Social networking for the coffee-obsessed

Whether you grow it, sell it or drink it, coffee is now more than just a hobby or your favorite drink - it's also your ticket to new friends, new information and a serious gateway to procrastination.

I'm referring to Barista Exchange and Barista Connection, two new additions to the sorta-recent explosion of social networking sites. But unlike Facebook and MySpace, these two cater to a specific audience, and the content revolves around everything java.

On Barista Exchange, you create a profile (first, define yourself by any number of coffee-related personas, including a barista, a farmer, or simply an enthusiast), and then gain access to thousands of similar-minded peeps. The name of the site describes one of its primary features: members can use their connections to facilitate an actual coffee exchange, which consists of baristas changing places for a week or so to experience the coffee culture in each others' city.
If you're not interested in an exchange, you can also search for jobs, post messages about coffee-related info and java politics, and watch member-posted vids about coffee harvesting and java art.

Barista Connection has an almost identical interface to Barista Exchange, but with fewer members and a smaller, less-established forum and message board. So, choose your networking site, set up a profile, and make new friends.

My only question: if you decide to meet someone in person that you've met on Barista Exchange, do you have to meet for coffee?