Looks like SF will get free Wi-Fi

[MJD]

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20051002/D8CVIHNG0.html

[KLocke]

most of the city is currently wifi and free. people make an effort to offer wire hits around the city. all of china basin and SBC Park are open wifi. as is mission dolores area.

it's great. we are big wifi hobos

KL

[twittering debutante]

I once tried some of that free wi-fi in Golden Gate Park and had a bad trip.

Beware, there is some bad wi-fi going around!

[KLocke]

>I once tried some of that free wi-fi in Golden Gate Park and had a bad trip.
>

The Reverie Cafe, just outside the park on Cole Street is the spot.

[MJD]

I think we are having at least two separate conversations here.

[KLocke]

>I think we are having at least two separate conversations here.


Martin,

I do not know what a bad trip is

[MJD]

""This is inevitable -- Wi-Fi. It is long overdue," Newsom told a news conference at San Francisco's City Hall. "It is to me a fundamental right to have access universally to information," he said."


Please. Could someone please explain that to the telephone provider that refuses to bring high speed to the reasonably upscale hood I live in with about 50 houses? "What's the plan?" "We have no plan to ever get high speed out there."


http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u ... cisco_dc_2

[Honusonthesound]

I'm struck by 3 issues related to this article.

#1 - Access to information is a fundamental right? How is that defined? What responsiblity does that imply for the public entities that house/maintain that information? How about information outside the purvue of public entities. Must public entities not only make the information available but provide the end-to-end infrastructure to deliver it to all constituents as well? If that's the case, where do you draw the line? Must they provide the PCs at the user end as part of the deal? Haven't they already done much of this at the public libraries?

#2 - What is the commitment on the part of the city? Who exactly's doin' what? Does Google provide the full build-out? They install 'n pay for all components including towers/antennas, receivers, routers, etc.? Once the thing's functional, who's keepin' the thing running? Does Google IT staff take on the ongoing support? Is this to be absorbed by the city IT folks? If it's the latter, God help 'em all. I'm of the opinion that most .gov, .edu, and .org organizations have no business attempting to do this based upon questionable up-time and reliability.

#3 - Do we really want to continue down the road where everything uses the advertising business model? I, for one, am damn tired of gettin' blasted by ads all the time 'n everywhere. I'm tired of gas pumps blastin' me with ads. Do our stadiums really need to do the "Naming Rights" thing? Will some company assume responsiblity for paving our roads? If so, just imagine how godawful that situation'll become in short order. This is that old "Channel One in the schools" all over again. I don't see it as benign. I think we're all better off payin' our own way, thank you.

Now, your digital isolation is a different kettle of fish. I can certainly understand your interest in a similar Wi-Fi build-out. Seems to me that the "Telecommunications Act of 1996" addressed that here in the states. Don't know 'bout Canada. Good luck to you!

[DrJay]

Please. Could someone
>please explain that to the telephone provider that refuses to bring high speed
>to the reasonably upscale hood I live in with about 50 houses? "What's the
>plan?" "We have no plan to ever get high speed out
>there."

We're about to get DSL and it should make us pretty happy.

[bambam]

Here in North Carolina, I have wireless broadband at home, a very high-speed wireless set-up at our office, a FAX machine at the office, FAX machine at home, a Palm Treo on which I get my e-mails via Verizon, and as a doctor, I always have the pleasure of my electronic suppository, aka beeper, to be awakened at 2:30 AM by people telling me they're constipated or some such.

We also have a house in northern New Hampshire. No WiFi. No cable TV in that small town, the best I could ever get is dial-up, if I wanted it, no beeper with me, no FAX machine. No home mail delivery, we go to the post office to pick it up. We get milk made fresh at the Sandwich Creamery where we pay on the honor system.

Guess which one I prefer?

[MJD]

Now Philly.

I guess there are issues though.