Driving home from work today I kept the radio/CD/satellite/DVD off.
Amazing, I know.
Actually, I turned it all off on my way to work today. Sometimes I crave quiet, and driving sans electronic gadgets blaring is one sure-fire way to get it.
Peace gives me time to think--it is a good thing and a bad thing, both.
Anyhow, as I was nearing home I drove past an 'Oil Can Henry's' and I glanced at the reader board:
Come on in. Free WiFi.
Huh?
I had a couple of thoughts: are we so addicted to entertainment that we have to take our laptop to get a 15minute (or more like 30 mins) oil change? And, I also thought: 'free WiFi' Is is possible to have WiFi for a charge (other than your own personal home account)?
Have you ever seen signs: WiFi $.15/minute for the first 30 minutes, and $2.75/hour after the first half hour?
I certainly haven't. Could you even charge if you wanted to? People drive around neighborhoods with their laptops open looking for a signal so that they can steal WiFi. I know this because the laptops that we have at work have a very limited range of reception so that random freaks can't park in the lot at night to steal our WiFi. It's a security issue.
Hmmm.
So, does it "Free" and "WiFi" said in the same breath (or reader board) make the statement an oxymoron?
See. Sometimes thinking gets me into trouble.
What do you think? What do you know? Can you charge for WiFi in a public space? I'm curious to know. If you have any idea, post a comment, will ya? Thanks!
Because, well, inquiring minds deserve to know.
1 comment:
Funny, I know "free gift" is an oxymoron. Hmm? Maybe because at some places (Home) there is a charge for WiFi, that's why they feel they need to make the distinction. I've seen the sign at coffee shops too! Maybe it's because internet cafes used to charge for using the internet.
Ugh! Now it's going to bother me.
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