Coworking in Buenos Aires (Argentina)

It’s been a long time since my last post on the blog, so for those of you who don’t know we started Cowork Central back in November 2007, we were the first coworking space in Latin America and it is located in downtown Buenos Aires. Much has happened since our opening almost a year and a half ago and we wanted to share some of those thoughts and plans for the future with you.

Many spaces were created in Latin America during this time in the cities of: Sao Paulo (Brazil) and Montevideo (Uruguay), and as I can see from the Wiki right now, a lot more are being planned. This leads me to believe that the coworking movement is actually fitting very well into a very different culture as the northern countries (US, Canada, Europe) have.

Although during this time we had the pleasure of being interviewed by very important national and international press (NYTimes, The Globe and Mail, Clarín, El Cronista, La Razón, etc.) we had a somewhat difficult time trying to attract and evangelize local geeks to the coworking idea. Because of this, most of our members are international visitors that are staying for just a couple of months and then move on. On one hand this is actually pretty cool since it adds a lot of cultural value to the space and it’s members but on the other hand it’s not that good in the long term creation of the community. Reaching local individuals has been one of our most challenging tasks.

A couple of months ago I had the pleasure to visit some coworking spaces in the US (New York, San Francisco and Austin), had the chance to talk to the founders and members of such spaces and I came back with several ideas to implement here in the end of the world.

Open House (Jelly!)

For the time being we are setting up our very first Jelly event. Again, this would be the first of it’s kind in Latin America. This event is scheduled for June 16th and our idea is that if this goes well, we might start hosting more Jelly’s to attracting more people to the coworking community.

Of course, if you happen to visit Buenos Aires, don’t forget to drop by, remember we are participating on the “coworking visa” project.

Many good news from the coworking front in Italy.

First of all, after a year of Cowo (that’s the name/logo we adopted for our space@monkeybusiness) we decided to give start to an idea we’d had in mind for some time.

I’m talking about a network project addressed to all the people actually in the position to open up their space to the coworking community. This includes architects, creative agencies, media offices, small companies, real estate agencies… to these people we proposed “to make a little money with that couple of desks lying in the back of your office under a layer of dust”.

And it’s working.

Our project, called Coworking Project, has been published on the Internet for about two months now, and it already led to the opening of 4 more spaces, which is definitely a success for the budget involved (zero euros, plus an awful amount of hours on my side).

That means Cowo spaces are now five, four in Milano and one in Rome, plus one more (it’s already in, but not published on the website yet), in Genoa. So that makes six spaces.

We are really excited about this contribution to the coworking movement, and also enjoy the experiment of creating a community not only between coworkers, but among coworking space owners, too.

Media coverage on this has been impressive, at least for our standards.

No. 1 Italian newspaper “Corriere della Sera” has included CoworkingProject in a recent magazine article about the 45 anti-crisis ideas (leading our blog visits to an astonishing +600 in one day); Tv news of Lombardy Region has dedicated a two-minute coverage to our project; and last, this week we’ve had the incredible experience of seeing the word “coworking” on the cover of superpopular fashion magazine “D di Repubblica”, printed and distributed nationwide in +700,000 copies. Unbelievable!

A nice, in-depth article of six pages is to be found inside the magazine. (For whoever is interested in reading the article – it’s in Italian, but it does have beautiful, stylish photos – here you can find links and a downloadable pdf.

I enclose the cover and one of the inside pages (where you can see our logo and, well, my face) to prove that… miracles can happen.

[Oh, I almost forgot to mention that we also created a social network for nomad workers on Ning, called NomadWork. Everybody interested in nomadic workstyles is invited to join. People from Italy, France, Switzerland and Usa already have. It's basically a bilingual place, English-Italian, this way we try to keep the conversation open].

Just got this email in the inbox this morning – and could use your help with this student’s survey. Please take a look and consider helping?

Coworking Survey

Thank you for your time. I truly appreciate it.

Diana Thomas

After a few months of activity @ cowo milano, I finally managed to do something I’ve been trying to do for a long time: a video interview with a coworker, having him say what it’s like.

As I imagined, there’s nothing like the real thing… Davide tells the story in a way that couldn’be done better.

I don’t post the video because it’s in Italian (if you want to see it it’s here) but I do post the English transcription:

I’m a bit late on posting this, but Austin coworking space Conjunctured was spotlighted recently on a segment on coworking on MSNBC. Don Teague did an awesome job putting this together, and we’re very grateful for the coverage.

Check it out on MSNBC’s website.

What better way to kick off a new milestone in political history than to have a party for the grand opening of a new Coworking space in Seattle!

Join myself and my colleagues at Blue Flavor on Friday, November 14th as we launch Whitespace, a coworking space for professionals in Seattle who are passionate about their work, but tired of working alone at home or in noisy coffee shops. Think of it as a co-op artist and tech space. It’s also a great environment for relaxing and collaborating with like-minded people.

To RSVP for the event please do so on Upcoming or Facebook. You can also visit RentWhitespace.com to learn more about the space and our rates.

It’s Election Day in these United States, and our more-than-five-dozen coworking spaces know it. Some have helped prepare, hosting and organizing open-source crowdsource election-monitoring tools. Others are hosting results-watching parties, offering incentives to visitors who have voted, or simply opening for business today.

Launchpad Coworking's mashup of the Obama campaign logo with Coworking

• Williamsburg Coworking, in a Jelly session at the “Change You Want to See” gallery in Brooklyn, New York, hosted a coding party last month, as blogged here, to foster development of the “Vote Report” project mashing up Twitter and Google Maps and creating mobile and web applications to support community-based reporting of election-day problems. They invited other Coworking spaces to be part of a nationwide day of coding parties October 24th.
  

  fervent coders at Williamsburg Coworking

• BLANKSPACES in Los Angeles, California is not just hosting a party tonight to watch the returns come in (7-9 PM), it is offering “Free WiFi and a seat at the WorkBar” when you show your “I voted” sticker throughout the day.
   
• The People’s Republic of Berkeley Coworking hosted a discussion of the myriad local and state ballot propositions on Sunday.
• CubeSpace in Portland, Oregon is hosting regular “knitting night” as well as the Ruby Brigade this evening; either could be related to the election or to revolutions in coding, but the connection isn’t obvious.
   
• Houston’s Caroline Collective hosted a book-signing Saturday for “One Nation Under Blog,” looking at the intersection of Web 2.0 and politics. The space was slated to host a viewing party for the final Presidential debate, but foul weather intervened.
   
• Florida’s second Coworking community, CollabOrlando opened yesterday, in Orlando, Florida.
   
• New Work City, which also just opened yesterday, is planning a results-viewing event, although not necessarily in the space (as of last report).
   
• Julie Gomoll at Launchpad Coworking in Austin, Texas, while not yet open, has blogged about the connection between the citizen-driven democracy encapsulated in the Obama/Biden campaign and coworking. (she also invited President Obama to come by the space anytime he likes).
   
• Seattleites can visit Office Nomads for an election-night viewing party tonight after hours, and bring a cupcake and candle if they like to celebrate the space’s recent first birthday.

As I help get out the vote around Philadelphia today, I’ll be stopping by Independents’ Hall to see if anything democracyesque is happening there. What’s your space doing (other than giving paid staff time off to vote, as required by law)? Are your members engaged in the political process? Please add your stories in the comments. Democracy Begins at Work.

I’m thrilled to announce that we are currently moving into our new coworking space, Eclau, in Lausanne, Switzerland. I’m Stephanie Booth, by the way. Here’s a post (in French) with some photos of today’s work. We have a wiki where I’m trying to get the other members to contribute too .

The space will be opening next week (we’re getting the keys on Monday and then making a big hole in a wall, between two rooms).

We offer 3 types of membership:

• Fixed: members have their own desk, 300 CHF/month (250 when paying six months in advance)
• “Floating” (”Flying” in French, but it doesn’t translate well): members don’t have their own desk but use the common spaces, 150 CHF/month
• “Nomad”: like “Floating”, but members can’t leave anything in the space, 100 CHF/month

There are currently 3 fixed members and 3 floating members signed up, plus myself, for a 112 m2 surface. We will be walling off part of the space in December to create a meeting room.

If ever you’re in Lausanne, please let us know (Twitter @eclau or just contact me) and drop in!

Hello, I am Lisa Thompson.

A couple of you know me; I am starting a coworking facility in Media PA.   Currently the stage is set with a location that I am applying for right near the courthouse.   I don’t have it yet, but the landlord is very excited by the project so I expect some leeway there.  With the proximity to the courthouse, I expect the majority of my clientèle to be lawyers needing either meeting space or those from out of town.  The space is small to start out but there is room to grow.  I will announce more as it happens!

In the past week, I have been working with a group of highly motivated programmers and designers and activists that are looking to solve some of the connecting issues that surround Election Day – to ensure that the Democratic Process is not “overturned”.  But, to make this happen – we need some programming help.  And for that, we have an announcement.

We’re partnering with the Election Protection Coalition, Rock the Vote, League of Young Voters, NPR, and a host of other groups to make this happen. You can help!  Here’s how: 1. Host or attend a jam session on Friday – be sure to list it on the VoteReport wiki, or 2. Join us from the comfort of your home via IRC freenode channel #VoteReport, or 3. If you’re in NY, stop by The Change You Want To See Gallery from 11am to 6pm on Friday to work with the lead development team.

More info below!

Vote Report Project Uses Twitter to Monitor US Elections

Programmers, Designers, and Activists Team Up at Nationwide Parties Friday to Build System for Real-Time Reporting of Voter Suppression Incidents

WHAT: Volunteer programmers, designers and activists across the country will coordinate in online chat rooms and at real-world coding parties on Friday to build Twitter Vote Report, a groundbreaking web election monitoring system to fight voter suppression and disruption efforts. Anyone with a Twitter.com account will be able to use their cell phones or computers to send a message notifying voters, election monitors, and the media of problems around the country. A web map will display incidents in real-time. There are three ways to participate on Friday: 1. Join us at the coding jam session headquarters at The Change You Want To See Gallery in Brooklyn, NY, 2. Host your own coding jam session, 3. Join us in IRC freenode channel #VoteReport.

WHEN: Friday, November 24th, 11am – 6pm EST.

WHERE: Headquartered at “Brooklyn Coworking” in The Change You Want To See Gallery, 84 Havemeyer St, Brooklyn NY 11211. Additional locations across the country listed here: http://wiki.votereport.us/Votereport%20Jam%20Session

BACKGROUND INFO: On election day millions of Americans will go to over 200,000 distinct voting locations and using different systems and machinery to vote. Some voters will have a terrific experiences, and others will experience the same problems we have been hearing about for years – long lines, broken machines, inaccurate voting rolls, and some that we haven’t heard about before. Using Twitter.com and 1-866-Our-Vote Hotline, voters will have a new way to share these experiences with one another and ensure that the media and watchdog groups are aware of any problems.

From questions like “where do I vote” or “how do I make sure that my rights are being upheld,” Twitter Voter Report augments these efforts by providing a new way for voters to send text messages (aka tweets) via cellphones or computers which will be aggregated and mapped so that everyone can see the Nation’s voting problems in real-time.

A Nationwide web map will display pins identifying every zip code where Americans are waiting over 30 minutes to vote or indicating those election districts where the voting machines are not working. Collectively we will inform each other when the lines are too long and ensure that media and watchdog groups know when and where problems exist.

For more information:

Twitter Vote Report Wiki – http://wiki.votereport.us

Friday Jam Session info – http://wiki.votereport.us/Votereport%20Jam%20Session

Partners:
866-OUR-VOTE (The Election Protection Coalition)
Common Cause
Credo Mobile
Demos
League of Young Voters
Mobilize.org
National Public Radio
Network Redux
Not An Alternative
Open Resource Group
Rock the Vote
techPresident/Personal Democracy Forum
Voter Suppression Wiki
Women Donors Network

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