SF NET Coffee House Network was an electronic bulletin board system created by Wayne Gregori in San Francisco, California in July 1991.[1][2][3]
The network consisted of coin operated, public access computers installed in many Bay Area coffee houses.[4] SF Net allowed individuals from all walks of life to communicate with each other via chat rooms and message boards. Additionally, it provided games and access to FidoNet.[5]
The coffee shop terminals were the culmination of a series of clever solutions to the problems of long-term remote placement in areas marked by low supervision and a young crowd. According to the then-popular Boardwatch magazine, the inexpensive, hence replaceable PC XT sat inside a locked plywood cabinet with vandalism-resistant Zolatone[6] paint and "keyboard condoms," or spill-resistant rubber coverings. Wayne Gregori hired David Lahti, the developer and operator of a popular San Francisco BBS, to develop and maintain SF Net's code base. Lahti introduced a handshake between the coffee shop terminals and the BBS to distinguish them from other callers, ensuring paying customers could continue to use dedicated lines.[7]
Participating Coffee Shops
Name | Standort |
---|---|
Brain Wash | 1122 Folsom Street, San Francisco, California |
Horseshoe Cafe | 566 Haight Street, San Francisco California |
Ground Zero | 783 Haight Street, San Francisco, California |
Club Coffee | 920 Valencia Street, San Francisco, California |
The Coffee Zone | 1409 Haight Street, San Francisco, California |
Muddy Waters | 521 Valencia Street, San Francisco, California |
Jammin Java | 701 Cole Street, San Francisco, California |
Jammin Java | 1398 9th Avenue, San Francisco, California |
Laundry Cafe | 570 Green Street, San Francisco, California |
Caffe Roma | 526 Columbus Avenue, San Francisco, California |
Monday Blu's | 3821 18th Street, San Francisco, California |
Cafe Nefeli | 1854 Euclid Street, Berkeley, California |
Cafe Milano | 2522 Bancroft Way, Berkeley, California |
Espresso Roma | 2960 College Avenue, Berkeley, California |
Coffee Source | 2404 Telegraph Berkeley Street, Berkeley, California |
Central Park Books | 32 E. Fourth Street, San Mateo, California |
Royal Ground | 1146 4th Street, San Rafael, California |
Mama's Royal Cafe | 387 Miller Avenue, Mill Valley, California |
SF Net discontinued service in August 1997.
See also
- Community Memory, a public access system similar to SF Net
References
- ^ John Flinn (18 August 1991). "High-tech small talk offered at The City's cafes". San Francisco Examiner.
- ^ Leonard, Andrew. "CyberCafes Mean Business". Retrieved 20 August 2012.
- ^ Katherine Bishop (2 August 1992). "The Electronic Coffeehouse". New York Times.
- ^ John Boudreau (17 February 1993). "A Cuppa and a Computer". Washington Post.
- ^ Shann Nix (14 January 1993). "The Computerized Kaffeeklatsch". San Francisco Chronicle.
- ^ "Zolatone - Technical Information". Master Coating Technologies. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
- ^ "SFNet - Coin Operated Bulletin Board Invades Coffee House Culture". Boardwatch Magazine: 65–69. 1993.
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