by Becca Brotman on September 2, 2010
I feel as if my laptop has become a part of me…a third arm if you will. It rides along with me in the passenger seat and is hidden if I have to leave it alone. Usually it is not left alone but dragged into every single coffee shop with free Wi-Fi.
Oh free Wi-Fi is by far one of today’s greatest inventions. I cannot imagine a world where you have to rely on your home’s Wi-Fi. Some people complain that coffee shop bloggers spend too much time taking up valuable space at the local Starbucks. I would disagree but I do feel that those who bring their laptops to neighborhood coffee spots need to follow some sort of guidelines. I have created a set of do’s and don’ts for today’s coffee shop Wi-Fi user:
• Do buy coffee. If you are planning on staying for a day, purchase one per hour. You don’t want to be that guy who takes up a company’s valuable retail space, especially if you are in a family owned coffee shop. For Starbucks, this is less stringent. Since they are corporate, I doubt the people who work there care if you never buy a drink, but for your own American consumerism – at least buy one.
• Don’t forget you are in a coffee shop. I know you are engrossed in the world of your laptop, however, you may look a little crazy if you’re chuckling out loud. Try to keep cackling or scratching to a minimum.
• Do get up once in a while…the computer is not the only thing in this world. Take a minute to stretch and take your eyes off the screen to look around. I’m sure the clientele changes every hour (unless everyone is a Wi-Fi hungry vampire like yourself).
• Don’t play your music or watch videos without headphones. Even if it is for “just a second,” I promise you, everyone is annoyed they are just pretending not to notice.
• Do understand that most people go to coffee shops to be social. Someone may strike up a conversation (gasp). Here are some guidelines just in case:
o Keep your cool
o Take a breath
o They do not understand the importance of this blog on Baby Panda’s
o Smile and make a quick comment on what you are doing
o Put your headphones back on
Follow these guidelines to be the best Wi-Fi user ever to grace a coffee shop. I promise people will appreciate it, and you can enjoy the benefits of caffeine and free Wi-Fi.
by Kristen on August 26, 2010
So everyone’s heard the saying – “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.” Usually this is a good thing, but in my case it was not! My partner Rebekah and I recently flew out to Las Vegas last week to handle the press for MAGIC with our good friend and publicist, Kathleen.
For those of you who are not familiar with MAGIC, it’s the world’s largest fashion event hosting global buyers and sellers of men, women and children’s apparel, footwear, and accessories. It was such an amazing experience to see new trends surface and develop into what will be seen on the consumer for Spring/Summer 2011.
The best part of the trip was that I had the opportunity to see the fashion community connect, catch a glimpse of diverse trends coming together, meet some really cool people, AND get to hang/work with Rebekah and Kathleen.
Now back to why the popular saying wasn’t in my favor…
Right before our plane was about to take off back to LA, I noticed my pretty little purple BlackBerry was M.I.A. I freaked out and ran off the plane, searching gate C25 like a madwoman – no luck! I hurried back to my seat and discussed my next plan of action with Rebekah (who had recently experienced losing her iPhone two days prior at MAGIC – but thankfully it was returned safe and sound by a good Samaritan).
The first thing that came to mind was to hit the “assistance” button to see if the flight attendant could make an announcement. Unfortunately due to our state of disarray and panic, we hit the button during the emergency demonstration. The flight attendant came over with her oxygen mask partially covering her mouth and kindly asked – “Is this an emergency?” Still in a state of panic, I turned to Rebekah and asked, “Is this an emergency?” We said “No, sorry!!” and then took in a backlash of dirty looks from the passengers. To make a long story short, the flight attendant kindly made an announcement asking people to look under their seats. Still…no luck. I ended up notifying Southwest Airlines and they were extremely helpful and nice. *I would strongly recommend Southwest Airlines – the customer service alone is a huge plus in my book!
Overall, MAGIC was a huge success and I had a fabulous time – minus my phone debacle. I never noticed how much I depend on my phone every second of the day and literally feel lost without it. I’ve finally come to the realization that my poor little BlackBerry is still floating around in Vegas – but hey…things could always be worse!
