DEV Community

Discussion on: Introducing the watercooler tag (light off-topic chitchat)

Collapse
 
gusgonnet profile image
Gustavo • Edited

Hey Calin,
one time I heard from creating a water cooler for remote collaboration was in the Remote book from the Basecamp guys.
These are the tips for collaborating remotely mentioned in that book, taken from this review:

  • Try to make sure that employees on different time zones have about four hours of overlap in working hours.
  • Use screenshots or screencasts to communicate information.
  • Share information openly on work schedules, to-do’s, calendars, and files.
  • Create a “virtual water cooler,” a chat forum for fun and social stuff.
  • Share progress with each other to fuel that sense of achievement and momentum.
  • Consider a hybrid strategy, with some employees working in the office and some at home. (37signals has a Chicago office with about 10 people, while the other 26 are spread across the world.)
  • Don’t only try one remote worker – try at least a team.

Not sure if that's the real origin of it, though.