Hi Alex, I am very happy that you make that point about the coworking core values!!!
Yes it is about the coworking core values and how we can best put them into practice. I believe that free coworking provides an excellent way to develop each one of those values: collaboration, openness, community, accessibility, and sustainability! In order not to repeat my comment on shareable.net I like to refer to the wonderful article Beth wrote and your comment below: http://www.shareable.net/blog/felix-sch%C3%BCrholz-makes-the-case-for-free-coworking Greetings and a huge thank you for the work you do for this group!!! Felix On 4 Apr., 00:27, Alex Hillman <[email protected]> wrote: > Found this great interview that Beth did with Felix on Shareable today, I > think it does a MUCH better job of explaining what he's thinking than he > has here ;) > > http://www.shareable.net/blog/felix-sch%C3%BCrholz-makes-the-case-for... > > Hold on to your butts, because the rest of this post might ruffle some > feathers. > > As I mention in the comments, I totally agree with his core point: MANY > paid coworking spaces aren't differentiating themselves from business > centers and aren't keeping in line with the coworking core values. Social > capital is often missing from the exchange between the provider and the > member. Any community or collaboration is the result of proximity, but > little more. > > But this isn't about free vs. paid, this is about refocusing on the > coworking core values and building *whatever* we do, free or paid, with > them in mind. > > I can think of examples of the core values interpreted well, and poorly (or > not at all), in both courts, free and paid. "Coworking" has reached a wider > audience than the people who know and understand the core values, so this > is an expected side-effect that we all still need a way to navigate. > > I've also had conversations with many business center providers who > acknowledge that a lot of their customers actively DO NOT WANT the kinds of > effects that coworking spaces excel at. They value privacy, exclusivity, or > other things above the things that we value. That's not wrong, *it's > different. *One of the things that's increasingly clear to me is that > coworking is much more successful when it's about providing > choices<http://dangerouslyawesome.com/2012/04/global-changes-making-choices-a...> > than > when it's about *forcing* a new paradigm of any kind. > > Personally, I'd rather not focus on people who aren't living the core > values because it's not a productive way to lead. Instead, I can focus on > what we do to uphold them. > > Indy Hall's business is strong and growing > (again<http://dangerouslyawesome.com/2012/04/indy-hall-3-0-the-future-of-ind...>), > not in spite of the core values, but BECAUSE of the core values. ESPECIALLY > in times of growth, we turn to the core values to make sure we're making > the right decisions by our members, and creating a unique experience that > they love. I've even been pushing past the usual structure of community, > openness, sustainability, collaboration, and > accessibility<http://dangerouslyawesome.com/2011/10/coworking-core-values-series-tr...> > and > into a more actionable model, which I've started writing about as we > develop it > for<http://dangerouslyawesome.com/2012/04/the-virtues-of-indy-hall/>ourselves. > > Personally, I like Felix's sentiment a lot, lest it becomes confused with > "free" vs. "paid". I understand his position, though I personally would > love to have him more strongly behind the coworking core values regardless > of paid vs. free. Everyone would benefit from this part of his discussion. > > -Alex > indyhall.org > > > > > > > > On Tuesday, April 3, 2012 9:07:37 AM UTC-4, Alex Hillman wrote: > > > A bit of context, from my side: > > > I don't have anything against free Coworking. Coworking is an activity > > that doesn't require a specific place to do it. You can't own it, or sell > > it. All you can do is build a business around providing a great experience > > to do it. > > > Indy Hall and many of the best Coworking spaces in the world started as > > communities of "free Coworking" through jellies. > > > However of you're in the business of providing a Coworking experience, > > there's a careful line to walk and making sure that there's a difference > > between the free experience and the paid experience is the point of the > > post I wrote back in 2010 (and still stick by). > > > I also think that the existence of free Coworking is important to force > > Coworking space businesses to really differentiate their offering and be > > special. That's a good thing for everyone. > > > -Alex > > > -- > > /ah > > indyhall.org > > coworking in philadelphia > > > On Tuesday, April 3, 2012 at 9:00 AM, Adrienne Normand wrote: > > >http://dangerouslyawesome.com/2010/06/a-case-against-free-trial-cowor... > > > Adrienne > > > Sent from my iPad > > > On Apr 3, 2012, at 7:17 AM, rachel young <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Felix, > > > I'd love to read your reply as well. Maybe answer here for the group to > > read? > > r. > > On Apr 3, 2012 5:24 AM, "Felix Schürholz" <[email protected]> > > wrote: > > > Hi Adrienne, please send me Alex´s email or tell me where I can find > > it, so that I can answer him and you fully. Greetings, Felix > > > On 2 Apr., 21:50, Adrienne Normand <[email protected]> wrote: > > > I really enjoyed Alex's email yesterday about the case against Free > > > Coworking. If coworking is of value to you, why wouldn't you pay for it? > > > It obviously has a cost, why would you not reciprocate the owner/providor > > > for making coworking available? > > > Adrienne > > > > 2012/4/2 Felix Schürholz <[email protected]> > > > > > Looking at the recent entries in the “Free Coworking Directory< > >https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AsBt-syY2tDCdDhjbl8wemh2...>” > > > > it is apparent that from the last 7 entries 6 come from the USA, and of > > > > those, 5 from California. It remains to be seen whether this is a > > > > coincidence or the start of a stable trend. With now 3 free coworking > > > > offers in Los Angeles with Droplabs (Free Basic Use), kleverdog > > coworking > > > > (every other Friday) and Indie Desk (every 2nd Monday of the month) we > > have > > > > a first free coworking capital in California. I hope other cities will > > > > follow this wonderful example and collaborative endeavour. > > > > > If you want to know more about free coworking please refer to our > > resource > > > > page <http://www.coworking-news.de/free-coworking-resources/>. > > > > > -- > > > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google > > Groups > > > > "Coworking" group. > > > > To view this discussion on the web visit > > > >https://groups.google.com/d/msg/coworking/-/atTfwaCihaoJ. > > > > 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. 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