Meet Anders from Augustenborg Roklub

Anders trained as a biology teacher and loves the particular mix of nature, community and good exercise that the weekly rows with the others offer.

He’s also the driving force behind the Morning Rowers now using Oase for all their practical communication.

Before Oase, their coordination and communication ran over group texts. The Morning Rowers’ coordinator managed it, and he’d set up rules: you texted the evening before to say whether you were coming, so no one showed up to an empty dock at nine.

“It worked, more or less,” Anders recalls.

Then the coordinator stepped back — other things needed his time, and there wasn’t room for the Morning Rowers’ coordinator role anymore. He asked the group if anyone wanted to take over.

“So I said: I’ll take it on, but on the condition that we do it this way.”

That way was Oase. Anders already knew the platform and was sure it was exactly the digital space the small community needed.

“There are no ads. You don’t get ads for boots, medicine and whatever else. It’s pure communication, and it’s pure community — when we meet virtually on Oase and in real life.”

He doesn’t hide that it was a decision, not a vote.

“I quickly set up an oase and introduced it to a few people. They were on board and could see it worked. And it’s basically not been up for discussion since.”

Anders says the absence of the few hasn’t been a barrier to using Oase. Those who aren’t on it just get whatever they need to know the old, undefeated way: an actual conversation.

“We just tell them if there’s something we’ve posted about in the oase. It’s still the in-person conversation that carries most of our communication — Oase just gives us the option to also coordinate things online and stay in touch during the stretches when the weather isn’t exactly right for a row.”

No one has suggested going back to group texts since.

Anders is a frequent Oase user and has set up several oases for all kinds of things. Some keep going. Others have quietly folded. He has his own theory for why the Morning Rowers’ oase is one of the ones that stuck.

“For me, it’s been easier to make it work in smaller groups — and groups that already had a good social network, or good social ties, where people already meet up regularly in person.”