Cohere has member profiles (a little more formal though some are
pretty hilarious and utterly fictional) on our website under the
Community tab and then we're also kicking it old school and the intern
has created a physical wall o' members with actual Polaroids, contact
info and a 1 line niche statement. I'll send a pic of the wall. It's
pretty cool and only possible because the intern takes care of it!

That app sounds awesome. Would it be shareable for other spaces to use
internally?

On Feb 22, 10:20 pm, Alex Hillman <dangerouslyawes...@gmail.com>
wrote:
> I'm working with some guys from Baltimore on an internal member directory
> app (imagine a wall of polaroids so you can easily track down faces to
> names).
>
> Rather than encourage members categorize themselves by arbitrary industries,
> I'm heading in the direction of asking these sorts of questions for a
> one-two line profile or bio. If your intern found good questions on a
> particular site, I'd love a source!
>
> -Alex
>
> /ah
> indyhall.org
> coworking in philadelphia
>
> On Tue, Feb 22, 2011 at 11:59 PM, Angel Kwiatkowski
> <fccowork...@gmail.com>wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > My intern found some pretty fun questions on a "would you rather"
> > site. Now, mind you, these aren't soul bearing questions about
> > coworking but I do think that people's responses really let
> > personality shine through. For example, would you rather have a pencil
> > sharpening nostril or a ketchup dispensing navel?" Why?  (feel free to
> > answer this question in this discussion thread) I chose the nostril
> > sharpener--mainly because I don't eat a lot of ketchup and I think it
> > might ruin my shirts.
>
> > -Angel
>
> > On Feb 22, 9:49 pm, Alex Hillman <dangerouslyawes...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > 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
> > > <fccowork...@gmail.com>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 <dangerouslyawes...@gmail.com> 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
> > > > > <fccowork...@gmail.com>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 <dangerouslyawes...@gmail.com>
> > 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 <
> > > > ja...@officenomads.com
> > > > > > >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
>
> ...
>
> read more »

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