Friday, May 27, 2005


regional coffee culture, part xxxx

naturally, as a skirt who worships seattle's most awesome fire-playa tonx -- are there jades who don't? -- i'm going to have to comment here on the whole wi-fi issue.

of course, my "instant" answer is that coffeehouses are the premier social spaces in western civilization, as proven both by history -- lloyd's of london, the green dragon, yada yada yada -- and contemporary experience.

so i understand where victrola is coming from; but the reality may be that the 'net has altered the terrain of "social space" a tad.

victrola is also just an awesome, airy physical-talk space: i certainly had the most fantastic chat with tonx there in april during scaa conference. actually, i may still be suffering tonx-withdrawal. . .as are all who visited during conference. . .

my "long" answer as an it-chick is that "free" wi-fi should be limited to the coming victrola portal. the famous "end of free" happened long ago.

also reference the classic "tragedy of the commons," which this situation somewhat resembles. . .

let 'em surf you only for nuttin'; full wi-fi 'net access should require login thru a code given on the receipt, which i think is a common and easily implementable solution.

now, let's get back to talking about the coffee, as tonx suggests. um, tonx, darling, please send us some coffee so we can do just that!

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