Archive of UserLand's first discussion group, started October 5, 1998.

Re: Off-topic re: Internet Cafe

Author:b!X
Posted:6/22/1999; 5:53:28 PM
Topic:Internet Cafe
Msg #:7679 (In response to 7644)
Prev/Next:7678 / 7680

> Easy Everything > > Interesting article on CNN today. > > <http://cnnfn.com/1999/06/21/europe/easy/> > > The world's largest Internet cafe! > > If you want to update your website from London, now you can, > easily. > > <http://www.easyeverything.com/> > > Right on!

Uh, yeah. Lord knows that before this monstrosity, you couldn't go update your website from London at, say, any of these places, listed at <http://eyesite.simplenet.com/eurocybercafes/huk_nf.html#England>:

50.London, England, Cyberia 51.London, England, CyberCafe 52.London, England, Café Internet 53.London, England, Buzz Bar 54.London, England, Ecafe 55.London, England, The Bean 56.London, England, Surf.net Cafe 57.London, England, Hands On 58.London, England, North London Internet Centre 59.London, England, Cyberia 60.London, England, Network City 61.London, England, declare Computing Studios (3 location) 62.London, England, The World Cafe 63.London, England, Spider Cafe 64.London, England, Shoot 'n Surf 65.London, England, The Portobello Gold 66.London, England, Backspace 67.London, England, Biblio@Tech The Cyber Centre 68.London, England, Internet Cafe 69.London, England, tnab.com - Details 70.London, England, The World Café 71.London, England, battersea.net September - Details 72.LOndon, England, Bushbang Cyber Cafe December 73.London, England, Rainbow CyberCafe February 99 - Details

Out of curisoty, have you been there? No? Me neither. Therefore, I'm pretty sure it's unreasonable for you to argue that it's "easy" (just as much as it'd be unreasonable for me to suggest that it isn't).

> Internet Cafes > > I know some people feel that Internet Cafes are an old idea that > didn't > work, but they'll be proven wrong. We need a worldwide network of > reliable and inexpensive access points, so travelers can write for > the net. This is how the mind of the Internet will cover the world.

There -is- a worldwide network of reliable and inexpensive access points. The problem is that no one, on the whole, writes about them unless they are part of some rich-man's grand startup scheme to create a stale and sterile chain. All over the world, small business people, community groups, etc, etc, are running cybercafes. But much as people tend to pay attention to, or the media create attention for Barnes & Noble instead of Lucy's Backroom Bookshop, or Starbucks over Lucy's Java Nook, or Wal-Mart instead of Lucy's Corner Store, now people only "buy into" the cybercafe concept if it's some Big Business strategy.

To hell with that. If people are so hungry for access when they travel, support the little guy who has been doing it for longer, and who does it out of a sense of purpose, mission, or philosophy. I really just fail to understand why corporate endeavors seem to be so much more important and deserving of support than simple human ones.

> If an IPO comes along for an Internet Cafe business, buy in. The > investor community in the Valley seems to be missing this. BTW, > this > is one of the reasons I wanted to work on the Buck's website -- to > get > experience integrating the Internet with a vibrant creative fun > venue. > > <http://www.buckswoodside.com/> > > Now maybe there are a dozen startups in the Internet Cafe business? > I'd love to hear from them. We can share what we're learning. The > more pointers the better. > > That's all for now, seeya sooooon..




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