It was the year in which the wifi war broke out: cafe owners finally called time on freeloading freelancers exploiting their internet connections while nursing a single coffee for hours on end. In the age of flexible and remote working, the sight of a lone worker at a laptop in a coffee shop has become a symbol of our times. Yet independent coffee houses say the work-focused energy freelancers bring – fluctuating between jargon-heavy Bluetooth conversations or stoic silence – can dampen the atmosphere for other customers and slow turnover. So is it time for peace talks? We asked independent coffee shops and freelancers their views.