Thanks for the response. I agree with you about the fear, but I wonder how much of it is myth.
Would anyone want to help find out?
I'm not a programmer, so I couldn't even do this in software, but also wonder if anyone out there might be able to put together a turnkey box like the one I mentioned in my prior email, which would essentially time connections out every x amount of time (hour and a half?), requiring people to purchase and not just lurk/leech. Not sure how it would work - maybe just change a captive portal password hourly and display it on a LCD/monitor only staff can see?
Dan
From: Anthony Townsend <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "freelance writer" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
CC: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: [nycwireless] Polls/surveys about wireless usage (by coffee buyers, etc.)?
Date: Tue, 30 Sep 2003 23:31:04 -0400
I think that no one has systematically asked these questions.
In fact, I think that many coffee shop owners are not excited about wireless users lurking since they don't make a lot of additional purchases. Rumor has it that more than one Starbucks' manager has deliberately disconnected the Tmobile APs to deter wireless campers in their stores.
On Tuesday, September 30, 2003, at 07:20 pm, freelance writer wrote:
I promise to quiet down after this new thread, but my original question about how to convince a small-business owner to share their connection has raised a question which I think deserves some consideration.
Are there any poll or survey results out there that would give a small business-owner a good idea of what to expect if he or she were to provide free wireless access?
Answering questions like
* "How much more time will a wireless laptop user spend than a regular customer?"
* "What percentage of wireless users would go to a say, coffee shop that provided access v. one that didn't? ("And what distances would they go to do so, etc?"
* "How many purchases can the average coffee shop wireless user be expected to make?"
I would have expected there to be dozens of studies, but I haven't found any raw data or any journalistic references. Can someone point me in the right direction, or, alternately, would anyone like to help me in coordinating such a survey? I think it could be really useful.
Thanks,
Dan
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