You can now purchase DevChix merchandise at the DevChix cafepress store. Right now we have shirts, coffee mugs, buttons, and stickers available. :-)

There are two types of telecommuters. Those that enjoy spending all of their time alone at home or at coffee shops, and those that really miss interacting with other programmers and geeks in general. I fall into the second category. So what is a lonely telecommuter to do? Enter Coworking. Coworking is a shared space for computer programmers, web designers, graphic designers, etc. to work alongside one another. There is frequently cafe culture involved, and coworking spaces can be in coffee shops or in offices.

A coworking space helps developers network and learn new things. They can be introduced to new hardware, development tools, or methodologies. They might be able to find some work through people they meet there. They can also ask someone a question if they are stuck on a particularly tough problem.
There are advantages to both coworking setups. A coffee shop is cheaper, and it is easier to move around from location to location. It usually costs just the price of a cup of your favorite beverage. The downsides of a coffee shop are that you need to either have a room reserved or have to try and secure a large enough space for the coworkers. It can also be more distracting with all the conversations taking place around the group, unless you’re able to reserve a room.

An office space is more expensive, and you usually have setup costs like furniture, hardware, refrigerator, etc. The upside is that you are surrounded by other people working on something. Sometimes you can also have your own desk to leave a desktop, a second monitor for your laptop, paperwork, pictures of loved ones, or whatever else you might want to have at work. You also don’t have to buy coffee if it isn’t something you want, and sometimes plain black coffee is provided. Plus the cost of sharing the office space is tax deductible.

Even if you fall into the category of the telecommuter that likes working alone, you might consider working in a coworking space. It really can help you meet new people and grow professionally. There may already be a coworking space in your city. If not, you should consider starting one. User groups are a good place to find people interested in working together. There are plenty of coffee shops. So make a post to the user group about meeting together to do work. Who knows, you might end up with coworkers.