Coworking

A wee while back I posted about an idea I had for the ((deep)) space - a communal workspace

Well... been doing some digging and I think its a great idea.

Found this article :: Where the Coffee Shop Meets the Cubicle :: on Business Week...

Over the past few years, co-working facilities—both grassroots, co-op-like versions and for-profit models—have started popping up across the country and the world, from Seattle to Copenhagen... And while the concept of shared office space is nothing new to entrepreneurs, an increasing number of them are signing on and finding that the community-building and networking benefits outweigh even the virtues of a shared fax machine.

It led to a few more sites of interest...

First off... you have a coworking wiki that is a go-to resource space for this movement. They define coworking as

Coworking is cafe-like community/collaboration space for developers, writers and independents.

Or, it's like this: start with a shared office and add cafe culture. Which is the opposite of most modern cafes. ;)

I like that!

They also have a blog that's on point... that provides more detail on the people, places and spaces... worldwide... who are embracing this form of communal work ethic. I particularly liked their article on using twitter for finding "social energy" while working.

There is something here that I want to explore further. I see it as an exercise in good stewardship and creating / serving community... especially those who may be on the outskirts.