Blog of the Gate 3 WorkClub: Getting on With It!

The Gate 3 website has been up now for about a month, and now it’s time to start breathing some life into this blog and provide both the information you’d expect to find here as well as a forum for discussion of issues and ideas relating to our central theme – getting the most out of the options and opportunities presented by independent work – or “free agency” as Dan Pink calls it (more about that later).

NEW BLOG SECTIONS
To help with this I am very happy to introduce 2 people who will be editing cornerstone sections with regular postings:

Patrice Curtis will be editing the “Work/Life Balance” section. Patrice is a Researcher / Analyst who practices the art of online and offline research for businesses and automates her internet searches as much as possible so as to leave time for doing other things she cares about. She will be using her techniques to uncover items of interest for cross referencing, and adding a comment or perspective or two of her own here and there. You can reach Patrice at 510.665.1725 or go to www.curtisresearch.com.

Edo Amin is a Internet and personal technology consultant at the cutting edge of understanding what makes people react positively and negatively to new technologies. He will take us beyond mere excitement and interest in the latest technology or gadget du jour, but bring insight into how best to apply specific products from within emerging technology domains and how to incorporate them into evolving work strategies.

FEEDBACK
The response to the website has been fascinating and encouraging. There is no question that the WorkClub concept touches on a nerve and I have received numerous emails inviting us to locate one in a city of choice. Maybe. But for now, we’ve got a lot of work to do to develop and perfect this one. In fact our next major milestone is coming up fast; in September we are planning a big launch bash, so check back regularly here and on the website (www.gate-3.com) for details if you would like to be part of it.

And as a self confessed blogging neophyte I have been fascinated by the amount of blogging activity we have stimulated. You can check out a couple at http://www.ars-technica.com/news/posts/20040617-3898.html and at http://electrolicious.com/archives/2004/06/workspace.html. The comments are an interesting read. And you can even hear a blog-radio interview of me at http://jobseekersrevenge.blogspot.com/2004/07/audio-gate-3-is-future-of-working.html.

FREE AGENTS AND OTHER INDEPENDENT WORKERS
A week after the site went up I got a mysterious FedEx package. I gingerly opened it and found a book. It turned out to be Free Agent Nation: the Future of Working for Yourself which Dan Pink, it’s author sent me with a note. After complimenting the WorkClub concept he added “…alas the reading list on your web site has a glaring omission…” and offered his book. I have only read a small amount of it so far (testament only to the level of effort required to get the club up and running, not at all to the quality or ease of read). I am so far delighted and encouraged to read so much reinforcement of the concept in his pages and will definitely be posting a review on the website (eventually ;-).

MORE ABOUT FEEDBACK
Gate 3 WorkClub is a work in progress. Your comments are welcome and if you would like to become a regular contributor to this blog, or would like to participate directly in one of our Learning Community events, please let me know.