[Ayraa]

In a similar spirit, it could be cool if some coffeeshops and restaurants explicitly designated one of their communal table as a 'talk table'. Where if you sit at it, it means you are open to chatting with your neighbors.

I know that many places already have communal tables but I find that unless there's some explicit display a place is meant for a certain purpose, many people who want to chat / meet new people won't initiate because they can't be sure their neighbours are open to it. If they purposefully decide to sit at a 'talk table', then you can be sure they are.

[StavrosK]

Greece has been doing this for a long time now. There are "special" coffee shops that are geared towards older people (mainly men) and which are exclusively for the purpose of socializing with other patrons, usually in a small village or neighborhood.

There are many social differences to regular coffee shops, but people who go there watch sports, play cards and argue with each other over politics, usually. We call these places "καφενεία" (kafenea). The expectation there is that most people know most other people, everyone knows the owner and the setting is usually not lavishly furnished (just a few tables and cheap chairs).

[turar]

McDonalds is already being used as such a place across the country. In Canada, Tim Hortons is used similarly as well.

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/jun/08/mcdonalds-c...

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/29/arts/design/lessons-from-m...

[maroonblazer]

I like this idea but I can see the following challenges that would need to be overcome:

1) In the case of coffeeshops, many people go there to work. The noise of people gabbing could drive them away. This is a pet-peeve of mine; the local Starbucks seems to double as a daycare, making it really difficult to focus.

2) How likely is it that the people gathered share enough common interests that they want to talk to each other? E.g. in my case I'd want to be able to strike up a conversation about politics or philosophy or music-making or tech. If no one already-gathered shares any of those interests then I'm not staying very long.

These aren't insurmountable and there's probably others that haven't occurred to me. Again, I like the idea.

[random_rr]

Neither of those are truly challenges.

1.) The coffeeshop isn't an office - people can talk. If it's too loud, that's on you (the person using it as an office) to find another place.

2.) You already have something in common - you want to talk!

I've seen this idea of the "talk table" work in retirement homes, not sure how well it would fare with a younger crowd.

[maroonblazer]

1.) Fair point.

2.) Right, I do want to talk, but the number of subjects I can converse about is a tiny fraction of those on offer. If I show up and the topic is rebuilding engines or flower arranging - two topics I know nothing about - I'll have nothing to contribute.

[aisofteng]

Part of being social(ly well adjusted) is giving a shit about what someone else is interested in instead of requiring everyone to have the same interests as you.

[oldmanjay]

Contributing by being interested and actively listening is more important than knowing everything about everything.

[maroonblazer]

Good point. In retrospect I misunderstood the gist of the article. Loneliness can be remedied simply by being around and engaged with other people. That doesn't require holding forth on whatever's being discussed.

[cylinder]

The history of coffeeshops goes back hundreds / thousands of years and they were almost always used as forums for public discussion, debate and socializing. This crosses across borders, present in both Middle East and England. Only recently have Americans turned them into quiet places to sit and (pretend) to work on a laptop. If it were up to me they'd all be banished.

[sliverstorm]

Yes, how dare other people socialize in a coffee shop, aka my personal office!

[Anasufovic]

Depending on what you're drinking at the coffee shop it might be enough to just pay for an actual coworking space.

[kosma]

How dare other people work in a coffee shop, aka my socializing space! ;)

[onion2k]

If no one already-gathered shares any of those interests then I'm not staying very long.

A slightly ironic statement from someone whose blog apparently covers "frankly anything". :)

[paulddraper]

Well my pet peeve is the local Starbucks seems to double as an office, making it really difficult when I bring kids.

[totalZero]

I always just talk to people. Sometimes it annoys them but sometimes it totally changes my day.