Co-working Spaces

YOU HAVE PERHAPS HEARD THE PHRASE THAT HELL IS OTHER PEOPLE?
«Yes. Yes, of course.»
Death nodded. IN TIME, he said, YOU WILL LEARN THAT IT IS WRONG.
«Small Gods» by Terry Pratchett»

When walking to work, I noticed the following poster advertising for coworking spaces:

You know, be in a room together with others, but working on your own stuff. Especially if you actually want to work, it can help. You have others around you who can motivate you to keep working, you are in public, so wasting time on non-work-related things is curbed, and you’re paying for the environment, so you might better use it.

Given the move to home office in the laptop class, even after Covid regulations are down — for the moment — I wonder whether with more «home office» in the future, these coworking spaces will become more attractive even to office workers. Those that might have a flexi-desk at work. In the sense of «I want to work in the company of others, but not at my place of work».

After all, one of the main differences between a coworking space and an office is that in a coworking space, you see others working but they usually do not disturb you. In contrast, in, for example, an open plan office, it’s very hard to concentrate for longer time periods, because your (actual) co-workers are likely to interrupt you. Even if it’s just about whether you want a coffee or get something to eat, it interrupts your work.

Hmm, and perhaps that is a strategy — break up departments and companies, have people working with strangers, to have the social benefits — or rather social control — of having people around you, yet be able to concentrate on your work.

Not sure, but working in such a coworking space — in a huge university library work room — was extremely helpful to write down my dissertation thesis (save the day when someone in front of me was watching «Highlander 2»). I did have a desk at the institute, but that was in an open plan office with colleagues (including one who was — for a lack of a better word — an insecure mobbing asshole). The co-working space of the library actually saved my dissertation.

Hmmm, so these co-working spaces might actually be useful for getting work done even if you have an office.