Gownies, Lattes, & Laptops: An Ethnography of a
College Town Wi-Fi Café
Camille Johnson
University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Ethnography of the University Project
Fall 2004
Gownies, Lattes, & Laptops
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to explore how college students are using the
internet in cafes with wireless access and, more broadly, how mobile
communications and information technologies are being used to maintain
relationships and perform daily rituals across local and global boundaries.
College students are ideal subjects for such an inquiry because they
constitute a culturally diverse population, as well as being avid users of
technology. Coffeehouses are regular fixtures around campuses, serving as
places for students to study, socialize and, with the advent of wi-fi internet
access, to bring a laptop and go online. Through participant-observation
and interviews with students in a campus internet cafe, the author
discusses what function internet cafes are performing in the everyday lives
of college students and how they are using wi-fi internet access to manage
the multiple public and private roles they often play, including student,
roommate, family member, employee, and friend.
Introduction (or “Ask”)
When we think of the life of a college student, what comes to mind? Do we
imagine a life filled with inspiring walks across a campus in the fall: old growth trees in
hues of gold and scarlet framing century old halls from which students spills, books in
hand? Or do we see the more mundane realities of the day-to-day lives of college
students: attending classes, using the library, and tending to administrative matters? In
many ways it is an institutional life, one that is confined in large part to the facilities
provided by a university. But there is another aspect to college life that includes
inhabiting other parts of the university community. Through nearby campus towns,
students can break away from the routines of campus life, patronizing local businesses
such as bookstores, health clubs, restaurants, and bars.
Common offerings in campus towns are coffeehouses, which often serve as
magnets for students looking for places to study and socialize. And with the advent and
dissemination of wi-fi internet access, these cafes have also become places where
2
Gownies, Lattes, & Laptops
3
students can bring a laptop computer and go online. The purpose of the research
presented here is to try to better understand the role the campus town wi-fi cafe is playing
in the everyday lives of college students. What impact is internet use in cafes having on
the experience of being a college student? How do college students adapt the spaces of
cafes for the purpose of using the internet? Specifically, what types of students use the
internet in these cafes? Do they come alone or in groups? What types of online activities
do they engage in when there? How do they compare the experience of using the internet
in campus facilities to using it in coffee shops?
There is an increasing interest in understanding how the mobility of
communications and information technology is impacting society, especially in terms of
how it may be influencing the way people conceptualize the public and private sectors of
their lives. College students would seem ideal subjects of interest for this line of inquiry
for two primary reasons: first, they have been identified as early adopters and avid users
of new technology, and second their daily lives require them to manage multiple public
and private roles, including student, roommate, family member, employee, and friend.
Through an ethnographic study of a college town wi-fi café, I discovered that for
some students, the café was a place where they could more easily negotiate between the
public responsibilities and private needs of their everyday lives; they could be engaged in
their work without sacrificing being engaged in a social environment. Wi-fi use in the
café also seemed to provide a catalyst for conversation and social interaction, with the
mobility of the technology allowing people to creatively share space and ideas.
Gownies, Lattes, & Laptops
4
Literature Review (or “Investigate”)
Internet cafes
Research regarding internet cafes has almost exclusively involved facilities which
provide access to fixed computer terminals for a fee and not those cafes providing
wireless access. Wireless internet cafes tend not to provide access to hardware or to
require fee payment for their services, creating in many ways a very different
environment for internet users from the traditional café model. However, a review of
“wired” internet café studies may provide a meaningful starting point against which
comparisons can be made regarding the wireless experience.
A distinct characteristic of the existing research on internet cafes is that it has
tended to focus on non-U.S. locations. One explanation may be that due to the dizzying
pace at which internet access has become available to American homes, the market for
public internet access simply has not been as great in the U.S. as it has been in other
countries. For instance, in 2001, just over half of U.K. citizens used the internet, and of
that number, 10% had gone online from an internet café (Bowman as cited in Liff &
Laegran, 2003, p.307). By comparison, 64% of U.S. adults had access to the internet in
2002, yet only 2% had gone online from an internet café (Harwood & Rainie, 2004, p.3).
It should then come as little surprise that much of the research regarding internet cafes
has emerged from countries with numerous internet cafes and with populations actively
engaged in using them, such as England (e.g. Lee, 1999), Norway (e.g. Laegran &
Stewart, 2003), Canada (e.g. Middleton, 2003), and Turkey (e.g. Yesil, 2003).
Regardless of country of origin, scholars who’ve studied internet cafes share
many of the same questions, including how the public nature of internet cafes impacts the
Gownies, Lattes, & Laptops
5
ways in which the internet is used, how the locally situated nature of the cafes intersects
with the global nature of the medium, and how individual-oriented computer use is
performed within the social environment of the café. In relation to the first area of
inquiry, Lee (1999) hypothesized that internet café users would be more inclined to
casual, recreational activities online rather than work or other personal activities due to
the lack of privacy and potential for social interaction in cafés as compared to home or
work. However, many of her participants were businesspeople or tourists who visited the
cafes specifically to maintain personal and work obligations via email or the web. For
them, the internet café functioned much like a public telephone, in which the location of
the service met their individual needs rather than defined them.
Yet, studies of internet cafes seem to indicate that the functionality of the cafes
for their users is not simply a matter of convenience of access. Rather, it is also the
internet café’s ability to transcend space both globally and locally for their patrons that
makes them so appealing. As mentioned above, travelers and other geographically
displaced individuals, including students studying abroad, have reported using cafes as a
way to engage in personal or work relationships on a global level (Laegran & Stewart,
2003; Lee, 1999). But long distance users were not the only ones who reported this
benefit. Internet café users who lived locally also enjoyed being able to stay involved in
their personal and professional lives while occupying a different social space. Laegran &
Stewart described these types of utilitarian internet café users as “extenders,” or people
seeking ways to extend their work or home spaces to the café (p.372).
Another interpretation of the function of the internet café for users is the notion of
the café as a “third place”---an informal gathering place in a community, such as a pub or
Gownies, Lattes, & Laptops
6
coffeehouse, where people can engage in light conversation, see familiar faces, feel “at
home” even when not at home (Oldenburg, 1989). Oldenburg specifically states that third
places are meant for “play” and not serious interactions, such as work or school. While
Laegran & Stewart (2003) felt “extenders” also used internet cafes as a form of social
engagement to some degree, they identified a group that more closely fit Oldenburg’s
definition of the third place regulars, which they named “socializers” (p.373). These
internet café users were there specifically for leisure, to pass the time. Middleton (2003)
and Wakeford (2003) also observed “socializers” in their studies of internet cafes--young people gathering in the cafes after school to play games, talk on cell phones, and
watch TV, and locals such as small business owners stopping in during breaks to check
sports scores or read the news while talking to other regulars.
The studies of internet cafes reviewed here provide some practical insight into
how people have used internet cafes, as well as the important role these places have
played in some people’s lives. However, they tell us little about what impact wireless
internet access is having on the way people use the internet in cafes, and even less about
how college students are using wi-fi to access the internet in public places.
College students and wi-fi
According to the Pew Internet & American Life Project, 22% of internet users
between the ages of 18 and 27 had used a wireless-enabled laptop and 45% had used
wireless enabled cell phones within the last month (Horrigan, 2004). These numbers
would seem to indicate that wireless internet access has indeed become an important
function of communications and information technologies for college-aged people.
Gownies, Lattes, & Laptops
7
Universities have also become aware of the growing demand by students for wireless
access, as well as its potential as a valuable tool in educational settings. In response,
many colleges, such as Carnegie Mellon, MIT, and Drexel University, have begun
installing campus-wide wireless networks so that students can access the internet in
dorms, common areas, and classrooms (Akin, 2003; Luna, 2002).
How is wireless shaping the learning and living environment for college students
on campuses? Some see the potential for a more unstructured learning environment, in
which students can spontaneously converge in “learning swarms” for the purpose of
problem solving and information searching (Alexander, 2004, p.32). Universities such as
Dartmouth have begun conducting extensive studies of how students are using wireless
internet on their campus, analyzing statistical data provided when students’ wireless
devices access the network (Kotz & Essien, 2002). Initial data from the study has shown
that residence halls, especially those where newer students were housed, were by far the
most active in terms of wireless access of any buildings on campus; academic buildings
placed a distant second. Mondays were found to be the heaviest wireless traffic day on
campus, with 10am being the most popular hour to access the network during a regular
school week. Kotz and Essien also noted that 70% of computer sales in the campus
computer center in 2001 were wireless-enabled laptops, suggesting that Dartmouth
students were quickly adopting wireless computing into their lives.
As mentioned in the introduction, college students’ lives are by no means
confined to the campus proper. And in this regard, neither are wireless internet access
points, or “hotpots.” Market researchers estimated that there were approximately 12,500
hotspots available in commercial spaces such as airports, hotels, fast food restaurants, and
Gownies, Lattes, & Laptops
8
coffee shops in North America in 2003, with predictions that this number will balloon to
around 72,500 hotspots in the U.S. alone by 2007 (Greenspan & Berniker, 2003). These
types of businesses, especially coffee shops, are commonly found in communities
adjoining college campuses, and wi-fi access has certainly become a vital service offered
by those wanting to attract students. Yet, until now, there has been no inquiry into the
ways students are using the internet in community cafes offering wi-fi access. The study I
present in this paper is an attempt to fill this gap in the research. It is a preliminary
excursion into the world of the campus town wi-fi café with the hope of better
understanding how students are incorporating wireless technology into their public lives.
Because college students will be moving into the professional and private sectors of nonacademic adult life in only a few short years, it is also hoped that this study will provide
some insight into the ways wireless internet access may be used by the larger public in
the not-so-distant future.
Methods (or “Investigate”)
In order to understand how college students are using wi-fi internet access in
campus town cafes, I conducted an ethnographic study of one such café near the campus
of a large Midwestern university. As defined by Creswell (1998), ethnography is “a
description and interpretation of a cultural or social group or system” (p.58). Language
and behaviors are observed, analyzed, and even discussed with members of the
community being studied in order to develop an understanding of what it’s like to be a
part of that community. Creswell describes ethnography as a process that involves
studying a group using a variety of methods of data collection. For the study of college
Gownies, Lattes, & Laptops
9
students’ uses of a wi-fi cafe, four methods were implemented: participant-observation,
interviewing, open-ended questionnaires, and text analysis.
Participant-observation was conducted from early October to late November in
2004. For this part of the study, I spent several hours in the café using the internet on a
wi-fi enabled laptop and observing other users. Key informants were interviewed
regarding their experiences, practices, and opinions relating to internet use in wi-fi cafes.
Similar information was collected using an open-ended questionnaire from seven
students---five males, two females---who regularly used internet cafes (Appendix A).
Finally, blogs and online discussion groups containing information related to wireless
internet access were analyzed. However, these documents constitute only a very minor
portion of the data collected since few directly discussed the experiences of internet café
users, and none were found which directly addressed the topic of college students’ uses
of wi-fi in cafes.
Results (or “Create”)
The setting
The café, which I’ll call Cyber Java for ease of discussion, was located only a half
block from the campus’s center on what has subsequently become one of the town’s
busiest streets. Small restaurants, bars, a health club, a video game store, and a large
college bookstore were within steps of the café. Outside the café, a few seats lined the
sidewalk, mostly used by smokers retreating from the no smoking policy inside. Just
inside the front door and to the right was the counter, where patrons could order from a
standard menu of coffeehouse drinks as well as a small selection of baked goodies. Flyers
Gownies, Lattes, & Laptops 10
for local happenings---music shows and benefits---were plastered to the side of the
commercial espresso machine for patrons to peruse while waiting for their order; local
free papers and marketing handouts were stacked and strewn along one edge of the
counter.
The room was long and narrow, with seats enough for roughly 70 people. Tables
with four seats were lined along the left wall and two-seaters along the right. A few
sections of the café had been made into more cozy reading and social areas with sofas,
over-stuffed chairs, and coffee tables. There was even a baby grand piano tucked in one
corner, which I was told by my informant Joe is played occasionally on weekend
evenings. In general, the atmosphere was inviting. The lighting was very soft, almost
dark; the only windows in the place were at the very front along the street, perhaps
making it easier for computer users to see their screens. There were khalim rugs
throughout, and funky artwork on the walls. Jazz was often heard playing softly in the
background.
At the back of the café, the space felt more private: a few of the tables were
separated by woven bamboo screens. Another lounge area with sofas and arm chairs was
set up here, tucked behind a wall that hid it from the front portion of the café. On more
than one occasion during my observations, this peaceful nook played host to sleeping
patrons. At the very back of the café was a semi-private meeting room. It had a door, but
also a row of windows along one wall allowing people inside to see out into the café and
vice versa. It had a long table with enough seats for 8, and a large erasable white board at
one end. The room could be reserved at the front counter, and there often seemed to be
Gownies, Lattes, & Laptops 11
formal meetings being conducted there in the late afternoons, although small seemingly
impromptu gatherings of two or three people could sometimes be seen inside as well.
Overall, the atmosphere was friendly and many people seemed to know each
other at Cyber Java. Employees were often seen chatting with customers, sometimes
hanging out and talking with friends in a lounge area near the counter when customers
weren’t waiting.
The people
The crowd at the café was eclectic. The people working at the counter---mostly
female---were young and hip, wearing vintage clothes and messy, trendy hairstyles. Some
of the clientele also fell into this category. They carried book bags and tended to hang out
in groups in the sofa lounge areas. But some of the more common patrons of Cyber Java
were a bit older, in their mid 20’s to early 30’s. They appeared to be grad students, with
their inexpensive nylon shoulder bags, jeans, polo shirts, and eyeglasses---not quite
polished enough, or old enough, to be seasoned professors. These folks were often men,
and among those most likely to set up a laptop and go online. Some older faculty types--men with graying beards in business casual dress with stylish leather briefcases--sometimes stopped through for a coffee with what appeared to be a colleague or graduate
student. But these sightings were infrequent, and they never appeared to be there to take
advantage of the internet services.
In terms of basic characteristics of race and gender among the patrons of Cyber
Java, it seemed a majority was Caucasian and male, which was consistent with the
university’s student demographic make up at the time. Asians were perhaps the second
Gownies, Lattes, & Laptops 12
most prominent racial group. African Americans were infrequently seen in the café. The
rest were comprised of what seemed a variety of ethnic backgrounds, including Hispanic
and European. In one case, a woman working on a laptop alone had a dark complexion
and wore a traditional Muslim headscarf, presumably of Middle Eastern heritage. But this
was an isolated sighting in my observations. In only one instance did I hear patrons
speaking in a language other than English, and this conversation occurred between two
Asian men.
Women certainly had a presence in the café, but tended to be younger---in their
late teens or early 20’s---and tended to be accompanied by at least one other friend. They
were less frequently seen using laptops to go online in the café than men. But those who
did usually appeared to be undergraduate students, with book bags and trendier clothes.
Asian females were also commonly seen using laptops to go online.
The daily grind
Monday through Saturday, the café was open from 7am to midnight, 9am to
midnight on Sundays. Weekday mornings in the café were usually fairly quiet: perhaps a
dozen people scattered throughout the café with three or four using laptops. In these early
hours, people typically sat alone.
A dilapidated, chunky, old laptop sat on a table next to the counter in the front of
the café. During these slow periods, employees would often sit down at this laptop station
to do some work, papers and books spread out on the table top. When someone would
come in to order, the employee would get up, help them, and then return to the computer.
This was the only “permanent” computer in the café, and it appeared to be designated for
Gownies, Lattes, & Laptops 13
employee use only, although there were no signs that said as much. It was just
understood.
Around noon or 1pm, business would pick up. Tables would fill with groups of
two or more students, gathered together studying with books and papers spread out or
having conversations. At very crowded times in the afternoon, it was sometimes
necessary to share a table with a person you didn’t know. Afternoons during the week
could be very crowded with students, even as late as 5pm when it would seem many
would be going to dinner. Much like weekdays, weekends were often quiet in the
morning in the café, but filled with students studying in the early afternoon.
Getting (un)wired at Cyber Java
At the outset of this project, I had two very practical concerns: first, I do not own
a laptop and second, I had subsequently never used the internet via wi-fi. Unlike
traditional internet cafes, Cyber Java did not provide computer hardware, at least not for
public use. Fortunately, I was able to borrow a wireless-enabled laptop thanks to my
supervising professor. The rest was up to me.
On my first visit to Cyber Java to try wi-fi, I realized that, unless I wanted to rely
on the laptop’s battery for power for my entire visit, I would need to find a table near a
power outlet. Being a laptop novice, I didn’t know how much battery time my machine
had, and didn’t want to take any chances. The battery dilemma was not lost on wi-fi users
at Cyber Java, as I regularly observed that tables near outlets were almost always the first
to be occupied by computer users. One frequent wi-fi user, a graduate student from
Gownies, Lattes, & Laptops 14
Europe named Joe1, explained that not all wi-fi enabled businesses offered access to
power outlets due to overhead costs. Knowing this, he would plan his movements from
hotspot to hotspot during the day based on outlet availability, perhaps grabbing lunch at a
sandwich shop that had wi-fi and no outlets, and later moving, as his battery became low,
to a café like Cyber Java that offered power (personal communication, November 8,
2004).
As it turned out, my first experience using wi-fi at Cyber Java was in the meeting
room at the back of the café. Joe was there with two others conducting an informal
research meeting and, when he saw me through the window, waved for me to come in.
He and one other male graduate student had their laptops out and connected; the topic of
discussion was blogs, so they occasionally accessed relevant websites. While they talked,
I powered up my computer---there were several outlets available here, a mindful detail
and likely a marketing strategy on the part of the café owners. After about 5 or 10
minutes of fumbling around with the computer’s system preferences settings, I found
where to turn on the wireless network detector. A window popped up that asked if I
wanted to connect using Cyber Java’s network. I answered yes, and I was on!
As I became more familiar with using wi-fi at Cyber Java, one aspect that took me
by surprise was the speed and relative consistency of the connection. Because the service
was being provided for free I was expecting a compromise in the quality. However, as I
sat surfing the web that first time in the meeting room, and on subsequent occasions, I
experienced no connection problems and only occasional slowness when trying to send
email or load pages. Some café wi-fi users I communicated with had similar experiences
as mine with service quality, even admitting that the café connection was a better option
1
Names of all participants have been changed to ensure their anonymity.
Gownies, Lattes, & Laptops 15
for them than their home service. For instance, Andrea, a graduate student, had dial up at
home, making the high speed connections offered in wi-fi cafes appealing to her
(personal communication, November 11, 2004). Another graduate student, Mark, found
that there were certain activities that were easier to do online in the cafes because of the
faster connection than on his home connection:
I don't have a high-speed connection at home, so it is very useful to be able to
download system updates, drivers, _etc_., that would ordinarily take me hours. It
also offers rapid access to MapQuest, which is a pain on a dial-up connection…
[T]he connection in the cafes is refreshingly quick and efficient. I save my
image-laden internet use and downloading for the cafe. 2 (personal
communication, November 21, 2004)
But others were more critical of wi-fi café service, stating that it could be unreliable or
even slow compared to work or home service, limiting what they chose to do while
online in the café:
[A]t home I have access to both [a] Community Wireless Network and a DSL
line. At work I have access to a business class DSL line. Both at home at work
my Internet connection is better than at internet cafes. (personal communication,
November 5, 2004)
Another user agreed when comparing his internet options at work and home compared to
what was offered in the wi-fi cafes, stating “I have internet at both places. Going online at
cafes isn't too different, except that cafes usually have slower connections” (November
16, 2004).
Even though I’ve been using the internet regularly since 1997, my first experience
with wi-fi at Cyber Java was exhilarating. On one level, there was the excitement of
getting something for free: Cyber Java did not charge for its wireless access, but instead
relied on patrons’ sense of common courtesy to buy drinks. Some coffeehouses, including
2
Participant quotes are presented in this paper in their original form, without corrections to spelling,
punctuation, or grammar.
Gownies, Lattes, & Laptops 16
the national chain Starbucks, have opted to charge for their wi-fi service. The service can
be quite expensive: for Starbucks, patrons must purchase subscription cards through a
wireless provider, with a 24 hour unlimited access pass priced at $9.99 3. For Joe and
many other wi-fi cafe regulars I spoke with, free access was a top priority when choosing
a hotspot. As one female undergraduate stated, “i dislike places where you have to pay
for internet access, and consequently, i don't go to them” (personal communication,
November 5, 2004). Some respondents expressed even stronger feelings on the issue. For
instance, when asked whether there was anything about wi-fi cafes that he disliked, one
student responded, “A few actually have the gall to charge for their services (e.g.,
Borders) -- now that's _really_ annoying” (personal communication, November 5, 2004).
On a blog created by members of the Institute for the Future4, a poster commented that at
the very least, subscription systems like Starbucks’ should be compatible or overlap with
other wi-fi networks, finally concluding that,
[b]etter yet would be for stores to treat WiFi like the bathroom or overhead lights:
something that you just provide for customers' convenience, with the
understanding that customers will buy something for the privilege of use. (“Stop
me before,” 2003)
Joe explained that when he would spend 5 or 6 hours accessing wi-fi in Cyber Java in one
evening, his personal rule was to buy at least one drink per hour. Otherwise, he said, the
wait staff start making frequent trips to tidy up around you, a silent request that you
should buy something or give up your seat to someone who will (personal
communication, November 8, 2004).
3
Starbucks pricing info retrieved November 20, 2004 from https://selfcare.hotspot.tmobile.com/accountcreate/ExternalSetPromotionCode.do?promo=STDAYPASS0802
4
The Institute for the Future is comprised of a group of international researchers conducting studies related
to new technologies and their impact on conceptualizations of space and social interaction, including
wireless cafes.
Gownies, Lattes, & Laptops 17
A second factor that contributed to the excitement of my first wi-fi experience
was a sense of freedom that seemed inherent in the technology. I didn’t have to choose
between being at the café participating in the blog meeting and being at home accessing
the internet for research information; I could do both at the same time. Having the ability
to be liberated from working at home or an office was also a common theme among
participant comments. As Robert, a graduate student, stated:
it's nice to be out of the house, and it forces me to do my work if i'm in
a cafe. besides, there are lots of distractions for when i need a five
minute break. and the coffee. don't forget the coffee. (personal communication,
November 16, 2004)
Another male student, Jeff, supported Robert’s feelings about being more productive:
Sometimes when I have writing work to do for my job, I go to the cafe to escape
the interruptions of the office. I find that going to the cafe and having a change of
scene helps me to get work done that requires concentration, since a lot of my
typical distractions aren't there. (November 16, 2004)
Joe also mentioned avoiding the distractions of home, namely the beckoning call of the
refrigerator, as one of his primary motivations for coming to the café to work (personal
communication, November 8, 2004).
At the outset of my ethnography of Cyber Java, I assumed my observations would
mostly be conducted in a solitary fashion. After all, the majority of people I saw using
computers in the café sat alone, headphones on, a few papers or books on the table beside
them. Yet despite the decidedly short amount of time I had lived in the area, I
occasionally saw someone I knew, usually a fellow student, in the café. And being a new
student, these occurrences were comforting in their own way, making me feel more like a
member of the community. One such meeting happened on the afternoon of the
presidential election, a day that I made a special point to visit Cyber Java.
Gownies, Lattes, & Laptops 18
As anticipated, the café was absolutely buzzing with activity and tables were
scarce. Just as I was preparing to settle into a corner seat to take notes, a friend from the
department, Bill, caught my attention and asked me to join him. He had his laptop set up
and we spent the next hour scouring for rumors and news updates, and discussing the
pros and cons of various laptop features, aided by related websites. Bill also ran a private
organization’s website, which was providing community news coverage of the elections.
The site was having server problems so he talked with his technician on the cell phone
while monitoring its progress in the café; Bill was among many of the patrons of Cyber
Java that I witnessed talking on cell phones while using the internet. Around us I saw
three or four tables occupied by small groups, engaged in discussions with laptops open
here and there---the air was filled with talk and the near-constant hiss of the espresso
machine. Elections are community events, and on that day, Cyber Java felt very much
like the center of the campus community.
Many wi-fi users I talked with described the social aspect of cafes as being an
integral part of the experience for them. A college student’s life, especially a graduate
student’s, can be consumed with school related work, putting social activities far down
their list of priorities. For some like Andrea, the café seemed to help them feel more
engaged in public life:
I go to the café to study, but generally, as well, to feel as if I am not cooped up at
home or in the library – to have some semblance of a social life. (personal
communication, November 11, 2004)
As mentioned previously, many universities such as Dartmouth, have gone to great
lengths to provide wi-fi internet access to students in campus buildings, including
libraries. However, my interviewees seemed generally to agree with Andrea’s assessment
Gownies, Lattes, & Laptops 19
of studying on campus. Dave, a Senior engineering student, remarked that his main
reason for going to Cyber Java was,
…to work in a more social setting- less tense than a library…computer labs are
more rigid. rules that you can't eat or drink. restrictions on what types of activities
you can do while on a computer (no downloading or IMing) usually encouraged
to be quiet (personal communication, November 18, 2004).
Mary, an undergraduate, had an almost identical reaction as Dave, commenting on the
more inviting nature of the café compared to the more regulated environment of campus
computer labs:
i have used labs on this campus. i prefer the cafe environment because it's not as
rigid. there aren't any of the "work quietly, no food, etc." rules that there usually
are in computer labs. (personal communication, November 5, 2004).
Joe surmised that part of the appeal of Cyber Java over campus libraries for him was a
sense of being less isolated, of not being stuck in a study carrel alone. Instead, he felt a
sense of camaraderie in the cafe, especially during very busy times of the semester when
he could go there and be surrounded by other students who were studying and stressed
just like him, but in a casual atmosphere (personal communication, November 8, 2004).
The performance of “being social” was indeed a complex phenomenon in Cyber
Java. While many said they enjoyed being socially engaged in the café, many also
reported going to the café primarily alone. When accompanied by others in the café, the
respondents listed certain rules of etiquette they followed regarding internet use. As
Robert stated,
if i'm using the internet with someone it's because we're both doing our individual
work and we're just there for company during breaks…although i prefer not to email if someone else is there, like talking on a cell phone when you're with
someone. it's better to just talk to the person you're with. (personal
communication, November 16, 2004)
Gownies, Lattes, & Laptops 20
Jeff had an even more intricate set of wi-fi usage rules based on who he was with and
what types of work he was doing:
I rarely do internet activities when I go with other people. If I use the Internet
with other people, we use the Internet primarily if we're having a meeting for a
particular reason. If I'm meeting people for purely social reasons, I usually don't
use the Internet. When I am with other people, we use the Internet to look up
information on the web, refer to e-mails or take notes. My activities are more
varied when I'm alone. (personal communication, November 16, 2004)
Others believed an even stronger distinction needed to be drawn between using the
internet and socializing with others in the café. As stated by Mark, a graduate student:
When accompanied, I would not use the Internet; I'd be there to talk to the other
person, not to focus on the technology on the table… People are just much better
than pixels. (personal communication, November 21, 2004)
Yet others I observed in Cyber Java seemed to conceive being online as a way to
be together. On occasion I would see two people sitting together using their laptops at a
table or set of tables; conversations between such pairs were typically limited. One
Saturday afternoon, for example, I observed two young Asian students, both with stacks
of papers and books as well as laptops, sitting at adjacent tables in the more private study
area at the back of the cafe. For the first 15 minutes after I arrived, I did not see them
speak to each other, and actually assumed they were not together. However, the woman
finally looked up from her computer to give a brief comment to her friend, and a quiet,
familiar exchange followed. Others I observed would share things they found on the
internet with a friend, as I saw one young Asian woman do as she handed her male friend
one of her headphone earbuds to listen to a song she had accessed, both sitting in front of
the computer commenting on the find. On another occasion, two young men had taken
over two tables with laptops and school papers, both wearing headphones, one surfing the
web, the other reading through a book and looking at his screen. They finally took a
Gownies, Lattes, & Laptops 21
break after a long stretch, chatting and turning their screens to the other, sharing and
discussing things they were browsing.
As the semester was drawing to a close, and my project deadline approached, I
called Cyber Java to confirm their hours as I heard rumors from Joe they were planning
to extend to 2am Monday through Saturday, hours they had kept in the past but cut back
to midnight much to the dismay of Joe, a self-proclaimed night owl. It was the week of
Thanksgiving break, and the young man on the other end of the line told me they were
cutting their hours back for the week while students were gone, and would close at 10pm.
University holidays are hard on campus town businesses that rely so heavily on students.
The owner of Cyber Java was quoted in a local paper as saying that they try to prepare for
the times when students leave campus. But no matter how well they brace themselves,
they feel the impact when students leave town (Jastram, 2003). And so it seems that the
students are the lifeblood of Cyber Java, both economically and in spirit. And until they
return, in search of outlets, coffee, conversation, and wireless fidelity, the story of Cyber
Java comes to an end.
Discuss
In the emerging context of wireless internet access in cafes, I find myself
wondering: what is an internet café? The traditional version made its purpose clear. The
coffee shop managers installed computer hardware and arranged the space in their
businesses for a particular use: internet access. But in today’s wi-fi enabled cafes, the
space and purpose of the cafes are much more malleable, much more in the control of the
patrons. The internet is more dispersed, in form and function, throughout the space:
Gownies, Lattes, & Laptops 22
internet users are mixed in with non-users, those studying from books with pen in hand
sit next to people searching online indexes for research materials on their laptops. For
many in the study, Cyber Java was not a place to escape from work. And in fact many
described the space as more “studious” than home and office environments. In the end,
Cyber Java could be what students wanted, or needed, it to be at any given moment: they
could study using the internet for a while, shift into more personal matters such as
emailing or Instant Messaging when they needed a study break, or completely push
technology aside if what they really wanted was face time with a friend.
Students at Cyber Java seemed to reject a traditional model of internet use as a
fetishistic activity that must be relegated to specific places (e.g. computer labs or
libraries) for specific purposes (e.g. research) and under the guidelines of specific rules
(e.g. eating, drinking, and talking are not compatible with using the internet
productively). Although certainly less constrained than in campus computer labs,
participants also seemed to sense that there were certain physical and conceptual
boundaries at work in wi-fi cafes. Wireless access literally makes invisible the cables that
tether the technology to a concept of place and purpose. It is the wild parrot let out of its
cage, seemingly free, although hiding its clipped wings under its feathers. But perhaps
like the “freeing” of the parrot, being free of wires in the cafe helped internet users feel
less socially constrained, both physically and mentally, even when they still were:
hotspots have access boundaries. And although the rules of use were not explicit in Cyber
Java, each user enacted their own rules on how to interact with employees, friends, and
the technology itself within the café.
Gownies, Lattes, & Laptops 23
In the café, laptops and wi-fi were often social enablers. Perhaps in an effort to
debunk the myth of the lonely, nerdy computer user whose only friend is a computer
which has certainly been cultivated on college campuses, the students I spoke with and
observed using wi-fi in Cyber Java seemed determined to integrate internet use into their
everyday public lives. Wireless laptops seemed to function for some students as a way to
initiate rather than hinder the great third place activity, conversation, which Oldenburg
(1989) feared was under attack by technology. If nothing else, it was used as a lever for
extracting the individual from the isolation of home or work so that they could
participate, if only passively, in a collective experience of the strum and drang of
everyday life in a university town.
Epilogue (or “Reflect”)
This project had a measurable impact on my life. On the one hand, I learned to
use wi-fi and, of course, fell in love with it. I am currently shopping for my very own
wireless-enabled laptop. I also benefited a great deal from being forced to engage in
Cyber Java’s community. I hadn’t realized how much I missed some of the “third places”
I left behind in Chicago until I started visiting the café. Like many of the participants, I
was in need of a change of scenery, and by the end of the study I really looked forward to
my visits to the café. Finally, I discovered an area of inquiry which I would like to
continue to pursue beyond the time limits of this semester’s class. I have been involved in
many hours of observations of people’s uses of the internet in public places, but the
differences in the ways people used wi-fi from traditional public internet terminals was
fascinating. I see a great deal of potential for future studies as wi-fi becomes even more
Gownies, Lattes, & Laptops 24
available in public spaces, including further studies of educational settings or event-based
settings such as conferences.
There were of course a few disappointments along the way. In order to
accommodate the very busy lives of my study’s participants, they were asked to complete
the questionnaire via email rather than face-to-face. Although this approach could be
useful in a study with a longer data collection period, it proved difficult to solicit timely
responses via email, resulting in fewer questionnaire responses than originally intended.
In the end, I felt like the responses I was able to collect provided terrific insight into the
world of college students who use wi-fi cafes, and I extend my deepest gratitude to those
who took the time to participate.
Gownies, Lattes, & Laptops 25
Appendix A
Open-Ended Questionnaire
Thanks very much for agreeing to answer some questions about using the internet in cafés. Your responses
will be kept confidential and your name will never be used in connection with your comments.
There are no right or wrong answers to these questions. If at anytime you feel uncomfortable with the
questions being asked, you have the right to choose not to answer them.
If you have any questions about this questionnaire, feel free to contact the investigator, Camille Johnson at
ckjohnsn@uiuc.edu or the supervising researcher Steve Jones at sjones@uic.edu. Thank you!
1. How long have you been going to internet cafes?
2. How often do you usually go to internet cafes?
3. Do you have a particular café you like to go to? If yes, tell me why you like this particular café.
4. For what reasons do you usually go to the cafe? (e.g. to work, to socialize, for entertainment)
5. What do you like about using the internet in cafes?
6. Is there anything you dislike about using the internet in cafés?
7. In general, what types of activities do you tend to do when online in the café? (e.g. school related
activities, work related activities, personal activities)
8. More specifically, what types of activities do you tend to do while on the internet in this café? (e.g.
email, surf the web, instant message friends/colleagues, post messages to discussion boards)
9. Do you typically go to internet cafés alone or with other people?
10. If you sometimes go with other people, who do you usually go with? (e.g. fellow students, friends,
colleagues)
11. Do you find that there’s a difference in the types of internet activities you do when you go to the café
alone versus when you go with other people? Explain why or why not.
12. Have you ever used the internet in a computer lab on campus? If yes, how would you compare the
experience of using the internet in a campus computer lab to using it in this internet café?
13. Do you have internet access in your home or at work? If yes, how would you compare going online in
cafés to those other places?
14. How would you feel if you could no longer go online in an internet café?
15. Do you feel going online in cafés has had an impact, either positive or negative, on your experience of
being a student? Explain.
Gownies, Lattes, & Laptops 26
Appendix B: Questionnaire responses
Female, undergrad_one (Mary)
1. How long have you been going to internet cafes?
i've been using cafes to do school work since around 1998. internet cafes specifically since around 2001.
2. How often do you usually go to internet cafes?
once a week, on average.
3. Do you have a particular café you like to go to? If yes, tell me why you like this particular café.
i prefer cafe paradiso, in urbana. their coffee is better, their internet is faster and more reliable and there's a
smoking section inside. it also has a social atmosphere, rather than the library-like "everyone be quiet and
do your work" atmosphere of most of the other cafes.
4. For what reasons do you usually go to the cafe? (e.g. to work, to socialize, for entertainment)
i usually go to cafes with internet because i have a hard time concentrating at home.
5. What do you like about using the internet in cafes?
the internet connection is fast and reliable (this is sometimes a problem at my house) and it's a social but
studious atmosphere.
6. Is there anything you dislike about using the internet in cafés?
i dislike places where you have to pay for internet access, and consequently, i don't go to them.
7. In general, what types of activities do you tend to do when online in the café? (e.g. school related
activities, work related activities, personal activities)
a combination of school-work, work-work and socializing-via-the-internet type activities.
8. More specifically, what types of activities do you tend to do while on the internet in cafés? (e.g. email,
surf the web, instant message friends/colleagues, post messages to discussion boards)
email, web-surfing, discussion boards, blogging, research, etc.
9. Do you typically go to internet cafés alone or with other people?
i usually go with someone else, but not always.
10. If you sometimes go with other people, who do you usually go with? (e.g. fellow students, friends,
colleagues)
friends, mostly. though sometimes they are colleagues and/or fellow students as well as friends.
11. Do you find that there’s a difference in the types of internet activities you do when you go to the café
alone versus when you go with other people? Explain why or why not.
no, not really. when i go out with a group to study, if we're using the internet, it's related to whatever we're
studying. if we're just going out together to study our own work, it's not any different than what i would be
Gownies, Lattes, & Laptops 27
doing alone.
12. Have you ever used the internet in a computer lab on campus? If yes, how would you compare the
experience of using the internet in a campus computer lab to using it in this internet café?
i have used labs on this campus. i prefer the cafe environment because it's not as rigid. there aren't any of
the "work quietly, no food, etc." rules that there usually are in computer labs.
13. Do you have internet access in your home or at work? If yes, how would you compare going online in
cafés to those other places?
i do have internet both at home and at work. using the internet in a cafe isn't much different than it is for me
at home (aside from the connectivity issue i mentioned before), but at work, i need to use the computer for
work, so there's a lot less room for personal use.
14. How would you feel if you could no longer go online in an internet café?
i wouldn't be happy about it, but i don't think that we're in any danger of that. almost every cafe in town
now has internet access.
15. Do you feel going online in cafés has had an impact, either positive or negative, on your experience of
being a student? Explain.
it's a lot easier to do research quickly, with the internet. in a matter of seconds, you can find reference
materials for pretty much any topic you can think of. if you can't find anything specific, you can at least
find some kind of a jumping off point. i think that the prevalence of internet use has also given the younger
generations (mine and those younger than me) a technical savvy that is going to be very helpful in the
future. most kids at this point don't need to take a class to learn how to use the internet, email, or any of the
programs associated with surfing the web -- we just know how to do it because we've grown up with it.
Female grad_two (Andrea)
1. How long have you been going to internet cafes?
Four years
2. How often do you usually go to internet cafes?
3 times a week
3. Do you have a particular café you like to go to? If yes, tell me why you like this particular café.
Yes, I like to find a particular café where I feel comfortable. Among the things I find appealing in an
internet café are free internet access, a casual environment, and good coffee and an assortment of snacks.
4. For what reasons do you usually go to the cafe? (e.g. to work, to socialize, for entertainment)
I go to the café to study, but generally, as well, to feel as if I am not cooped up at home or in the library –
to have some semblance of a social life. And I love coffee! I choose a café, as well, based on the internet
access and any costs associated with it.
5. What do you like about using the internet in cafes?
I like to be able to be out in a social environment and be able to do my work, which frequently requires
research over the internet.
6. Is there anything you dislike about using the internet in cafés?
If I am using the internet to do research, sometimes I find myself distracted in the café and wanting to
socialize more than study. Otherwise, the only thing I can think of that I dislike is when the connection is
unreliable.
7. In general, what types of activities do you tend to do when online in the café? (e.g. school related
Gownies, Lattes, & Laptops 28
activities, work related activities, personal activities)
School related activities, work activities, e-mail and IMing with friends.
8. More specifically, what types of activities do you tend to do while on the internet in cafés? (e.g. email,
surf the web, instant message friends/colleagues, post messages to discussion boards)
See above
9. Do you typically go to internet cafés alone or with other people?
Both. I frequently go alone, but often friends will meet me there to study or to have coffee.
10. If you sometimes go with other people, who do you usually go with? (e.g. fellow students, friends,
colleagues)
Friends, fellow students, colleagues, teachers
11. Do you find that there’s a difference in the types of internet activities you do when you go to the café
alone versus when you go with other people? Explain why or why not.
Sometimes there is a difference. But generally, the difference in the internet activities I do are due to my
level of concentration on my studies.
12. Have you ever used the internet in a computer lab on campus? If yes, how would you compare the
experience of using the internet in a campus computer lab to using it in this internet café?
In the computer lab, I feel more rushed and cramped. Plus, the computer labs don’t have coffee, which is a
very important draw of the cafés.
13. Do you have internet access in your home or at work? If yes, how would you compare going online in
cafés to those other places?
Yes. I have dial-up internet at home. I like the high-speed connections in the cafés, but I do not really feel
that there is a significant difference for me because the types of activities I do online generally do not
require incredible speed.
14. How would you feel if you could no longer go online in an internet café?
Disappointed. I can be very productive at internet cafés and since I have to spend so much time studying, I
appreciate that I can go to a café and feel as if I am socializing. I would miss that kind of environment. I
generally find it worth the expense of buying coffee in a café to be able to use the environment and internet
to my advantage.
15. Do you feel going online in cafés has had an impact, either positive or negative, on your experience of
being a student? Explain.
Being able to use the internet in cafés definitely has had quite a positive impact on my experience as a
student. I can say this with certainty, as I have experienced being a student for several years with and for
several years without the capability of going to a café and getting online. As I have suggested in my
previous answer, I have found it important to be able to get out of the more sterile library or computer lab
environments into a more casual atmosphere, as well as out of the solitariness of my home environment.
Male grad_one (Bill)
1. How long have you been going to internet cafes?
Since the early 1990s.
2. How often do you usually go to internet cafes?
I tend to either pop in between meetings when I'm on campus for prolonged periods of time (usually lasting
45min-2 hours) or will make an afternoon and/or evening of it when I'm off campus (usually lasting 2-6
hours).
Gownies, Lattes, & Laptops 29
3. Do you have a particular café you like to go to? If yes, tell me why you like this particular café.
I like Paradiso -- for the food, atmosphere, and friends (who often stop by).
4. For what reasons do you usually go to the cafe? (e.g. to work, to socialize, for entertainment)
Almost always for work.
5. What do you like about using the internet in cafes?
I can work fairly constantly with all the necessities within easy reach (e.g., food, caffeine, bathrooms,
internet ;).
6. Is there anything you dislike about using the internet in cafés?
Some cafe's have stupid authentication systems (e.g., you have to go onto a webpage and agree to be good
before using them); others kick you off after a certain amount of time, requiring you to go to the stupid
webpage and agree (again) to be good (e.g., panera). A few actually have the gall to charge for their
services (e.g., Borders) -- now that's _really_ annoying.
7. In general, what types of activities do you tend to do when online in the café? (e.g. school related
activities, work related activities, personal activities)
All of the above. Mostly work-related; but for me, they're all pretty confounded.
8. More specifically, what types of activities do you tend to do while on the internet in cafés? (e.g. email,
surf the web, instant message friends/colleagues, post messages to discussion boards)
E-mail, IRC, instant messaging, discussion boards, surfing, VoIP, wiki updating, blogging, programming,
etc.
9. Do you typically go to internet cafés alone or with other people?
Usually I go alone; often people I know join me for chats, to hang out etc.
10. If you sometimes go with other people, who do you usually go with? (e.g. fellow students, friends,
colleagues)
All of the above.
11. Do you find that there’s a difference in the types of internet activities you do when you go to the café
alone versus when you go with other people? Explain why or why not.
Nope.
12. Have you ever used the internet in a computer lab on campus? If yes, how would you compare the
experience of using the internet in a campus computer lab to using it in this internet café?
Yes. Internet on campus sucks. For "security reasons" many of the programs I use daily are not allowed on
campus. One of the major reasons why I bought my own laptop was because I use a lot of specialized
programs -- almost none of which are on campus. For example -- there's pretty much no open-source, nonproprietary software on UIUC computers.
13. Do you have internet access in your home or at work? If yes, how would you compare going online in
cafés to those other places?
Yes, at home I have access to both the Champaign-Urbana Community Wireless Network and a DSL line.
At work I have access to a business class DSL line. Both at home at at work my Internet connection is
better than at internet cafes.
14. How would you feel if you could no longer go online in an internet café?
I'd be bummed since it would mean that major telecommunications fights that I'm engaged in would have
to have been lost. Realistically, it would remove one option I currently have for getting online in a
different location than I ususally do.
Gownies, Lattes, & Laptops 30
15. Do you feel going online in cafés has had an impact, either positive or negative, on your experience of
being a student? Explain.
It's been exceedingly positive. I could not study the field that I'm engaged in if not for internet cafes. They
allow me to observe how people use the Internet, and in the future, will probably become nodes in a
community wireless network.
Male grad_two (Robert)
> 1. How long have you been going to internet cafes?
three years
> 2. How often do you usually go to internet cafes?
well, they aren't specifically for internet, but i go around once a week
> 3. Do you have a particular café you like to go to? If yes, tell me why
> you
> like this particular café.
yes. placement of outlets, cost of coffee, ambience, etc.
> 4. For what reasons do you usually go to the cafe? (e.g. to work, to
> socialize, for entertainment)
work and socializing
> 5. What do you like about using the internet in cafes?
it's nice to be out of the house, and it forces me to do my work if i'm in
a cafe. besides, there are lots of distractions for when i need a five
minute break. and the coffee. don't forget the coffee.
> 6. Is there anything you dislike about using the internet in cafés?
not really, although i guess sometimes privacy is an issue.
> 7. In general, what types of activities do you tend to do when online in
> the café? (e.g. school related activities, work related activities,
> personal activities)
school and work related activities mostly. i have broadband at home, so
e-mail is usually done there. but you know, during breaks i look at the
news or weather or something.
> 8. More specifically, what types of activities do you tend to do while on
> the internet in cafés? (e.g. email, surf the web, instant message
> friends/colleagues, post messages to discussion boards)
e-mail and research
> 9. Do you typically go to internet cafés alone or with other people?
ummm...alone, i guess. although i do go with other people for lunch and such
> 10. If you sometimes go with other people, who do you usually go with?
> (e.g. fellow students, friends, colleagues)
fellow students, friends, colleagues...but that's all the same category to
me at this point
> 11. Do you find that there’s a difference in the types of internet
> activities you do when you go to the café alone versus when you go with
> other people? Explain why or why not.
well, no, if i'm using the internet with someone it's because we're both
doing our individual work and we're just there for company during breaks.
Gownies, Lattes, & Laptops 31
so it's pretty much the same thing. although i prefer not to e-mail if
someone else is there, like talking on a cell phone when you're with
someone. it's better to just talk to the person you're with
> 12. Have you ever used the internet in a computer lab on campus? If yes,
> how would you compare the experience of using the internet in a campus
> computer lab to using it in this internet café?
yes. much different, there is a much better atmosphere in the internet
cafes, and food and drink is allowed. and music. completely different.
> 13. Do you have internet access in your home or at work? If yes, how would
> you compare going online in cafés to those other places?
yes, both, and both broadband. ummm...cafes feel more work oriented to
me, really, although i don't really just surf the web for fun anywhere.
no time.
> 14. How would you feel if you could no longer go online in an internet
> café?
it's a pain in the ass when someone doesn't have it or it costs, because
it's nice to be able to check things online. you know, with whatever work
i'm doing it sometimes is necessary to send a quick e-mail, order a book,
check a reference, or whatever
> 15. Do you feel going online in cafés has had an impact, either positive
> or
> negative, on your experience of being a student? Explain.
i think it's helped a lot. i feel as if i can get a lot accomplished if i
go to a cafe to work, and don't have to feel as if i'm cut off from
research or whatever. but that's mainly because this is wireless service
with my laptop, not an internet cafe with their own systems. very, very
different.
Male grad_three (Jeff)
1. How long have you been going to internet cafes? Two years.
2. How often do you usually go to internet cafes?
Three times a week.
3. Do you have a particular café you like to go to? If yes, tell me why you like this particular café.
Yes, I like the atmosphere.
4. For what reasons do you usually go to the cafe? (e.g. to work, to socialize, for entertainment)
Half the time I go to socialize, half the time I go to work.
5. What do you like about using the internet in cafes?
I like being able to get some work done outside of my home and outside my office.
6. Is there anything you dislike about using the internet in cafés?
Sometimes connectivity can be iffy.
7. In general, what types of activities do you tend to do when online in the café? (e.g. school related
activities, work related activities, personal activities)
Gownies, Lattes, & Laptops 32
I do work, school and personal activities. Sometimes when I have writing work to do for my job, I go to the
cafe to escape the interruptions of the office. I find that going to the cafe and having a change of scene
helps me to get work done that requires concentration, since a lot of my typical distractions aren't there.
8. More specifically, what types of activities do you tend to do while on the internet in cafés? (e.g. email,
surf the web, instant message friends/colleagues, post messages to discussion boards)
I do e-mail and surf the web, often to do online research using library databases, like Lexis-Nexis. I often
compose blog entries. I also do word processing.
9. Do you typically go to internet cafés alone or with other people?
About half alone and half with other people.
10. If you sometimes go with other people, who do you usually go with? (e.g. fellow students, friends,
colleagues)
Most regularly I go with colleagues from work. I do also meet friends and my advisor.
11. Do you find that there’s a difference in the types of internet activities you do when you go to the café
alone versus when you go with other people? Explain why or why not.
I rarely do internet activities when I go with other people. If I use the Internet with other people, we use the
Internet primarily if we're having a meeting for a particular reason. If I'm meeting people for purely social
reasons, I usually don't use the Internet. When I am with other people, we use the Internet to look up
information on the web, refer to e-mails or take notes. My activities are more varied when I'm alone.
12. Have you ever used the internet in a computer lab on campus? If yes, how would you compare the
experience of using the internet in a campus computer lab to using it in this internet café?
I haven't used a computer lab in a long time. I never particularly liked the labs because they are much more
sterile compared to a cafe.
13. Do you have internet access in your home or at work? If yes, how would you compare going online in
cafés to those other places?
I have internet at both places. Going online at cafes isn't too different, except that cafes usually have slower
connections. The change of scene often aids my concentration, but I don't do much different. One thing I do
in my office and home that I don't do in cafes is listen to Internet radio or use other multimedia.
14. How would you feel if you could no longer go online in an internet café?
I would miss it, but it wouldn't be particularly significant for me. I might even be a little more productive
using my laptop for writing, since there would be no e-mail or web distractions.
15. Do you feel going online in cafés has had an impact, either positive or negative, on your experience of
being a student? Explain.
A very slightly positive impact, in that it gives me another place to do work.
Undergrad (senior) Male_four (Dave)
read the consent, i agree to participate.
1. How long have you been going to internet cafes?
3 years
2. How often do you usually go to internet cafes?
5 times a week
3. Do you have a particular café you like to go to? If yes,
tell me why you like this particular café.
green street coffee house b/c its internet is free
Gownies, Lattes, & Laptops 33
4. For what reasons do you usually go to the cafe? (e.g. to
work, to socialize, for entertainment)
usually to work in a more social setting- less tense than a
library
5. What do you like about using the internet in cafes?
the atmosphere is casual. noisy, but more quiet than a
restaurant
6. Is there anything you dislike about using the internet in
cafés?
sometimes the connection is interrupted.
7. In general, what types of activities do you tend to do
when online in the café? (e.g. school related activities,
work related activities, personal activities)
usually do school related activities. type papers. talk on
IM. e-mail.
8. More specifically, what types of activities do you tend to
do while on the internet in cafés? (e.g. email, surf the web,
instant message friends/colleagues, post messages to
discussion boards)
e-mail and IM friends. web surfing is usually for a
purpose.i dont' usually go to internet cafes just to "hang
out" online
9. Do you typically go to internet cafés alone or with other
people?
with other people
10. If you sometimes go with other people, who do you usually
go with? (e.g. fellow students, friends, colleagues)
students and friends. it is a way to socialize
while "working"
11. Do you find that there’s a difference in the types of
internet activities you do when you go to the café alone
versus when you go with other people? Explain why or why not.
i tend to get more work done when i go alone, but its more
fun with other people:)
12. Have you ever used the internet in a computer lab on
campus? If yes, how would you compare the experience of using
the internet in a campus computer lab to using it in this
internet café?
computer labs are more rigid. rules that you can't eat or
drink. restrictions on what types of activities you can do
while on a computer (no downloading or IMing) usually
encouraged to be quiet
13. Do you have internet access in your home or at work? If
yes, how would you compare going online in cafés to those
other places?
home. generally it's the same type of experience. i do
Gownies, Lattes, & Laptops 34
similar things. but i like internet cafe's for a venue
change. also more studious when at home
14. How would you feel if you could no longer go online in an
internet café?
i guess i probably would still go to do studying, i just
wouldn't have the same freedom to access info online.
15. Do you feel going online in cafés has had an impact,
either positive or negative, on your experience of being a
student? Explain.
umm...probably both. negative on my schoolwork (when
compared to the amount i could get done in a library) but
positive in that it makes for a more social atmosphere.
Male grad_five (Mark)
1. How long have you been going to internet cafes? 4 months
2. How often do you usually go to internet cafes? Every 2 weeks
3. Do you have a particular café you like to go to? If yes, tell me why you like
this particular café.  The cafe in the Krannert Center. It is quiet and sunny and
rarely crowded in the afternoon. It was one of the first places I spent time when
I was first on campus, back before the high-speed connections and wireless
were installed. With the connections I have been going there more than I had
been in a few years.
4. For what reasons do you usually go to the cafe? (e.g. to work, to socialize, for
entertainment) I usually go for a combination of chocolate and quiet work.
Occasionally I plan to meet someone there to talk, but these are always prearranged meetings. I usually do not encounter people by accident.
5. What do you like about using the internet in cafes? I don't have a high-speed
connection at home, so it is very useful to be able to download system updates,
drivers, _etc_., that would ordinarily take me hours. It also offers rapid access
to MapQuest, which is a pain on a dial-up connection.
6. Is there anything you dislike about using the internet in cafés? I only dislike it
when it is noisy, which rarely happens.
7. In general, what types of activities do you tend to do when online in the café?
(e.g. school related activities, work related activities, personal activities) My
activities are almost always related to school and work; occasionally I will check
my personal (as opposed to university) E-mail, but otherwise I never do any
personal things.
8. More specifically, what types of activities do you tend to do while on the
internet in cafés? (e.g. email, surf the web, instant message friends/colleagues,
post messages to discussion boards) E-mail, necessary downloading and
upgrades. I usually do not "surf" per se in the cafe. Mostly I go directly to
specific sites for the things I need.
9. Do you typically go to internet cafés alone or with other people? Alone
Gownies, Lattes, & Laptops 35
10. If you sometimes go with other people, who do you usually go with? (e.g.
fellow students, friends, colleagues) When accompanied, I would not use the
Internet; I'd be there to talk to the other person, not to focus on the technology
on the table.
11. Do you find that there’s a difference in the types of internet activities you do
when you go to the café alone versus when you go with other people? Explain
why or why not. Please see above; I do not use the Internet if other people are
present. People are just much better than pixels.
12. Have you ever used the internet in a computer lab on campus? If yes, how
would you compare the experience of using the internet in a campus computer
lab to using it in this internet café? The presence of chocolate and the relative
absence of people make the cafe much more pleasant and quiet.
13. Do you have internet access in your home or at work? If yes, how would you
compare going online in cafés to those other places? My connection at home is
dial-up, so the connection in the cafes is refreshingly quick and efficient. I save
my image-laden internet use and downloading for the cafe.
14. How would you feel if you could no longer go online in an internet café?
Mildly disappointed.
15. Do you feel going online in cafés has had an impact, either positive or
negative, on your experience of being a student? Explain. For me it is an
experience that combines civility with efficiency and convenience, and for these
reasons it has had a postive role in my life. It has not otherwise affected my
scholarchip _per se_.
Interview---“Joe,” a café regular (graduate student)
Monday November 8, 2004
4:00pm
Sat down for an hour with my Gatekeeper to talk about his experiences with internet cafes and wi-fi (let’s
call him Joe). He’s a grad student who grew up in Europe, having come to the U.S. for his studies. He lives
just a few blocks from the café.
He tells me he’s been using internet cafes for about 4 years. He didn’t have a laptop until he entered grad
school about 3 years ago. He discovered internet cafes on his own, rather than being introduced to them by
someone else. The cafes he visited initially had fixed computers, and patrons paid for time. I ask him if
there’s a difference in how he used the internet in the older type of internet cafes compared to wi-fi cafes.
He says he was definitely more task oriented in the older ones, since you knew you were up against the
clock. Now he multi-tasks more. He can take his time, take care of a few personal matters online such as
writing email to friends, before settling into some work.
He tells me he visits this café around 3 times a week, and mostly after 5pm---he’s a self proclaimed night
owl. He stays each time sometimes 2 or 3 hours, or sometimes as long as 5 or 6 hours. He says it’s harder
now to stay for longer sessions because the café has recently cut their hours from being open until 1 or
2am, to closing at midnight. With this point, he mentions internet café etiquette. In cafes which offer free
wi-fi access, he says it’s generally good form to purchase a drink or something about once an hour,
especially when staying for a long stretch. When people linger too long without buying something, he says
the waitstaff tend to start tidying up around you, kind of encouraging you to move along.
When I ask him why he chooses to use the computer in a café instead of at home, he says that he gets too
distracted at home. Most TV programming worth watching is in the evening, he says, and leaving the
apartment ensures he won’t get sucked into it. He also mentions not being tempted to go to the refrigerator
Gownies, Lattes, & Laptops 36
and rummage around. I tell him that I think the café can be a little noisy and distracting sometimes---the
espresso machine is very loud and there’s quite a bit of foot traffic. This doesn’t bother him. It’s
intermittent, and he often wears headphones and listens to music while working.
We talk a bit about what features he looks for in a wi-fi café, and right away he mentions the availability of
“powerpoints,” or outlets. Apparently not all cafes or hotspot restaurants offer outlets---it’s cost prohibitive.
He says that sometimes he’ll go to the nearby corporate-owned sandwich shop that offers wi-fi and have a
bite. He only stays for a couple hours at most because they don’t have outlets. As soon as he starts to get
low on battery time, he goes to another wi-fi café that has power. We laugh and decide to name this “café
hopping.”
Another phenomenon he tells me about is “leaching,” a term he says he’s seen used by others online. It
refers to being able to access a neighboring business’s (or literally a neighbors) wi-fi network without being
in that business or network space. For instance, he tells me that if you sit in the corner booth of the bar next
to our café, you can sometimes leach a connection from the café’s signal. (In fact, he emailed an hour or so
after our interview to tell me he was at the time leaching from a signal next to the pizza place in which he
was having dinner).
I ask him if there are any activities he would not do in a café but would do at home. He says he wouldn’t do
audio chatting or anything that might be disruptive. When I ask if there’s anything he would do online in
the café he might not do at home, he tells me he might actually feel more comfortable file sharing in the
café because it would be harder to trace than at home. Although he says this isn’t something he does often,
and would probably hide his screen if he was doing it in the café.
I ask him how he might be affected if he could no longer go online in internet cafes. He said he would
continue to go to cafes because he enjoys the social aspect of it. He would go there to do offline computer
activities, including compose email to be sent at a later time. But he says he would spend less time out,
since he generally likes to be accessible online as much as possible, for work and personal reasons.
For my last question, I ask him whether using wi-fi in cafes has had any impact---positive, negative, or
otherwise---on his experience as a college student. He tells me that one of the things he really enjoys about
being in the café is that during very busy times of the semester, you can come in and be surrounded by
other students who are studying and stressed just like you. There’s a certain level of unspoken camaraderie.
And although you might be able to do the same in the library, he likes the casual atmosphere in the café. He
describes it as more social by comparison. People aren’t isolated in their own little study carrel.
Overall, I think the interview went extremely well. Joe’s an ideal participant---he’s very engaged and
enthusiastic about the topic, and volunteers to talk with me later if I have more questions. And as I said,
he’s already emailed afterthoughts to me without prompting. The project is starting to develop a life of its
own!
Gownies, Lattes, & Laptops 37
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