Someday Cafe's 'wiffiti' screen: boon or bane?

[ron_newman]

Last week, the Someday Cafe installed a plasma video screen which they call a Wiffiti board. The idea is, you send it a short text message from your cellphone, and it displays that message on the screen, alongside many other people's messages. It's an experiment by a Davis Square company called LocaModa.

Some people don't seem to like it at all. Join in on the discussion here and here.

Comments

[catalyst.livejournal.com]

     how creative, it would never have occurred to me to attempt to shut off *all* the traffic on someone else's messaging device out of fear that it could possibly be used to censor *my* traffic.

     i am very much in favor of the wiffiti. i love the idea of being surrounded by creepy, anonymous, meta-conversation about my physical location, and i don't even own a cellphone[1]. like all communication media, though, it's only h0tt until the spammers show up.

[1] it is my own personal struggle, without which there is no progress.

[autumnsshadow.livejournal.com]

i personally found it kind of ingenious. as for the idiot box argument, i guess this is actually a way to make it *not* an idiot box...or, equally amusing to me, prove how lazy the outspoken can be. sure, you need a cell phone that can text, but you can participate...you can become active in creating something that is *not* an idiot box.

as for the people who are arguing that all it displays is ads, i didn't see one in an hour and a half sitting in Someday the other day. it seems like the people balking the loudest have either not really paid much attention or not seen it at all and just want to say something about something...which, incidentally, is what that big, idiot box is for...

[sissychrissy1.livejournal.com]

I'm not sure how I feel about the Wiffiti itself since I haven't seen it, but based on the photograph I am sad that it appears to have taken my favorite seating area.

[autumnsshadow.livejournal.com]

yeah, there is that. wasn't there a comfy thing there before?

[sissychrissy1.livejournal.com]

Yes, there was a sofa, two soft chairs, and a small coffee table. I wonder how the rest of the place has been rearranged to accomodate the change (Please don't let them have nixed my favorite chair!).

[ron_newman]

it's no longer where that photo shows it. it's now on the back wall, next to the restroom door.

[georgy.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I was sad because I liked working at that long wooden table. Ah well. I do like the wiffiti board.

[jadasc.livejournal.com]

1. I played with the Wifitti on New Year's Day, which was the day I first saw it.
2. Um. I choose the Someday over the Diesel or Starbucks because the coffee is better. Color me wacky.

[catalyst.livejournal.com]

I choose the Someday over the Diesel or Starbucks because the coffee is better.
     right on, preach it.

[la-ti-da.livejournal.com]

dude, i don't even drink coffee.
i just go to diesel for the lesbians.

[cos]

I go 'cause my friends are all there :) I don't drink coffee either.

[cemeterygates.livejournal.com]

Another vote For the Wiffiti screen, here. I think it's harmless and clever and I had a lot of fun with it the last time I was in there.

[cos]

What'd you do with it?

I remember sometime last week seeing "the callahan sisters plan to rule the world" and thinking that sounded like fanw, and later on hearing from her that yes, she had been there and tried it out at about that time :)

Last night, I texted the preliminary election results that got announced at Denise Provost's party, about a block away. I think that makes the Someday the first place to get election results outside of the campaigns.

[cemeterygates.livejournal.com]

I just sent it witty quotes and watched a little bit of banter ensue.

how about non-cellphone users?

[ron_newman]

Is it possible to send text messages from e-mail or from a web form?

(I don't own a cellphone and don't have any plans to get one in the near future.)

Re: how about non-cellphone users?

[cemeterygates.livejournal.com]

That's a good question. My answer is that it's probably possible. You should ask on the little tech support box on their website, here (http://www.wiffiti.com). Let us know!

Re: how about non-cellphone users?

[ron_newman]

I tried to use this Verizon Wireless form to send it a text message:

https://www.vtext.com/customer_site/jsp/messaging_lo.jsp

putting 87884 as the Send To: field.

but I get this error message: "Send To address is invalid. Please check the length of the number."

I know nothing about the world of cellphones and text messaging. What am I doing wrong here?

[simonbillenness.livejournal.com]

I'm a Diesel fan myself. But Someday draws me in occasionally for its excellent loose leaf Lapsang Souchong.

That Wiffiti screen sounds fun. I must check it out some time.

[eclecticavatar.livejournal.com]

I went to a concert this summer at the Bank of America Pavilion (remember calling it Harborlights?) and they had something like this.

Some of the texts were a little obnoxious, but it was fun watching what people were saying about each other. I think it's a great idea, though I haven't seen it in Someday, yet.

Someday seems... dirty (ducking)

[an-art-worker.livejournal.com]

I like that Someday exists and I am thrilled that people like it but...

I never go there because it always feels really dirty to me. I would never trash the place to anyone but it does feel like a bunch of lice-laden, love juice soaked, anxious youth sweat stained collection of chairs and couches.

...not that there is anything wrong with that.

I guess I just like Diesel.

Oh - the screen thing. Mmm... ok. (I would rather a billboard that non-compadre people might see)