Re: Common Coworking Software (was Co-Working Directory)

Fwd: [Coworking] Re: Common Coworking Software (was Co-Working Directory)

Who is Rosh Hashanah?

Re: New Work City membership agreement - version 1

David, I like your idea of a legal library and an open source
agreement for coworking.

> * A license governing all of the documentation.  It can't contain
> legalese specific to on of the contributing organizations.
Maybe we can create an overall "operating system" coworking agreement
which can apply to all coworking groups, and we can also create
"plugins" -- paragraphs which can be inserted to the agreements of the
organizations to which they apply?  For example, we might create a one-
page "General Coworking Legal Agreement," and we might create plugin
paragraphs/clauses, for example:
  - if you have a few members who own the lease and sublease to other
members, or another paragraph if
  - you have all the members share the lease.

> * A way of collaborating on the CoWorking Legal Agreement
I'll ask Vanessa Scanlon if we can use MixedInk.com, which is in
beta.  MixedInk is an awesome way for groups to write agreements and
agree on what the final text will be.

> * A permanent repository for the CoWorking Legal Library

-Alex (of CooperBricolage/New Work City in NYC)
--
Alex Linsker
(646) 269-4915
alexlinsker <at> gmail.com
www.alexlinsker.com
Organizational democracy: helping people work together in companies

On Sep 30, 12:53 pm, "David J. Kordsmeier" <dko... <at> gmail.com> wrote:
> Great ideas.
>
> So there are several things here:
> * A CoWorking Legal Library
> * An Open Source CoWorking Legal Agreement (in various forms)
>
> Can we agree as a group, in principle on a few things:
> * A license governing all of the documentation.  It can't contain
> legalese specific to on of the contributing organizations.
> * A way of collaborating on the CoWorking Legal Agreement
> * A permanent repository for the CoWorking Legal Library
> ?
>
> Did I miss anything?  Eventually we would need to develop some FAQs
> and such for the Legal Library.
>
> -
> David
>
>
>
> On Tue, Sep 30, 2008 at 12:10 AM, Dusty <dustyrea... <at> gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > I'd also dig helping with an open source coworking member agreement.
> > We're currently not using one at Conjunctured! :o
>
> > We are however, working up a very thorough partnership agreement for
> > an LLC. Anyone need one of those? :)
>
> > Would be nice to have a open source coworking legal library.
>
> > Dusty
> >http://conjunctured.com
>
> > On Sep 29, 11:51 pm, "Mike Schinkel" <mikeschin... <at> gmail.com> wrote:
> >> An open source working agreement would be GREAT.
> >> I don't know how much I can contribute (legally), but would love to see one
> >> created and will provide ideas the best I can.
>
> >> -Mike Schinkel
> >> President; NewClarity LLChttp://mikeschinkel.com
>
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: coworking <at> googlegroups.com [mailto:coworking <at> googlegroups.com] On
>
> >> Behalf Of Alex Linsker
> >> Sent: Monday, September 29, 2008 5:04 AM
> >> To: Coworking
> >> Subject: [Coworking] Re: New Work City membership agreement - version 1
>
> >> Hi Alex,
>
> >> I'd like to help create an open source working agreement.  Although I'm not
> >> a lawyer, I've worked for lawyers in relevant fields, and have written
> >> employment, partnership, client and outsourcing contracts which have been
> >> greenlighted by some of the best lawyers.  I'm great at writing really
> >> plain-language, simple, direct, easy-to-read contracts.
>
> >> What's the next step?
>
> >> -Alex
>
> >> Alex Linsker
> >> (646) 269-4915
> >> alexlins... <at> gmail.comwww.alexlinsker.com
> >> Organizational democracy: helping people work together in companies
>
> >> On Sep 26, 11:01 am, "Alex Hillman" <dangerouslyawes... <at> gmail.com>
> >> wrote:
> >> > To the many of you who've worked from our agreement:
> >> > Ours was taken from a very generic "shared space" agreement that I
> >> > found somewhere on the web. We needed something FAST, so we slightly
> >> > modded the TOS that I'd found and worked from there.
>
> >> > It's been my desire for over a year now to tone down that agreement,
> >> > it's got a lot of garbage and legalese in it.
>
> >> > If anyone is interested in working with Geoff and myself, as well as
> >> > if anyone has any legal resources that could chip in, I'd love to work
> >> > together to create an open source coworking agreement that covers what
> >> > really needs to be covered, and cuts out all of the other crap.
>
> >> > -Alex
>
> >> > --
> >> > -----
> >> > --
> >> > -----
> >> > Alex Hillman
> >> > im always developing something
> >> > digital: a... <at> weknowhtml.com
> >> > visual:www.dangerouslyawesome.com
> >> > local:www.indyhall.org
>
> >> > On Fri, Sep 26, 2008 at 10:58 AM, Tony Bacigalupo
> >> > <tonybacigal... <at> gmail.com>wrote:
>
> >> > > Agreed all around. So should we simply removed the "disparaging" or
> >> > > get rid of the clause altogether? Is it important to have protection
> >> > > against defamation?
>
> >> > > Also, since the space isn't open yet, we'll be adding stipulations
> >> > > that membership won't start until after the space is open, and that
> >> > > the space will open within a certain range of dates or the agreement is
> >> null and void.
>
> >> > > Anything else?
>
> >> > > On Fri, Sep 26, 2008 at 8:27 AM, patrick.tang... <at> gmail.com <
> >> > > patrick.tang... <at> gmail.com> wrote:
>
> >> > >> > statements or comments of a defamatory or disparaging nature to
> >> > >> > any third party regarding NEW
>
> >> > >> Yeah, we based our contract on IH too (thanks Alex!) but took out
> >> > >> "disparaging" after the first round of signings, "defamation" is
> >> > >> one thing but with "disparaging" in there it looks like we don't
> >> > >> want to be critiqued either.
>
> >> > >> Btw, if anyone opens up a space in Canada, our version has a couple
> >> > >> of local tweaks so feel free to ask for the file.
>
> >> > >> Patrick
> >> > >> station-c.com- Hide quoted text -
>
> >> > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Re: Common Coworking Software (was Co-Working Directory)

Re: Who is Rosh Hashanah?

Great! Very funny!

Shanah Tovah from Brazil. :)

Fernanda
www.ptodecontato.com.br

On Sep 30, 9:06 pm, Jerome Chang <jer... <at> blankspaces.com> wrote:
> Hi all.
>
> Just for fun, my filmmaker friend created this in the spirit of  
> today's major Jewish holiday.http://www.new.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=588008064965&oid=150067...
>
> Jerome
> ______________
> BLANKSPACES
> "work wide open"
>
> www.blankspaces.com
> 5405 Wilshire Blvd (2 blocks west of La Brea)
> Los Angeles, CA 90036
> 323.330.9505 (office)

Re: Who is Rosh Hashanah?

*snort* that's great. Finally something I can forward to my mom instead of
the other way around ;)

-- 
-----
-- 
-----
Alex Hillman
im always developing something
digital: alex <at> weknowhtml.com
visual: www.dangerouslyawesome.com
local: www.indyhall.org

On Tue, Sep 30, 2008 at 8:06 PM, Jerome Chang <jerome <at> blankspaces.com>wrote:

> Hi all.
> Just for fun, my filmmaker friend created this in the spirit of today's
> major Jewish holiday.
> http://www.new.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=588008064965&oid=15006768998
>
>
> Jerome
> ______________
> BLANKSPACES
> "work wide open"
>
> www.blankspaces.com
> 5405 Wilshire Blvd (2 blocks west of La Brea)
> Los Angeles, CA 90036
> 323.330.9505 (office)
>
>
> >
>

group88 on Fox 61

Heya coworking crew . . .

Yesterday I was on the local fluffy Fox 61 news program to dish about
coworking. It was so much fun! I didn't really get out everything I
wanted to say but, hey, the segment didn't turn out too bad. Check it
out at:

http://www.fox61.com/pages/morning_news

The clip is "Dealing with Coworkers" -- what a crappy freakin' title
that is!!! But, hey, whatever!

Re: group88 on Fox 61

Re: Common Coworking Software (was Co-Working Directory)

Great thread, everyone!

I've talked to many of you independently, so I'm going to briefly
brain dump here.

After a very intimate year in this space, and after many conversations
with both coworkers, independents, entrepreneurs, as well as people in
corporate HR and real estate, there's definitely a new ecology of work/
workspace developing here.  This probably isn't news to most of you.

This ecology is currently composed largely of independents,
independent entrepreneurs, and a small handful of corporate
outworkers; it is also composed of a growing cadre of coworking spaces
and local Jelly groups.  People and places.  To be fair, the ecology
also includes coffee shops and executive suites, and the people that
work there, even though these differ ideologically.  But there are
several missing pieces.

In areas like New York City, but elsewhere as well, there's a real
estate component that can't be avoided.  Many current spaces started
because "we got a good deal" on space somewhere, or because a forward
thinking small business owner was willing to let others utilize unused
office space.  I realize I'm generalizing here, but please bear with
me.  This model isn't scalable.  I'm not even sure it's desirable
because living in borrowed space isn't sustainable over the long term,
and I'm not sure coworking owner/operators are really prepared to be
in the landlord business, which is what they are in the minute they
start charging money for space and services.

To the point of this thread, the necessary technology infrastructure
is missing, as well.  This hasn't been a problem, because we are all
early adopters, and can get buy on our wits and our network of friends
in coworking.  However, at some point this movement is going to take
off.  Office space is the #2 cost in most businesses (after people,
which are #1).  I can guarantee that every Fortune 1000 company in the
United States is looking for ways to reduce cost #2 (and #1) given our
immediate economic situation.  So, take off may be sooner than we
think.

My feeling is that it's time to compare notes, to look at the
infrastructure, and to make sure that it evolves in a way that
benefits and serves the community.  Forget about the tags "coworking",
"Jelly", etc. for a moment, and consider the near future in which work
and workplace is increasingly defined as a network of intentional
local spaces, and as communities of working peers with something in
common beyond the accidental fact they work for the same company.
Good technology will make it easier to open/operate spaces like those
we've come to love.

Thanks,
Todd

On Sep 30, 6:58 pm, "Derek Neighbors" <de... <at> integrumtech.com> wrote:
> Sent from wrong address. :)
>
> Todd,
>
>
>
> > On Tue, Sep 30, 2008 at 7:25 AM, Todd Sundsted <j... <at> etcee.com> wrote:
>
> >> There has been talk in the past about open source membership
> >> management software, etc.  With coworking visas now in play, the
> >> challenge of contacting an owner/manager when you're in town, finding
> >> a space in the first place, finding/reserving a desk, managing
> >> payment, etc. there's an opportunity for the right tool to simplify
> >> the process of setting up and managing a space.  With New Work City in
> >> the wings here in NYC, I'm being reminded of all of these issues
> >> again.
>
> >> So I'm gauging interest in this project.  There are enough hot shots
> >> at work in coworking spaces, and enough great technologies out there
> >> (OpenID, etc.) that we could build and sustain an open source project
> >> like this.
>
> > We have some interesting concepts in this area.  We offer all our space for
> > free so we haven't much focused on the business of collecting payment.
> > However, we very much are interested in allowing co-workers to identify
> > themselves and the space(s) they regularly frequent.  We have another
> > project for our hacknights (http://hacknight.gangplankhq.com/) that we
> > might refactor and tie into the wurkspaces directory.  Anyhoo... We are
> > certainly open for ideas and willing to help.
>
> > --
> > Derek Neighbors
> > Integrum Technologies