Florida Creatives – Creating a Community of Innovation

Brevard East Coast Creatives

This is our micro-wiki to help coordinate and keep us all up to speed with Brevard tech, creative, and media stuff.

We have a group home page which has a blog, event manager, and other goodies which any member can post entries to, or comment there upon. That's a great place to put forth an idea or event notices to see what the community thinks.

Brevard Companies

An alphabetical list of Brevard companies and freelancers represented by one or more members. Add yours after you join. Please only list companies, firms, for-profit projects, and freelance services here. You can link to your personal blog and hobby projects on your member page.

• Affiliate Confession (Palm Bay): One man's journey into network marketing or mlm, affiliate marketing, and dealing with all the issues of working at home for yourself.
• All Brevard Websites (Melbourne): Simple design, intense content.
• Brevard Directory (Melbourne): A listing of all websites in Brevard County.
• Brevard Web Hosting (Melbourne): Affordable small business web design.
• Canonical (Cocoa): The commercial sponsor of Ubuntu
• DigiDonkey Web Design: Services include web design, search engine optimization (seo), web site promotion, online marketing and e-commerce as well as online video production and distribution.
• Emurse / AOL (Satellite Beach): Career/Resume Management, web 2.7 style.
• Giant3 (Melbourne): Providing all the services, creative talent, and dedicated resources you need to promote your business.
• Longbow (Melbourne): A strategic communications firm.
• Software Freedom Innovations (Cocoa Beach) Helping People Build a Community on the Internet.
• Statiksoft (Cocoa): Custom software development, expert advice.
• Surfpiggie - Oink (Cape Canaveral): Web Design, SEO, Joomla amd Computer Repair SpaceCoastNetwork.com A Digital Guru. Ride the Digital Wave!
• TashaDesign Creative Studio (Titusville): Provides graphic and web design, copyrighting, advertising, e-commerce, audio-video production, printing and web hosting services.
• Tight Line Productions (Melbourne): A full-service production and advertising company creating compelling television commercials, in-depth promotional videos, and planning entire marketing strategies.

Brevard County Free WiFi Hotspots

Alphabetized listing of free wi-fi spots in Brevard. Please link to their website if they have one. Edit and make minor reviews here. Please follow format if possible. Please only post places which you have personally experienced. Many of the "free wi-fi" lists on the internet are wrong. If anyone wants to, they can start a separate list below of subscription wi-fi spots.

• Brevard County Public Libraries (17 locations - every city): In 2006, the BCLS installed free wi-fi in every library. Speed is slightly slower than other places, but more than acceptable. If you don't have a library card, you won't be able to use IM, POP3, and SMTP ports. Naturally, no food and drinks allowed (just a water fountain on premises). Can be a good place to work uninterrupted, particularly if you use one of the study rooms.
• Common Grounds Cafe (West Melbourne): Located inside Calvary Chapel, their is puh-lenty of seating, but only one outlet downstairs. Look upstairs for the secret row of couch/table gatherings each with their own double-outlet. Great food at the cafe (and very affordable), but as it is a church, you will hear Christian music played (soft-to-medium level) on the overhead sound system, so bring earphones if that bothers you. Even if it doesn't bother you, it tends to repeat about every hour, so you still may want to bring your own tunes. Also, certain websites are blocked (the school and church run off the same system).
• East Coast Coffee (Indian Harbour Beach): Some good drinks, but they will shoo you out if you even open that laptop without buying something in your first 60 seconds. In the Publix plaza at Eau Gallie Blvd & South Patrick. Their wifi was down for months in 2007. Seems like they are still trying to find their niche, but worth a try.
• House of Joe (Melbourne): A dark place with good drink options and a few sandwiches. Good place to meet clients. Friendly staff and a few outdoor tables. A few couches on one side and even a computer in-house. However, there is a piano and a guitar available at all times for anyone who gets the urge (although this can be a nice break). Open mic nights are to be avoided if you plan on getting work done. Open late.
• Indian River Coffee (Suntree, Melbourne): Three different locations all with different hours. Good music, relaxing, nice furnishings, but smaller buildings. Very good coffee and teas, but mostly bread and bread-like snacks for food. Wifi also forces ads at the top of your browser window unless you buy some software. But you get used to it after an hour or so. Just less screen real estate.
• Java Surf Cafe (Indialantic): A new shop right at A1A & 5th avenue, it is very small with only one outlet. Because it's right on the beach (facing A1A), there is significant foot traffic of bikini-clad ladies and sandy surfers, so it's not ideal for meetings. Still, if it's close to you, give it a try and report back. No website yet, either.
• Juice & Java (Cocoa Beach): A real nice spot with tables, couches, and friendly staff. Great food if you're hungry and lots of nifty drink options. Open late on some nights. A few outdoor tables.
• Panera Bread (Melbourne, Viera, Indian Harbour Beach): The only corporate chain to offer free wi-fi in Brevard. The Viera location is right in the middle of the Viera Avenues, Melbourne's is in the Books-A-Million/Publix shopping center at Wickham & Post Rd, and IHB's is on the south side of Riverside & E.G. Cswy (across from East Coast Coffee above). All three locations are busy most of the time and mostly play classical/soft jazz. Good food (of course). Good place for small meetings of 3-4 maybe, but can be a bit noisy and hectic at times.
• Sunrise Bread Company (Titusville): Located on the north end of Titusville, there is plenty of room upstairs for larger meetings. Friendly staff, but there is only drinks and bread (although really good bread) so be sure you have some real food in you if you plan on hanging out for a while.
• SunShoppe Cafe (Melbourne): Good music, food (even some beer), super-friendly staff, and open to midnight most nights. Avoid open mic nights if you plan on getting work done. About six small outdoor tables available (no outlets outside). 3-hour parking limit in downtown Melbourne before 5pm or else $25 ticket.
• Wahoo Coffee (Cocoa Beach): In a Publix shopping center, Wahoo has very little room and small 2-person tables. The owner also requires a purchase before you he gives you the wi-fi password which he changes daily. Only a few tables. It's okay, if it's close by and you don't need to meet anyone.
• Wendy's (Palm Bay): Believe it or not, the Palm Bay Road Wendy's (next to Babcock) has free wifi. With tiny tables, employees yelling, and the french fry machine beeping, it's hardly conducive to work, but if you're dying for an "old fashioned burger" or some day-old Chili, and don't mind driving through the construction, it's an option. Reception for wi-fi is kind of weak, as the router is in the kitchen. So, uh, sit near the kitchen. No outlets.
• World Beat Cafe (Melbourne): Across from BCC at Wickham & Post Rd., the World Beat Cafe isn't really a cafe. It's a full-blown restaurant with liquor bar. It's also quite expensive and offers upscale dining. You will be seated by a host and served by a waitress. So, while it is hardly conducive for day-to-day work, it might be a good place to take a client if you need to impress them while surfing the web. Medium to dark atmosphere but they do have an outside portico on the side with about 10-12 tables with umbrellas.