Wiki History
Coworking as we have come to recognize the term began in San Francisco on August 9th, 2005. The idea was put into motion by Brad Neuberg in a blog post describing, “a new kind of work environment for free spirits.” He had the vision of a workplace where people could collaborate and come together to combat the isolation of working alone. From this some grew the other first generation coworking communities such as Spiral Muse, The Hat Factory,Citizen Space, Indy Hall or Office Nomads. From these humble beginnings the coworking movement has grown to more than 2,000 spaces worldwide, with more opening each week.
Chris Messina and Tara Hunt, the founders of Citizen Space, setup the Coworking Wiki and the Google Group as a means of coalescing the movement online, as well as providing resources for looking to open coworking spaces of their own. These open and neutral communication channels established a culture of collaborating and community from the very beginning that has proven to be an amazing catalyst for the movement.
In 2010 Jacob Sayles assumed moderation duties for the Wiki, and with the help of Will Bennis implemented a system to reduce spam and encourage more content. In early 2012, Jacob Sayles established Open Coworking, a non-profit dedicated to facilitating greater collaboration between coworking spaces around the world. Their first major project was to bring together a team coordinated coworking space staff members and volunteers to take over the responsibilities of maintaining the Wiki. The Coworking Wiki Team is hard at work revamping the Wiki, and expanding the scope of their activities to continually provide the best resource for coworking on the web.
The Coworking Wiki Upgrade Project
As you explore, you may notice a lot of broken links and incomplete sections. There is a team in place to upgrade and redesign the Coworking Wiki. Here is a brief overview of our goals:
- Improved Organization, Layout, and Usability
- A Platform for Greater Collaboration
- An Improved Resource Aggregate for Present and Potential Coworkers, Space Owners, Managers, and Catalysts
- Transition the Space Directory to a Map-Based Search Platform
- Employ a Dedicated Staff to Oversee Ongoing Site Needs and Maintenance
If you're a part of the coworking community, please consider making a donation. You can learn more about the redesign effort on the project website, and be sure to follow our blog and twitter feed.
Wiki FAQ
*For general wiki questions, consult the PBWorks User Manual.
What are the benefits to redesigning the Coworking Wiki, anyway?
The wiki is already a highly-visible, top-tiered search result on Google and Bing for “coworking.” It has a lot of potential as a collaborative coworking tool, but not in its present state. To see our overall vision for what the wiki could be, check out our vision for an updated wiki.
How can I get involved?
So glad you asked! There are a several ways to participate in the Coworking Wiki Upgrade Project, including volunteering or joining our team. We’re also eager for feedback about our progress and our project goals.
Will my contribution be tax-deductible?
Unfortunately, not yet. We’re working on all of the necessary paperwork to incorporate as a non-profit, but as of this time we haven’t yet been officially granted non-profit designation.
Who is working on this project?
The project is staffed by a group of Seattle-based coordinators, and they are currently in the process of recruiting the coworking space employees who will become fully responsible for the wiki’s ongoing maintenance and organization (The Team). Compensation for the time coworking employees spend on the wiki is donated by the spaces at which they’re already employed, and their workload is limited to about 5 hours a week. We’re requiring that these individuals and their spaces make a one-year commitment. Development and execution of our plan will be developed by everyone involved with the project. If you’re interested, we’ve got information on joining our team, and don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.
Why do you want a one-year commitment from team members?
The wiki is a large resource with huge potential, and it requires ongoing maintenance. Having team members commit to a year will ensure better continuity of the project, stronger relationships among the team itself, and give the team the time necessary to try things out and plan for the best possible system. One of the reasons the present Coworking Wiki has fallen into disrepair is because it’s mostly managed by volunteers. Having a dedicated team will allow for much more than just granting editing privileges and controlling spam.
Where does the money from my donation go?
We’re trying to transition the wiki away from having an all-volunteer staff towards professional management. A volunteer staff has proven unable to make the commitment necessary to manage all of the resources and information on the site. Most of the money we raise goes to staffing key positions. These staff people are already working at greatly reduced rates in order to keep the project alive, and our first fundraising target will keep them in their current positions until the end of July. Our second fundraising target allows them to stay on until the end of 2012, provides for a team gathering to get the full Wiki Team together for a working weekend, and allows for the development of new software, like the map-based Coworking Directory.
Do I get anything for my donation?
Donors are recognized on our website, receive project stickers, get shout-outs on Twitter, and our heartfelt thanks. We’d very much like to keep this a community project, and it wouldn’t be possible without your generosity.
Will you need to raise money every year for this project?
No. After the team is assembled and a new structure for the Coworking Wiki is in place, the wiki will not require any funds to keep it going. The team will be responsible for day-to-day upkeep and maintenance, and their compensation will come from the coworking spaces who’ve generously agreed to expand their employee’s work responsibilities to include this.
What will be different?
So much! For one thing, the URL will change from wiki.coworking.info to wiki.coworking.com. The site’s resources will be organized by stakeholder (Catalysts, present/potential coworkers, and owners). These sections will be further subdivided into categories, making the site more navigable and user-friendly. If we hit our second fundraising target, the Coworking Directory will change from a list to a map-based, searchable database, and the spaces will control how their listing appears from their own website. Check out The Project overview for more details.
Still have questions?
Contact us with your questions – we’re more than happy to hear from you!
