I’m making an effort to spend more time in different places, especially “third places”, beyond home and work (the “first” two places, according to Oldenberg), to situate myself in physical contexts where technology might play a constructive role in creating new opportunities for awareness and interaction among co-inhabitants.
Last week, I visited
Cafe Solstice, one of several recommended by Jeff Carlson. The cafe has great coffee (from Lighthouse, which also has a cafe I plan to visit soon), interesting eclectic music (Arabian Travels 2, a Six Degrees Collection ), and a variety of types of people, most of whom I presume are somehow associated with the University of Washington (both from their appearances and the types of reading material they have brought with them).
Unfortunately, Cafe Solstice does not have any wireless access; in fact, my PlaceLab “spotter” does not detect any access points nearby. Doug, one of the owners, said he has no plans to provide WiFi: business is doing well, and he feels no need to attract more people … or provide a service that may cause them to overstay their welcome (reminiscent of some issues raised in Paul Andrews’ recent article on free WiFi in The Seattle Times). However, he was very interested in the idea of creating new interaction opportunities among the patrons through the display of digital content associated with them (e.g., a proactive display in the cafe).
Speaking of interaction opportunities: as I was talking about this idea with Doug, Jim Nicholls, from the UW Department of Architecture, happened to be waiting for his coffee, and he, too, expressed interest in this idea and we talked about the prospect of potential collaboration with the department to augment space with technology in appropriate and constructive ways.
While I savor this serendipitous meetup, I can’t help wondering how many serendipitous near misses I experience (if that’s the right verb), and how a proactive display by the coffee bar might open up new opportunities for positive personal and professional exchanges. Meanwhile, I will continue my efforts to inhabit different places … looking for serendipitous opportunities, and the potential thereof.