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Wi-Fi Cafes in the News: Look Again

June 12th, 2005

A bizarre media storm has gathered around wireless Internet cafes. Project PlaceSite and I have benefited. But this all deserves a closer look.

Tomorrow’s New York Times quotes me in an article by Glenn Fleishman. My words appeared in a Seattle Post-Intelligencer piece last week. On May 30 a Financial Times article about wi-fi in cafes mentioned “zombie effect” [definition here], a term we invented to explain some of the reasoning behind PlaceSite. All this mainstream coverage followed Web buzz about an entry by Glenn on his Wi-Fi Networking News weblog. The entry announced that a Seattle cafe had tried turning off wi-fi on the weekends.

I’m thankful for the PlaceSite publicity but for the record: each of my partners, Damon McCormick and Jon Snydal, contributed to this project at least as much as I did. Professor Marti Hearst served a critical role as our project advisor.

A problem with the coverage: The Financial Times article strongly implies a trend in cafes across the country that involves reduction or removal of wi-fi access. But the opposite is true, at least in Seattle and San Francisco: wi-fi is becoming more ubiquitous in cafes. The article cites just three cafes — one in Seattle and two in San Francisco — that have limited their wi-fi access. But hundreds of cafes in these cities offer wi-fi service, and more cafes add wi-fi every month.

I see no evidence of a new trend: both of the San Francisco cafes in question have been experimenting with limited access for more than a year.

The other articles, particularly the New York Times piece, were more balanced and better informed about this. But I sense a media snowball effect that might trigger an avalanche of inaccurate coverage.

A warning to reporters: consider the numbers here, so you don’t mistake aberrant behavior for what’s clearly the norm.

9 Responses to “Wi-Fi Cafes in the News: Look Again”

  1. comment number 1 by: josh

    neat — I thought that I spotted a familiar name in that NYT story. Congratulations on finishing your Master’s!

  2. comment number 2 by: Tech Beat

    Demise of Wi-Fi cafes?

    Are cafe owners disillusioned with Wi-Fi or not? One industry player, quoted in many news articles on the subjects, says no.

  3. comment number 3 by: Tech Beat

    Demise of Wi-Fi cafes?

    Are cafe owners disillusioned with Wi-Fi or not? One industry player, quoted in many news articles on the subjects, says no.

  4. comment number 4 by: sean

    Thanks Josh!

  5. comment number 5 by: Smart Mobs

    Technical mediation of Wi-Fi “zombie effect” in cafes?

    Seattle Victrola cafe’s decision to start wi-fi free weekends — because wi-fi users appeared to be damaging the conviviality (and sales of coffee) that the cafe owners desired — was slashdotted and smartmobbed. Smartmoblogger Sean Savage posted a co…

  6. comment number 6 by: Patrish

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    Questions for ….

    In this first installment of the OUPblog bookclub, Lee Epstein and Jeffrey Segal answer questions on the Miers nomination and the future of the Judiciary branch under Bush’s picks. Enjoy!

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    Questions for ….

    In this first installment of the OUPblog bookclub, Lee Epstein and Jeffrey Segal answer questions on the Miers nomination and the future of the Judiciary branch under Bush’s picks. Enjoy!

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