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02/02/2007 12:42:58 AM · #26 |
I agree. In general the the internet is not really any different from the real world. We like to think it isn't because we can't use all of our sences...but if done properly, you can communicate thru: touch (keyboard), sight (images/text), sound (DPC christmas carol, podcasts), emotion (stories, jokes), etc. The only thing you don't do is smell and taste the internet...however I prefer it this way :P
I love your analogy, it gives a very warm and cozy feeling...although I must admit when I actually go to Starbucks everyone always seems to be rude and paranoid (TROLLS!). That's the difference at DPC, you can express yourself much more freely than you would in the "real world" because the contact is limited, but can still be very personal without having an overt feeling of being judged. I love that, and I mean it when I say that...I love this place.
By the way, I demand that there be a DPC Store and the first thing that is sold is a DPCoffee Shop Mug! I want one :)
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02/02/2007 03:36:01 AM · #27 |
Originally posted by boomtap:
I am drinking tea. Does that mean that you coffee types won't talk to me? |
Tea's fine! :D |
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02/02/2007 03:56:17 AM · #28 |
Great post Brad! Very inspiring.
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02/02/2007 05:28:46 AM · #29 |
Great post, Brad. And I'll have my cup of Darjeeling with a spoonful of honey, please.
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02/02/2007 05:40:53 AM · #30 |
| Love your way of thinking Brad! I always bring my espresso to the "dpc table", and yes, I do think of dpc in that way very often. True, it's not like it used to be back in, oh, 2002 or so, but still, it has it's charms. |
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02/02/2007 06:18:48 AM · #31 |
| I joined DPC very early on, maybe the third challenge or so. I joined because of the atmosphere. It was unlike anything on the net - just as Brad said. Now I rarely visit and I'm lucky to participate in four challenges a year because the site has lost that magic. I, too, would like to see it return to that 'coffee shop' feel. |
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02/02/2007 07:30:08 AM · #32 |
Originally posted by BradP:
Should it be that different than one?
Pull up a comfy chair and take a few minutes to think about something.
DPC is a living, breathing, ever-changing community, and in many ways so very similar, or at least should be similar to a popular neighborhood coffee shop anywhere.
The day took it's toll, you're tired and don't want to think about work anymore and stop by the local coffee shop - I'll call it the DPCoffee Shop. You know it's always there, rain or shine, 24 hours a day. It's a place where so many like-minded people hang out, with a similar passion and hobby. You know as soon as you pass through the door, you can leave your work behind you, go in and relax, have a cup of coffee and shoot the breeze with people there. Never know who is going to be there, sometimes each time you pass through the door, it's all new faces, sometimes some of the regulars are there, but no matter what, it's somewhere you WANT to go, partially because it's comfortable and feels like a second home.
You pull up a comfy seat, and look over on the table and see some of the new faces as well as some of the regulars are passing around pictures taken recently and swapping stories about how or where they were taken, and discussions are floating about in small circles, exchanging likes & dislikes about pictures that they are looking at. You came in prepared, as this is the normal venue here after all, as pretty much everyone shares the same hobby, and ask if anyone wants to see a few pictures you took recently, and of course, everyone wants to, and as they leave your hands, you know that no one is going to take one and tear it in two and toss it in the trash.
Suddenly one of the regulars says - "Hey - I head a great joke today" and all ears listen up to hear a funny story, followed by laughter, smiling faces and a slow return back to discussing the pictures that are making their rounds at the table. A bit later, something sparked a conversation about religion, but could just as easily have been a silly game, politics, a death in the family, news of a new camera, the new refrigerator someone bought or even gay marriages.
Not once in the DPCoffee Shop was there ever heard - "You're stupid" or "Why did you even bother to take that picture" or "Hey - this is a coffee shop, not a comedy club" and as a living, breathing community, the flow stays fluid, ever-changing, never judgmental, and always, an open door policy to come in, feel welcome and enjoy.
Is DPChallenge really any different? It really shouldn't be, but the major thing missing, besides the coffee, is person to person communications that have tone, inflections, smiles, a wink in a comment, and so many other forms of communication. In the cold, deaf & dumb world of text only, communications break down, timing gets out of whack, things get mis-interpreted, followed by a chain reaction of he said/she said words that so often add to the fire.
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I got to the end of this paragraph and then I was let down.
I thought there was a incredible idea of opening a real coffee shop for DPChallenge so all the photographers could have a place to go when no one else wants to see pets, kids, fruit, ect in a picture..
Geez would make a nice place to hang out though..
Lighten up a little and just have fun, who is worried about scores unless of course you are winning :) and thats even better......
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02/02/2007 07:37:31 AM · #33 |
Originally posted by Art Roflmao:
THIS IS A HOLD UP! PLACE ALL YOUR WALLETS, PURSES, JEWELRY AND CAMERA EQUIPMENT ON THE COUNTER!
LOL! HAAhaa - just like real life. ;-)
Great post, Brad. Coffee's on me for anyone I startled into spewing their mocha. :D |
I see I'll need to pull guard duty :-P
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02/02/2007 08:11:08 AM · #34 |
seem to be many of the drooling, talking too themselves in the corner, haven't opened their eyes in week, stuck in their own reality, type of customer ..
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02/02/2007 08:21:53 AM · #35 |
I have been amember for over a year and finally started to join in. This post about the coffee shop is right on point. Sit, Talk, enjoy one another. Life is to short to be sressed out all the time.
Message edited by author 2007-02-02 08:22:12. |
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02/02/2007 09:23:45 AM · #36 |
DPC Coffee shop?? What would we call it?
O, I know... "Gearbucks" ;-)
Seriously, Brad is, I think, right on target. I'll cut to the chase and tell you why I think this is: In a coffee shop, we are surrounded by real, live breathing humans, whom we recognize have feelings. This direct personal interaction tempers our responses, gives us cues to others' emotions that internet postings don't.
Although DPC is a "virtual coffee shop", the other customers are still real (and yes, the staff too!). If we all really take this to heart, and treat our fellow caffeine-seekers as we would want to be treated, our experience here will be enriched.
Now if only this place weren't so darn fattening... |
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02/02/2007 09:46:03 AM · #37 |
Great post, Brad.
Hey, who wants to put up the money for some real dpchallenge coffe shops? Maybe about a dozen around the world where we could have our get-togethers. Downside: hard to remain anonymous on challenges when everone's sitting around hitting update on their laptops.
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02/02/2007 10:46:38 AM · #38 |
| Very well said Brad, and very true. Things can often be misread, even though it was read word for word, but just by the tone the reader reads it in. This is indeed a very cool place to come and just hang out, forget about the outside world for a while. It's a lot cheaper than going to a bar (until you buy more gear), and you don't get hangovers. :-) |
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02/02/2007 11:22:50 AM · #39 |
| yesterday, while I was on dpc, my 2 yo daughter poured out half a bag of ground coffee on the bedroom carpet. Does that count for anything. :) |
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02/02/2007 11:35:00 AM · #40 |
Originally posted by karmat:
yesterday, while I was on dpc, my 2 yo daughter poured out half a bag of ground coffee on the bedroom carpet. Does that count for anything. :) |
It was really really really really really junky cheap coffee that I would never waste money on except for a picture....
If I'm gonna drink it, it needs to cost AT LEAST 7 bucks a bag. Well, some of the Maxwell House Columbian Rich is okay if brewed like it's supposed to be.
And McDonalds is good, too. The new stuff. |
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02/02/2007 11:43:09 AM · #41 |
Veyr well said, Mr. Brad.
An interesting about coffee shops is that they offer a variety of stuff and you can have whatever you want, and no one complains why you are having this or that...
(But there are some customers that might use 3 tables and spread their stuff, newspaper, laptop, etc., with little respect or consideration for others too...)
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02/02/2007 11:52:46 AM · #42 |
Originally posted by gg3rd:
(But there are some customers that might use 3 tables and spread their stuff, newspaper, laptop, etc., with little respect or consideration for others too...) |
Like users whose signatures take over half the screen? :-) |
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02/02/2007 11:58:37 AM · #43 |
Kudos to you Mr. Brad! A very well written statement! I need my coffee every day too as you can see:
And I enjoy having it every morning with the people here at DPC! I will sometimes even jump in a debate, when it is good natured. :)
Lots of <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> to all!!!
Jojo |
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02/02/2007 12:04:13 PM · #44 |
Originally posted by gg3rd:
(But there are some customers that might use 3 tables and spread their stuff, newspaper, laptop, etc., with little respect or consideration for others too...) |
:-? I thought I was being considerate by putting my news papers all over the joint. I thought others might catch an article and maybe start up a conversation with a nice old man. Maybe even fill his coffee or share a cookie.
(Gringo stares into an almost empty cup of joe and listens to the clock ticking on the far wall). |
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02/02/2007 12:22:55 PM · #45 |
Thanks for posting this, Brad.
There's community of people here that are encouraging and helpful. Even though I don't participate in forums much, I read them a lot and see much kindness. It's heartwarming and restores my faith in humanity.
Cheers to all of you that take the time to gently help the n00bs, support others when they reach out to you, and make us laugh here at DPC!
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02/02/2007 12:31:30 PM · #46 |
Gringo, dear, come on over and sit a spell. Happy to get you that next cup of coffee if you'll just keep posting your pictures!
Nice post, Brad. And next time I'm in soCal (probably late this summer) I plan to come by and visit in person if you don't mind! |
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02/02/2007 01:00:04 PM · #47 |
Originally posted by robinssong:
... I read [forums] a lot and see much kindness. It's heartwarming and restores my faith in humanity... |
We must be reading different threads! |
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02/02/2007 01:08:57 PM · #48 |
Brr! Its cold out today... half-white hot chocolate, extra whipped cream, drizzled with chocolate syrup AND a cherry on top - please?
excellent, articulate post brad...
I too started as a 'lurker', gaping wide-eyed at the talent and skill in every gallery. It seemed as though there was no way i could possibly measure up in such an arena. However, one thing always stood out - the feeling of being truly WELCOME to participate. I started to join in occasionally, and was amazed at how giving these professionals were - especially when it came to knowledge of their skills and techniques! How could they possibly DO that?!?! Well, thankfully, that still happens every day around here, and I am ever so grateful.
Our dear friend Cindi likes to joke with the noobs about how they will be 'assimilated'... I liken it more to the 'moth to a flame' theory (its too beautiful to look away). Fantastic site; even as it evolves, there are those who yearn to keep some things the same - - - thank you brad, for caring about this community, and for fighting to keep that same welcoming spirit that drew many of us here in the first place. |
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02/02/2007 01:50:30 PM · #49 |
Originally posted by srdanz:
Originally posted by robinssong:
... I read [forums] a lot and see much kindness. It's heartwarming and restores my faith in humanity... |
We must be reading different threads! |
Hehe! I'm not mentioning THOSE threads in this uplifting thread! They are the dark side of DPC! Not a coffee shop...maybe a butcher shop?
Coffee Time! |
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02/02/2007 01:55:33 PM · #50 |
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