allaboutcities.ca

hey,

So I recently commented on the blog allaboutcities that "explores the economy, society, communities, people, businesses, organizations, infrastructure, civil society and government of cities -- and the tensions and connections between them":

If found this post on wifi in cafes to be really interesting and I do see the value in places that are unplugged. However, as a college student without an internet connection in my apartment, cafes with wifi are a lifesaver and a necessity. My alternative is going to the library however I find that going to a café is more comfortable for me mainly because there is more freedom there (ie: not restrictions on food.)
As far as your comment that “reeloading internet access off restaurants and cafes may start to become very ‘low brow’ or ‘un-hip,’” I can see that happening to some customers but for customers like me, I don’t feel comfortable working on my computer in a café unless I see someone else with theirs. And to be honest, although I live and have lived in an “urban” city my whole life (Los Angeles,) I don’t really do so to “experience other people.” A problem, I know, but living in an urban city also grants me a sense of anonymity, even among a large group of people, say at a coffee shop, which allows me to get my work done. That is not to say that I do not want to experience others. I believe that getting experience is a problem in itself in the city I live in, and I am sort of curios how coffee shop socializing actually plays out and if engagement really does occur. Among what type of people? Someone commented about tiers of coffee shops resulting from wifi offerings and essentially choosing with coffee shop meet your needs. Would these “tiers” begin to distinguish one coffee shop goer set from another and in what ways? I think I may be taking this too far and I definitely am overanalyzing but is essence, I am interested to see what comes of these developments in terms of urban life.