We’re not crazy about rules—which is one of the reasons we’re our own bosses—but we have learned that “being a good neighbor” and the Golden Rule mean different things to different people. To make sure everyone is on the same page, we created these guidelines:

  1. Respect different working styles. Some people work better in silence. If you need to have a conversation, use the conference room and shut the door. If you need to take a call, step out into the hall. But this kind of consGizmoLeftideration is a two-way street: if the co-working space is loud enough to be distracting, put in ear plugs or use headphones to listen to music.
  2. Leave no trace. Clean up after yourself. Don’t leave trash and clutter. You’re welcome to spread out while you’re working, but please leave the space even better than you found it.
  3. Recycle. Duh.
  4. Do not disturb. Though the co-working space is an interesting place to collaborate with smart, creative people and spark new ideas, it is also a place where people need to, well, work. If you want to be left alone to focus, please use a “Do Not Disturb” sign to show that you’re unavailable.
  5. 45/15 Rule. If you really want to be social, but you know you have to get work done, try this: spend forty-five minutes working and then give yourself a fifteen minute break to cruise the Internet or catch up with friends.
  6. Respect the corkboard. This is the place to learn about community events, advertise your services, and post wants, needs, and cool ideas. It is not the place to post political, religious, or other polarizing information. We all know what spam is. Don’t be a spammer.
  7. Don’t be a jerk. (Self-explanatory)
  8. Don’t be litigious. Co-working is an extreme sport. Please don’t sue us if you fall down the stairs or break a blood vessel in your forehead dealing with Windows or occasionally drop a Wi-Fi connection.
  9. You break it; you buy it. Take good care of everything in the space, and if you spill your coffee or lose your key, then it’s up to you to make things right.
  10. Co-working space is for working. It’s fine to show non-members around, but this isn’t the place for members to hang out with friends or non-members to poach some free Wi-Fi. Knoxville has plenty of coffee shops for that purpose, and The Plaid Apron is next door.

Violators of the above rules will be forced to clean the bathrooms for a month or two.