What is Digg?32 Comments
- slvrbullet87, on 04/09/2008, -4/+13Am i the only person on earth who likes his cubicle? I like the ability to have a little privacy and a place to hang all of my reference papers and pictures.
P.S. Questionably the worst server of all time - lensman00, on 04/09/2008, -2/+10I suspect that within 20 or 30 years most white collar workers won't work for a specific company. They'll go into a space like the one in the article and log onto a work queue that is skill specific (bookkeeping, marketing, design, dba, whatever). Then they will load a job and work for several hours for whatever company needs their established skill set at that time. After lunch they might start on a job from another company. Managers will review their work periodically for quality and productivity and that will accrue to a personal rating, which will help set rate of pay.
So while people will be working on an "outsourced" basis, they'll also have a great deal of flexibility and independence. A go-getter can work his ass off, a slacker can slack, part-timers can chip in their bit, and each person can work at his preferred level of productivity without anyone getting bent out of shape over it.
As a bonus, these work centers will be located throughout most neighborhoods, so fewer people will need to make long commutes. That will free up major roads for more efficient commerce and cut down on pollution. - stealthc, on 04/09/2008, -0/+4Sounds like a cool idea. The idea of this kind of living/working space would motivate me even more toward self-employment.
- o0joshua0o, on 04/09/2008, -1/+5Speaking as an introvert, this idea doesn't sound too exciting.
- ktwoart, on 04/09/2008, -0/+4This type of service is available in the Capitol Hill area of Seattle. The company, Office Nomads, provides typical office amenities like high-speed internet, copy/fax, hot coffee and most importantly--work friends. Daily rate is $25 and monthly memberships are $425. Detailed information can be found at their website - http://www.officenomads.com/
- cosmopolitician, on 04/09/2008, -1/+5http://www.carolinecollective.cc
- liviaokokok, on 04/09/2008, -0/+3I turned them off... i think i pissed off my neighbors...
- nwoolls, on 04/09/2008, -1/+3This sounds really cool. It's good to know I'm not the only person who gets tired of working from home and wants, from time to time, an office (or the like) to go to. I'll have to check around locally, though I won't hold my breath.
- plytheman, on 04/09/2008, -0/+2>All that's missing is a water cooler and harsh fluorescent lighting.
You are now aware of the harsh fluorescent lighting in your workplace! Least I am and now my eyes feel sore... - playmusic, on 04/09/2008, -0/+2Houston is actually really cool if you don't live in the burbs. I live in Midtown and it is awesome.
- Rikkochet, on 04/09/2008, -0/+2That really only applies to short term work. Real, skilled labour will require the same personnel because the cost of training is simply way too high.
Examples: deploying an ERP system for a large corporation, building a software system of any complexity, preparations for taking a company public... I could go on. - sodade, on 04/09/2008, -1/+3I like my "cubicle" just fine. It is a 2000sq ft house that I share only with the dogs during work hours. I can't imagine why anyone would ever willingly choose to commute to work unless they have kids at home.
- liviaokokok, on 04/10/2008, -0/+1Midtown is awesome! :)
i live in the galleria area which is pretty cool. - kuzotz, on 04/10/2008, -0/+1try living in Oklahoma City. Yea once we get out of college we leave the state. Most of us head to Dallas. I'll be in Montreal after college.
- davidrools, on 04/09/2008, -0/+1It sounds almost exactly like a college study group (as the article mentions), only that the work you do is earning you a living instead of a degree. Kind of a cool idea but I'm not sure how much more productive it would be than a traditional office. I guess it depends on the industry.
- calroot, on 04/10/2008, -0/+1You can work socially at any good library. Most modern libraries have wireless access at no or nominal cost. The company I work for has strong ties with the local universities, so if any of the workers wanted to get out of the office and work at the university library which has a more open, collaborative, academic setting, they have that option.
- liviaokokok, on 04/09/2008, -0/+1it DID suck, I used to live in the suburbs, now i moved to the city.. and its actually not that bad.. I love that the city doesn't have zoning, because everything is walking distance or a quick drive
- mayhemchaos, on 04/10/2008, -0/+1i know erica! now i can finally name drop ;)
- jololli, on 04/09/2008, -0/+1the point is they're trying to be more like a traditional office, except without any bosses or supervisors around
- Evermin7, on 04/09/2008, -0/+1H-TOWN!!!
- inactive, on 04/09/2008, -1/+2I just moved to Houston to work with an individual on new ideas. I work from home. I am not fond of Houston, but I am here. I do not see the thing about this "network and socialize" theme thing. I found the people who look for this seem to not know about the whole issues or they are such bores that they need someone to create this theme for them. First of all, it is all young people without much experience but lots of brain shots. If one needs to pay a hefty fee for this theme then there is a problem with oneself (I understand nothing is cheap and one needs to pay for all the facilities). One will get very little from the others because they are more interested on themselves. As one of the comments from the article "Yuppie day care".
Looking at Starbucks scene one gets the impression people go there to work even harder there than at home. It does not take much to say "Hello" or make eye contact to get your shot of "socializing" and perhaps "networking" (if one is not so preoccupied with his computer screen). The degree of smiling face in our space is non existent. "Socializing" and "networking requires one to "open-up" no matter where. Perhaps it should be noted our body language says so much more than the quality of our brain. - lensman00, on 04/09/2008, -0/+1Sorry if I wasn't clear. Most workers would still have a specialty, and would work within that specialty. It's just that they may not work on the same project, or for the same company, for weeks at a time.
Certainly organizations will need dedicated personnel like project managers and technical leads. But even with the large initiatives such as you describe, many of the sub tasks are relatively routine and are already being handled by contract personnel. - brufleth, on 04/09/2008, -6/+6Great for them! If they're really successful they'll sell out or hire additional management and then at the first down turn in the market they'll start packing people into cubes or "suites" and shoving them in dreary florescent caves of uncomfortable furniture and constantly wrong temperatures.
These guys are a decade late. It was called the dot com bubble. Have investors forgotten already? If so I have a great software idea but I just need 16 million dollars to develop it. - minorthreat, on 04/09/2008, -1/+1I have an 8x10 cube. Its about 8 feet tall in height and has a door. When you sit down you basically have 3 desks surrounding you. Only difference between that an an office is I have no ceiling. I like my cubicle very much. I almost feel more at home there than in front of my pc at my house.
- ibettinger, on 04/09/2008, -2/+2Repeating Latinspace... "Buy these folks a beer or lend a hand or send them a check" Houston is finally getting Coworking! Can't wait for the Caroline opening!
- FlimBlimmer, on 04/09/2008, -1/+0Buried for "coming down from the adrenaline high of a major interactive conference". ***** stupid.
- Albear89, on 04/09/2008, -5/+4It's a shame Houston sux so bad. I live here and it sux. But if you want to make any money in Texas,it's here or Dallas. Ausin is beautiful I lived there for ten years, but the scene for work is lame. you gotta deal meth to make any money there! j/k
- leerayIG88, on 04/09/2008, -4/+1IT
- latinspace, on 04/09/2008, -11/+3How very cool is this.....! If you did not see the article in the paper, you should check this out. Amazing what happens when talented people roll up their sleeves and just plain old fashioned get sh*t done. Buy these folks a beer or lend a hand or send them a check......they deserve your help in making Houston, Texas buzzzzzzzz....
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