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What to Do When Laptops and Silence Take Over Your Cafe?

nytimes.com

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Re: What to Do When Laptops and Silence Take Over Your Cafe?

#141

Post by chippy »

When I am touring the USA, (i.e. as a tourist) and enter a cafe and it's full of people heads down, earphones in, working, I walk out. It's not a nice space to be in. Even with music in the cafe, there is not the shared music in the customers. Why would I want to share a space with people who don't want to share with me?

In the UK, it's reasonably uncommon to find people wearing earphones in cafes. Most cafes have a good selection of music. It's more common, at least around here, that those working on laptops are students doing work. Often they will meet their friends and work together.

However, there are workers in these cafes too - and their etiquette is atrocious. I often see people leave their computers at the table, and head out to do some shopping in the local shops. Often they would have loud telephone conversations or conference calls. One even came back with their own food. When the cafe staff said "sorry, you cannot eat your own food here", they replied "oh, it's okay" as if the cafe were apologising!

When I bring my laptop, I make sure I spend the same amount of time in the cafe as if I was using it as in any other way, and never over the lunch period when tables are at a premium. One drink per hour seems fair.

Re: What to Do When Laptops and Silence Take Over Your Cafe?

#142

Post by dazc »

hux_ wrote: post #136
dazc wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I guess your not in the UK? Libraries here are not quiet places anymore. Wi-fi often sucks too.

You are not trying hard enough. I was at Trinity College Library, Dublin a few months back. There are few spaces that are more peaceful and inspiring to work in than that one. You have to understand that cafés like churches or pubs or the town square have traditionally been designed as the "The Third Space" in people's lives behind home and work. It were community building happen. It's designed for that, not for work…

Dublin isn't in the UK though.

Re: What to Do When Laptops and Silence Take Over Your Cafe?

#143

Post by theshrike79 »

taneq wrote: post #2

How common is it for people to do actual, regular, serious work at coffee shops and the like? I've tried a couple of times and I always feel like such a pretentious wanker when I pull out a laptop and start working on stuff, like I'm somehow broadcasting "oh look at me, I work remotely, aren't I special?"

If I have a day when Need to Get Shit Done, I go to a cafe. That way I can't be physically bothered and I can just turn off all communication software and devices if I need to.

Re: What to Do When Laptops and Silence Take Over Your Cafe?

#144

Post by tobyhinloopen »

therealmarv wrote: post #14

No power plugs (I think most effective) & time limited Wifi. A cafe is not a coworking space although when beeing in USA or more specifically in SF I have the feeling people think it's the same.

I usually use my mobile connection remotely, it is much faster than WIFI. Is using store provided WIFI really that commonly used?

Re: What to Do When Laptops and Silence Take Over Your Cafe?

#145

Post by tobyhinloopen »

dawnerd wrote: post #38

A cafe thats hostile towards their customers is a great way to get a bad review and a lost customer. If you don't want people working there don't provide tables or chairs.

Wel it seems that café don't want "customers" that use their café as a workplace. You're a customer if you come in, grab a drink (with or without laptop) and leave shortly after you finish your drink.

Re: What to Do When Laptops and Silence Take Over Your Cafe?

#147

Post by Gys »

> Cafe owners find it difficult to define a consistent strategy without a proven, profitable relationship model.

Revenues seems the main objective of the cafe owners in this article.

In Paris is a cafe [1] that solved this by giving out access passes if you want wifi. If you did not spend enough at the end of your session, you have to pay something extra. I was there several times having lunch and staying most of the day without having to pay extra. Really liked the place, also because this system helps to not feel guilty ;-)

[1] http://cafe-craft.com/home/

Re: What to Do When Laptops and Silence Take Over Your Cafe?

#148

Post by tobyhinloopen »

eecc wrote: post #37

Well, in Amsterdam I was told to move by the window (were there was no space, all camped out by students) because me working on a laptop was not deemed “gezellig”. Fine, except that it was summer and everyone not wanting to work was basking in the sun on the terrace, inside was desolately empty. That’s to say: I agree it’s not cool to squat a table 3hrs for 5$, but sometimes these situations happen because it’s the h…

In Amsterdam (and I assume every modern city) there are places you can actually rent a "desk" for a period of time. It is like a cafe with coffee & food, but with better seating and silent. Why not go there?

Re: What to Do When Laptops and Silence Take Over Your Cafe?

#149

Post by tobyhinloopen »

golergka wrote: post #138

Anticafes. I was lucky enough to visit one of the first one (the whole idea originated in Moscow), and it's a wonderful cost-effective answer to the traditional idea of a cafe: just charge visitors for time on a fixed scale and provide all the snacks, beverages and entertainment for free.

In major western cities (EG Amsterdam) there are places you can rent a workspace. It is like a café, but charged by the hour.

Re: What to Do When Laptops and Silence Take Over Your Cafe?

#150

Post by Joe-Z »

keithpeter wrote: post #127
badsectoracula wrote: post #92

This article feels is one of the very few cases where i read something online and totally feels weird to me due to where i am from. In Greece coffee shops are really mainly places to hang out and staying for hours on a single coffee is pretty much normal and expected. There is a huge "coffee culture" here. Me and my friends would go for a coffee at 6pm (or later 7pm, due to jobs) and often leave at 11pm or sometimes…

I'm guessing that rents are low for the coffee shops. I also decry the loss of public spaces such as libraries (in my northern European city the main public library was rebuilt at fabulous cost and has less seating than the old one).

>...and has less seating than the old one

Is that a problem though? From my experience, at the library I frequent, while being well visited at all times has at most 20% of their seating occupied.

Don't live in northern europe though, so YMMV (maybe it's too cold outside to justify going to the library only for a short visit :D)

EDIT: The library I'm talking about is also a great social development. It's been built (about 10 years ago now) in the most densely-populated part of town, which was and still is considered by too many people as 'problematic' and it really lifts up the whole area.

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