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'We don't want to be an office:' Café owners are pulling the plug on WiFi
When HotBlack Coffee opened in downtown Toronto a year ago, it took a risk few businesses would dare take in today's online-driven world: it turned off the WiFi.
"Every day people come in and ask for it," says Jimson Bienenstock, the café's co-owner.
Still, he hasn't wavered.
"In the short term, it hurt us," Mr. Bienenstock says. "It took us longer to become established, but once we reached critical mass, it has become a self-fulfilling virtuous circle."
While most cafés offer free WiFi, including large chains such as Starbucks, McDonald's and Tim Hortons, HotBlack is among a small but growing number of independent coffee shops choosing to ditch or limit Internet use. By not offering WiFi, they're hoping to create more of a community atmosphere where people talk to each other instead of silently typing on their computers.
If coffeeshops come to discourage people working, perhaps that activity can shift to libraries.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by NotSanguine on Tuesday May 02 2017, @04:46AM (3 children)
I don't understand your last sentence, but when I was homeless I would sometimes use the Wi-fi from outside of a coffee shop. I seldom went inside because the food and drink there were expensive. If you're saying you don't mind homeless people using the Wi-fi at your coffee shop so long as they stay outside, thank you for that.
When I was homeless, there was no such thing as WiFi. And even if there had been, I wouldn't have had the resources to get a device capable of using it. I spent a lot of time dumpster-diving and shoplifting to feed myself. At other times, I'd try stay sane by interacting with people and finding ways to make a few bucks.
I used the phrase because it kind of fits with the folks I was talking about. Who, apparently, have no place to go in order to do whatever it is they do. I suspect that those who monopolize coffee shops actually do have such resources, unlike those who might be sparing change outside. As such, they would be less worthy of the space *outside* the coffee shop than the homeless people.
No, no, you're not thinking; you're just being logical. --Niels Bohr
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 02 2017, @06:57AM (2 children)
The internet is one of the few ways homeless can communicate and try to re-insert themselves into the system.
Something is telling me this homeless problem will keep festering until it does in America. All the ownership class doing their rent-seeking thing, and all the working class begging for handouts. The banks will end up owning everything.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 02 2017, @08:11AM (1 child)
It's the 20th century all over again. We're in the Great Depression. All we need is a catalyst to start another World War. Data caps are rationing. Bring back the draft. Nuke China.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 02 2017, @01:24PM
All we need is a catalyst to start another World War.
Don't worry. We've got several lined up.
Trump! Trump! Trump!