > > >http://www.officenomads.com- (206) 323-6500 > > > > > > > On Tue, Feb 22, 2011 at 3:49 PM, Angel Kwiatkowski < > > > [email protected]>wrote: > > > > > > >> When Alex said, "The biggest thing I continually see missing from > > > > >> directories like this is a > > > > >> sort of sense of humanity - physical attributes are useful in > > > > >> determining > > > > >> what you DON'T want, but make it hard to differentiate between one > > > > >> space and > > > > >> the next once you know what you DO want." > > > > > > >> I've been reading up on the coworking registry database and > whatnot > > > > >> but again as a member just told me, "I don't want to know where > the > > > > >> desks/spaces are, I want to know where my people are." I think > that as > > > > >> a community of community-minded people-centric people we missed > the > > > > >> boat. Big time. As a matter of fact, we're in the wrong boat going > the > > > > >> wrong direction on the wrong river. > > > > > > >> Idea: what if we have a place where coworkers can tell their > stories? > > > > >> That's it. Tell your story about how you found coworking, why you > > > > >> cowork, where you cowork and how it has changed your life. Tag > those > > > > >> posts with city names and space names and let the wider community > of > > > > >> prospective coworkers find their tribe there. > > > > > > >> *Question: as a space owner do you think you could inspire your > > > > >> communities to contribute their stories online?* > > > > > > >> -- > > > > >> 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. > > > > > > > -- > > > > > 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. > > > > > -- > > > 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. > > -- > 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. > > -- 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.
