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?










Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
3-11-2008 @ 3:12PM
Mike said...
There is one more new coffee social network - http://www.coffeenatic.com
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3-11-2008 @ 9:25PM
matt milletto said...
thanks slashfood.com for posting about my site! I have put a lot of effort into making Barista Exchange a great resource, and it will continue to grow with new features.
Anyone who loves coffee can joint he site for free!
- Matt
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3-13-2008 @ 2:16PM
Greg Sherwin said...
Coffee social networks? What kinda crap is that? Can't wait for the social networks focused on chicken or pasta...
Reply
5-29-2008 @ 10:47AM
Ryan said...
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http://finecoffees.wordpress.com/
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