A few years back, I stopped going to my local coffee shop to write and started going to the Starbucks across the street from me.It wasn't because the coffee was better, or the people friendlier at the coffee conglomerate.
It was because there was no internet access at Starbucks.
Those days are now long gone, thanks to Starbucks' decision last month to offer free wi-fi, so I'm back to ordering the local cup of joe, but for a while there, it was nice to know that all I had to do (and could do) when I sat down in my seat was write.
As it turned out, free wi-fi wasn't a "perk"; it was a distraction.
No checking e-mail. No "researching" new ideas. And no excuses.
As the LA Times reported this week, it turns out I wasn't alone. What used to be a staple of the coffee house scene - free internet access - has now become a selling point if it's missing.
"People still desire and need actual interaction," states the article. "That dynamism is part of what makes us human."
Indeed, technology can be a double-edged sword, yielding fantastic amounts of productivity, yet making people feel isolated behind their screens. Something that should be used a tool becomes just another distraction, a topic that was touched upon here in May.
DotLoop, of course, prides itself on being a tool and not a toy. Our system never replaces an agent; it only allows them another channel to communicate with their colleagues and clients.
Personally, I can see the draw for a web-free cup of coffee; a sort of safe haven from the lightening-fast pace of the outside world. How about you? Do you think being disconnected every once in a while has its benefits?
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