Comments on: Sutton leading the way on unhelpfulness? http://tametheweb.com/2008/04/29/sutton-leading-the-way-on-unhelpfulness/ Libraries, Technology and People Sat, 10 Jan 2009 02:34:01 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: JJR http://tametheweb.com/2008/04/29/sutton-leading-the-way-on-unhelpfulness/comment-page-1/#comment-2272 JJR Tue, 29 Apr 2008 21:47:17 +0000 http://tametheweb.com/?p=2841#comment-2272 Sorry to hear about your negative experience. We have free WiFi in our Library and people are welcome to bring their own laptops, and do, or they can check out laptops on 3 hour reserve from circulation. As a counter narrative, I went into our local Panera Bread, which offers free WiFi, so yay, but they have a dearth of plug in sockets, so BOOO. I logged on and started to update my iTunes while I ate, as much as I could, while my battery held out, but eventually I had to leave, because all the primo seats with plug ins near them were taken by others...what's the point of offering free WiFi if you don't adequately support users with places to keep their portable laptops plugged in and fully charged? I wouldn't go to Starbucks--they have a pay-as-you-go system. I refuse any pay-to-play internet schemes from businesses unless I'm absolutely desperate. The way I see it, your offer of free WiFi is the incentive for me to darken your front door with my shadow. Giving me good, comfortable places to plug in and surf will make me inclined to stay and spend way more money in your place on food & drink than I probably would otherwise. Charging customers for internet access in a pay-to-play fashion is really shooting yourself in the foot financially, I think. I'm always like "so I guess you don't really want my business then". Luckily in my town we have some really awesome, independently owned coffee bars that have free WiFi that is well supported. If my library's closed, this is where I go when I'm out and about. I have headphones, so I don't make distracting noises (other than to laugh at stuff on YouTube or whatever I'm reading at the moment that is humorous). On the other hand, I attended an academic awards dinner just last week and sitting next to me was one of the student honorees, a graduating senior. Clearly intelligent, near the top of her class...and what was she doing at dinner? Why, holding a fork in one hand and texting like mad with her cellphone in the other, her attention riveted on her device rather than her fellow dinner guests around her or her food. It made me feel old, because I could not get over feeling how unspeakably rude I thought her behavior was, and how she was utterly oblivious to that. Definitely a "why these kids today!" moment, and I'm only 37... Sorry to hear about your negative experience. We have free WiFi in our Library and people are welcome to bring their own laptops, and do, or they can check out laptops on 3 hour reserve from circulation.

As a counter narrative, I went into our local Panera Bread, which offers free WiFi, so yay, but they have a dearth of plug in sockets, so BOOO. I logged on and started to update my iTunes while I ate, as much as I could, while my battery held out, but eventually I had to leave, because all the primo seats with plug ins near them were taken by others…what’s the point of offering free WiFi if you don’t adequately support users with places to keep their portable laptops plugged in and fully charged?

I wouldn’t go to Starbucks–they have a pay-as-you-go system. I refuse any pay-to-play internet schemes from businesses unless I’m absolutely desperate. The way I see it, your offer of free WiFi is the incentive for me to darken your front door with my shadow. Giving me good, comfortable places to plug in and surf will make me inclined to stay and spend way more money in your place on food & drink than I probably would otherwise. Charging customers for internet access in a pay-to-play fashion is really shooting yourself in the foot financially, I think. I’m always like “so I guess you don’t really want my business then”.

Luckily in my town we have some really awesome, independently owned coffee bars that have free WiFi that is well supported. If my library’s closed, this is where I go when I’m out and about. I have headphones, so I don’t make distracting noises (other than to laugh at stuff on YouTube or whatever I’m reading at the moment that is humorous).

On the other hand, I attended an academic awards dinner just last week and sitting next to me was one of the student honorees, a graduating senior. Clearly intelligent, near the top of her class…and what was she doing at dinner? Why, holding a fork in one hand and texting like mad with her cellphone in the other, her attention riveted on her device rather than her fellow dinner guests around her or her food. It made me feel old, because I could not get over feeling how unspeakably rude I thought her behavior was, and how she was utterly oblivious to that. Definitely a “why these kids today!” moment, and I’m only 37…

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