Media's need to simplify for me indicates the public's need to understand [quickly]. Those of us in coworking, or in any field for that matter, tend to convolute the issues by spouting the 1000 things that coworking can/should do. When in the grand scheme, we have to communicate more concisely and therefore focus better.
So yes, I agree with Alex's and others' point that we clean the message. I don't agree that this will be a "continual struggle", as much as editing and focusing are enjoyable efforts to be effective and for huge rewards. Jerome ______________ BLANKSPACES "work FOR yourself, not BY yourself" www.blankspaces.com ph: 323.330.9505 | 5405 Wilshire Blvd (2 blocks west of La Brea) Los Angeles, CA 90036 On Apr 10, 2012, at 3:39 PM, Alex Hillman wrote: > Funny you bring up the press and their overs simplification. I had almost the > same sentence written in my reply and axed it :) > > One of the lessons in my workshop is how to talk to the press and get your > stories told. Its been suggested by some students that I could teach it as a > standalone class, and that's coming soon! > > Glad to hear we've got another advocate in you, though. > > -- > /ah > indyhall.org > coworking in philadelphia > > On Tuesday, April 10, 2012 at 6:34 PM, Randall G. Arnold wrote: > >> Thanks Alex, and agreed on every point with one tiny caveat: mainstream >> media is going to always lean toward oversimplifying. So that will mean a >> continual struggle for coworking advocates to keep the message clean. We >> just need to do our parts to be clear and especially concise in everything >> we do, especially in interviews, press releases, etc. >> >> To that end, as I've noted before I recently started a digital magazine, >> http://post404.com , geared toward community and collaboration. Coworking >> will be a big part of our coverage. We will definitely do our part to help >> the signal-to-noise ratio. We welcome any and all contributions and in fact >> are hoping to add some full and occasional volunteer writers. If you ever >> need a podium, we'll be glad o provide it! That includes republishing >> original articles, in either direction. >> >> Randy >> Editor-in-Chief, post404 >> @texrat & @post404_Mag on twitter >> >> >> On April 10, 2012 at 6:17 PM Alex Hillman <[email protected]> >> wrote: >> >> > Thanks for recognizing the change from most to many. That was intentional. >> > >> > >> > As far as norms, I think the point (and perhaps the problem) is that they >> > are changing. As more players enter the fray, and as the intentions and >> > models diversify, the norms change and diversify as well. >> > >> > This itself isn't inherently a problem (in fact I think it's natural and >> > important >> > (http://dangerouslyawesome.com/2011/11/sex-coworking-and-rock-n-roll/)). >> > Embracing that fragmentation helps us all get more done. What worries me, >> > and you head in this direction as well Randall, is that the media often >> > conflates all of the variations as one specific genre. >> > >> > Coworking as a pattern was developed with some very specific intentions. >> > The core values helped crystallize those intentions into something >> > shareable, moldable, adaptable. >> > >> > Coworking as a business doesn't have as clear of intentions. I think >> > that's where we're running into confusion. >> > >> > But I still think that confusion lies more in the realm of the media and >> > our inside-baseball conversations than in the heads of our members and >> > potential members. Like music, people tend to avoid what they don't like. >> > They also tend to use and share what they do like. >> > >> > That's good news for all of us. >> > >> > -Alex >> > >> > >> > -- >> > /ah >> > indyhall.org >> > coworking in philadelphia >> > >> > >> > >> > On Tuesday, April 10, 2012 at 5:50 PM, Randall G. Arnold wrote: >> > >> > > At least Alex used the word "MANY" in his article instead of "most" >> > > (used earlier in the dialog); I suspect the latter to be hyperbolic. >> > > >> > > And not to axle-wrap over mere semantics, but I do wonder how many is >> > > "MANY". I think that's actually important to the discussion, because I >> > > have to wonder what the NORM is. >> > > >> > > I also suspect that part of the distinction problem stems from those >> > > getting into this space without first understanding how and why they >> > > should separate their offerings from traditional establishments, as well >> > > as thinking through the pitfalls before opening up a coworking >> > > operation. >> > > >> > > But as was raised earlier, this isn't a black and white subject; >> > > coworking lives along a gradient of communal/corporate philosophy. >> > > There's room for all flavors, BUT operators do need to define their >> > > offerings clearly to customers IMO. >> > > >> > > Here is where my old military nomenclature experience rears its ugly >> > > head and wonders if qualifiers might help clear the confusion. >> > > "Corporate Coworking" vs "Community Coworking", et al. Maybe my >> > > subconsious is reflexively overthinking it though. >> > > >> > > Anyway, it's also possible this is much ado about, ultimately, nothing. >> > > Still, the discussion has been (mostly) good, clean fun. :D >> > > >> > > Randy >> > > >> > > >> > > >> > > On April 10, 2012 at 4:41 PM "Felix Schürholz" >> > > <[email protected] (mailto:[email protected])> wrote: >> > > >> > > > link to article with video: http://bit.ly/HsRlKH >> > > > >> > > > Already one of the great fruits of the widespread discussion on free >> > > > coworking is the acknowledgement that paid coworking has lost its >> > > > bearings >> > > > in many instances. Alex Hillman on his blog >> > > > dangerouslyawesome<http://dangerouslyawesome.com/2012/04/free-as-in-coworking/> >> > > > puts >> > > > it like this: “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.” I fully agree with Alex!!! >> > > > >> > > > To address these aspects free coworking stresses the importance of >> > > > shared/common projects of the coworkers, social capital and community >> > > > building. In this article I like look particularly at the last two >> > > > namely >> > > > community building and social capital. >> > > > >> > > > Up to now community building in coworking spaces has largely if not >> > > > exclusively been the task of the coworking space operator or manager. >> > > > This >> > > > is and was fine in a time where coworking was just starting up and >> > > > developing. In Germany for example in 2009, when coworking started to >> > > > spread across the country, many coworking operators felt as if they >> > > > had “invented >> > > > coworking<http://www.coworking-news.de/2009/10/video-zum-treffen-der-coworking-initiativen-jetzt-online/>” >> > > > >> > > > themselves. While this was always said with a smile, there was some >> > > > real >> > > > truth in it. In those days and in many instances today coworking space >> > > > >> > > > operators were and are still pioneers. It was normal that they would >> > > > take >> > > > care and focus on community building in their individual spaces. >> > > > >> > > > But times have changed and things have developed a great deal. With >> > > > several >> > > > hundred coworking spaces worldwide now, there is a huge knowledge base >> > > > now >> > > > that every new operator can draw upon. On top of that there is now a >> > > > wonderful physical network of spaces worldwide that did not exist >> > > > before. >> > > > Now coworkers can travel through the world and they will find a >> > > > coworking >> > > > space in nearly every major city of the world. With this network in >> > > > place I >> > > > believe there should also be a shift in terms of community building >> > > > in >> > > > coworking. >> > > > >> > > > Now the coworkers themselves should become more active in community >> > > > building. This community building can take various forms. One aspect >> > > > can be >> > > > in carrying out various jobs within the space itself as is done in the >> > > > free >> > > > coworking model of Gangplank >> > > > <http://www.coworking-news.de/?s=gangplank>. >> > > > One task or role here is called “the >> > > > anchor<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEBy7idILDY&feature=player_embedded>” >> > > > >> > > > (see video in article, or press link to video). >> > > > >> > > > Another task of community building should take place on the internet. >> > > > It is >> > > > very easy, there are manyfacebook groups on >> > > > coworking<https://www.facebook.com/groups/coworkingeurope/doc/231235143607416/> >> > > > >> > > > or meetup groups <http://coworking.meetup.com/all/> already. But the >> > > > focus >> > > > of these groups is largely local and limited by the functions that >> > > > facebook >> > > > or meetup offers. For free coworking to develop we need >> > > > aninfrastructure >> > > > that is owned and developed by the coworkers >> > > > themselves<http://www.coworking-news.de/2012/02/free-coworking-a-facebook-developed-run-and-owned-by-the-coworkers/>. >> > > > >> > > > Fortunately we have already started a tool which we like to develop >> > > > with >> > > > everybody who feels that coworkers themselves should be more active in >> > > > >> > > > community building. The tool is the “Free Coworking Skill >> > > > Sharing<http://www.coworking-news.de/2012/02/free-car-sharing-for-skills-free-coworking-skill-sharing/>“. >> > > > >> > > > With its latest development we particularly focussed on team >> > > > building<http://www.coworking-news.de/2012/03/team-building-by-skill-sharing-identify-your-key-style-of-thinking-in-a-team/>, >> > > > >> > > > which we believe is essential for the spread of free coworking. >> > > > >> > > > Coworkers, get involved!!! Now is the time that coworkers themselves >> > > > should >> > > > take more responsibility for their communities. In the great wikipedia >> > > > >> > > > article on community >> > > > building<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Community_building>, >> > > > Lew Feldstein is quoted as follows:”We must learn to view the world >> > > > through >> > > > a social capital lens” … “We need to look at front porches as crime >> > > > fighting tools, treat picnics as public health efforts and see choral >> > > > groups as occasions of democracy…”. I like to add:”We should see >> > > > coworking >> > > > spaces as places for vital social exchanges and a base for a new >> > > > sustainable economy.” >> > > > >> > > > For more information on 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/-/jF0IE8rFLbYJ. >> > > > To post to this group, send email to [email protected] >> > > > (mailto:[email protected]). >> > > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >> > > > [email protected] >> > > > (mailto:[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] >> > > (mailto:[email protected]). >> > > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >> > > [email protected] >> > > (mailto:[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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