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A Coffeeshop's Weekends Without Wi-Fi
Glenn Fleishman writes "Victrola Cafe and Art in Seattle is a popular coffeeshop that offers free Wi-Fi--except on the weekends. In an experiment, the cafe started shutting down its Wi-Fi network on Saturdays and Sundays after watching their culture erode: the shop became full (and was turning away customers) with six-to-eight hour Wi-Fi squatters, many of whom didn't even purchase anything. Their second Sunday without Wi-Fi was one of their best revenue days in some time. I don't propose a Wi-Fi (or free Wi-Fi) backlash, but it's interesting how with some time under their belt, the clash of inward facing technology and outward facing culture hit these particular entrepreneurs' limit."
First you tell me that giving away WiFi doesn't actually bring more customers in. Next you'll tell me that making illegal copies of music doesn't help artists make money, or that you can't just give software away and make money on services.
a trendy coffee and art cafe worried about their profits. what's the world coming to? pissed about people getting something for free on the dime of someone else? damn. i thought they were the socially conscious type. guess they're evil capitalists too. life's over.
My problem? I was perfectly gruntled, until some numbnuts came by and dissed me.
How old are you, twelve?
Do you really expect people to keep returning for coffee and relaxation with a contentious atmosphere like that?
There's a two-way street involved: If you don't want "squatters" then stop using public spectrum to lure them.