[atoav]

> You can create as many Slack channels as you want, but all that is worthless if you don’t build the culture where it’s okay to use them.

Well the problem with corporate offtopic spaces is obvious: It is (potential) surveillance. One of the essential properties of the coffee kitchen at the office is that only you and the person who was there know what you said.

People at work will occasionally like to talk about things their collegues or bosses don't need to hear. That doesn't even mean it needs to be badmouthing others. Let's say you're really into model trains, it is easier saying that in person to the one other guy who acts a bit nerdy, than to announce it online in front of potentially everybody.

I leave it to you how you think this could be fixed.

[rendaw]

Yeah, in a break room, you can see who's there and who you're talking to. It's not just surveillance, when you post in "#random" with the whole company there you need to post things that that resonate with everyone.

It doesn't involve groups, but I think DMs/1-1 chats are probably a better analogue for water cooler chats and I'd be even more surprised to see a company without those.

[sognetic]

Accepting the possibility of committing the old "solving social problems with technological solutions" fallacy: I wonder if an offtopic channel without history (or only a very limited one) could help here. Something that prevents management from scrolling up to identify the people who post too much. In my company I wouldn't even expect that (surveillance) to happen or have consequences but I always have the possibility in the back of my mind.

[pavel_lishin]

The kind of management that would trawl through history to check if I'm being too negative is the kind of management that would never allow this history to vanish.

[jarofgreen]

That doesn't help with the "Who's listening?" problem. In an office kitchen you know exactly who is listening and can tailor your comments appropriately. In an online chat, it's not clear who is lurking or who will log on in 5 minutes and read back. (Welcome to the site btw!)