Here's what Jake Appelbaum, one of the Noisebridge founders, said about this discussion:
There are huge differences. Noisebridge, a 501c3 in San Francisco, is tangentially related to the so-called "hackerspaces" movement. Coworking is a gym, Noisebridge is a community. Coworking spaces are quiet places to do your day job. Noisebridge is a place to learn why your kernel module isn't working by talking to the person to your left. The person to your left just happens to be a kernel hacker and she is totally happy to talk to you; she's there for both social and technical reasons.
It's a safe space for asking questions and it's a safe space to find the answers together.
It's the kind of place where you drag a safe in off of the street and learn how to crack it. Because you're spending your spare time with ten other people interested in understanding mechanical locks, it will open.
There are huge differences. Noisebridge, a 501c3 in San Francisco, is tangentially related to the so-called "hackerspaces" movement. Coworking is a gym, Noisebridge is a community. Coworking spaces are quiet places to do your day job. Noisebridge is a place to learn why your kernel module isn't working by talking to the person to your left. The person to your left just happens to be a kernel hacker and she is totally happy to talk to you; she's there for both social and technical reasons.
It's a safe space for asking questions and it's a safe space to find the answers together.
It's the kind of place where you drag a safe in off of the street and learn how to crack it. Because you're spending your spare time with ten other people interested in understanding mechanical locks, it will open.