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Brandon doesn’t have a blog, so he wrote a great article on his Thoughts on Gangplank. Since he’s unable to have comments I figured I’d use this platform to respond and allow others to as well. First read his article then come back for my responses. I speak for me, not for Gangplank or anyone else at Gangplank:
1) Multiple Monitors - There is a 30″ monitor that sits here unused 50% of the time that you would be welcome to use, also you are more than welcome to bring your own in with you. We even have a couple of little ones available right now. As for Gangplank providing them for people – that costs money and Gangplank as you know doesn’t charge rent or anything so the math gets tough to justify.
2) Plugged in VS Wifi – there are actually a couple of switches with open slots for CAT5 if you wanted to plug in – no one has ever asked before – including Brandon. I know that I’m more than happy to help find a solution for little problems like this if people ask.
3) Laziness – Nothing I can do about this but with the aim to get to 24/7 that can hopefully alleviate it.
Now for the really big stuff – the whole Gangplank Brand vs Location vs Movement argument. I see what you’re saying with the Gangplank is a place argument, and I think that there’s some valid points there. But you don’t really address why it can’t be a “movement” or idea as well. As for equating us to the Civil Rights Movement or Pro-Choice Movement – I think you’ve taken this to a distant reach – an edge case to use programmer language. You completely ignore the ability for people to say “I support Gangplank”
The name actually is quite fitting if you look at the definition for Gangplank:
A board or plank, with cleats for steps, forming a bridge by which to enter or leave a vessel.
A Gangplank is a bridge, a way to get from one place to another, a connector. All of these things are what Gangplank is really all about. The actual physical location means next to nothing to me as a part of Gangplank. If it were in the current location, in someone’s garage, or in a corporate office park it wouldn’t matter SO LONG AS the energy and interaction was the same. Rather than trying to define what Gangplank is – something that has been avoided purposefully I belive – people should just be a part of it.
Personally I ignore anything associated and branded as a movement, because they paint with too broad a brush for my tastes most of the time. We don’t need another movement, we have one already that people are a part of even if they don’t use those terms.
Looking forward to more of this discussion.
As I’ve learned in the past few days, once something gets enough momentum everyone has their own impression of what it is and what it should be. Often that differs from the views of the people who created it in the first place. I think this is a good thing, and a sign that something is growing beyond a single perspective. Evolving.
Anyhoo, I agree with you that movements are hard to connect with. So your comment about people being part of GP without defining what it is seems a little contradictory. Maybe that doesn’t make GP a movement, but it can make it hard to connect with when it can’t be defined.
I disagree with you that the location doesn’t matter. I know several people put off by the “garage” feel of GP, or that it feels too chaotic or imposing for new people, or that it is too hard to concentrate when you do want to work. Not saying this is a bad thing – no place is going to appeal for everyone – but the choices made in the location and what is within that space definitely matter in how GP is perceived.
There are plenty of people that I can identify with as being a part of the “Gangplank Movement” that would not necessarily self identify as such – even some that may not even have been here more than once but share the same ideals as us. Much like you probably have experienced with Ignite – people will define their own view of something and choose to identify or not – regardless of what you define it as. Evolution, growing beyond a signle perspective.
As for location, for every person who is put off by the look and feel, or the chaos, there is one who loves it. You and I both know that it is impossible to please everyone, and I think that those who make the decisions at Gangplank know this. At the end of the day you have to scratch your own itch and if it helps others feel better too, then that’s just a bonus.
Brandon gave well thought out, intellectual, and critical feedback re: gangplank. kudos.
Conrey for one did not make an ass of himself talking about GP. kudos.
We need more of both. From my lowly vantage point in GP, I know we welcome the critical feedback when it is is precise and reasoned. We also encourage Conrey to stop eating his shoe leather. win-win
Thanks for the response, Chris. I hope others will join in, too.
First let me thank you for the technical information. Honestly it had simply never occurred to me to ask about a direct wired connection. Duh, I guess. :)
I understand that Gangplank means something appropriate if you look it up. I certainly don’t dispute that. But that’s not really how movements name themselves. They don’t have cute/clever names unless they’re assumed to be BROADLY understood.
As an example: The Tea Party Movement. (FTR I am not endorsing them here.)
Most Americans (I hope!) understand that the Boston Tea Party was related to rebelling against taxation. We could get into the various places where the modern movement’s goals diverge from that of the actual event, but it doesn’t matter. The point is that it’s understood, at some level, “at a glance.”
Company names often “mean something.” Forty means something. 37signals means something. Integrum probably means something, or refers to something. But it’s not OBVIOUS AT A GLANCE and that’s a crucial distinction.
Right now, there is a movement called “co-working” which was even referenced on Gangplank’s recent news coverage. That’s a great movement name because it tells you what it’s about. Am I repeating myself? Sorry. I’ll stop. :)
But in all seriousness, I think it’s important to focus on the goal. What is the goal of Gangplank? (I assume it’s the stuff described in the Manifesto on the homepage.) Is that goal hampered by the current approach, or is it helped?
Kind of a bummer to not see any response from Derek or Jade about this.
One thing that has amazed me about GP is the fact that *anyone* can come, sit down and work as well as attend any number of “events” that GP hosts.
I travel quite a bit and have yet to be aware of a place in another city that is quite like “Gangplank”.
Brandon did a pretty nice job of laying out what would be nice for a computer guy to have who was going to work there every day – but speaking for a business guy – I am just amazed (still) that such a place exists where you can come, plug in and be surrounded by a bunch of computer wonks who can help you as needed.
Conrey?
You are growing on me too. But it is somewhat scary that a “sales guy” can keep putting intelligent thought into a blog… be careful or you will transcend the “sales guy” into something like “management guru”.
Here is my response…
http://derekneighbors.com/2009/11/some-thoughts-on-the-future-of-gangplank/