Long before the Internet, a parallel function was served by the coffee houses of Europe, centers of stimulation, discourse and the exchange of rumour, scandal, banned publications, information, debate and sedition. An article in the Economist, The internet in a cup, sketches the history of coffee houses in the 16th and 17th centuries, and the self-organizing networks that formed there, along with their evolution toward Starbucks with Wi-Fi. Results included the formation of Lloyds', the London Stock Exchange and the French Revolution. A thought provoking article.
Posted by dougsimpson at December 30, 2003 05:51 AM | TrackBack