Many coffee shops are starting to tout the absence of wireless Internet service. Bryant Simon, director of the American Studies program at Temple, said wireless Internet used to be the competitive edge for independent coffee shops. But since Starbucks started offering unlimited Wi-Fi this summer, the chance of human interaction without modems is a good way to stand out. "On one hand, it's an office away from the office," Simon said of the role of coffee shops play today. "The other more idealized version is being played out as the anti-wireless thing. People fear that all the online stuff threatens conversation."