We launched a new community section called the Water Cooler last month.  While the name may seem banal to some readers, we wanted to take a minute to explain how we chose the name because it definitely means something to everyone at Elance.

We see our community of buyers, providers and Elance employees as co-workers in our virtual workplace.  And just like typical offline workplaces, we wanted a gathering spot - like the company kitchen, water cooler (or Flavia coffee machine in the Elance office) - where we could meet each other, ask questions, get help or just hang around and catch up on the weekend chatter.  (Sidenote: I still haven't figured out what the "WellBeing" button on the Flavia machine is for…)

The "Water Cooler" has been used to describe the company gathering spot for a long time. If you've visited the Elance Water Cooler, you'll see it is exactly that for hundreds of Elancers on hundreds of topics that range from serious observations on Elance policies to fun and whimsical what if questions. 

Another reason we think the Water Cooler is appropriately named is this discussion -- Water Cooler is the Best Thing Since Sliced Bread!.  Here, providers discuss what it's like to be a freelancer and how it can sometimes be isolating.  Interestingly, while Elance is bringing an offline social networking tool to our online community, offline businesses are borrowing a page from us and other web businesses by bringing their water coolers online.

The bottom line is that people want to make connections, and that's exactly what Elancers are using the Water Cooler for.

If you haven't been to the Water Cooler, take a moment and introduce yourself.  And in the interest of full disclosure, I should mention that the Water Cooler name was also partially inspired by the original discussion forums on Elance in 1999, which were collectively known as the Water Cooler.

See you there!