I think something that might work... Is making the portal an additional Point of Sale of the store owner. Have an order entry system built into the portal. When users place orders through the portal their account is given time credits. Their beverage get delivered to the table. They pay up their cash and get to surf during the process. Keep a database function running as a timer that decrements minutes from all the users with currently active sessions. And you might have a good product... Then again I could just want a method to avoid standing in line. With a solution like that you can at least take some load off the staff handling customer orders, avoid having the staff deal telling people the new password information, collect demographics on your clientele, collect clientele contact information, etc, etc, etc.
-----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of freelance writer Sent: Wednesday, October 01, 2003 12:45 AM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Cc: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [nycwireless] Polls/surveys about wireless usage (by coffeebuyers, etc.)? Anthony, 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 >> >>_________________________________________________________________ >>Help protect your PC. Get a FREE computer virus scan online from McAfee. >>http://clinic.mcafee.com/clinic/ibuy/campaign.asp?cid=3963 >> >>-- >>NYCwireless - http://www.nycwireless.net/ >>Un/Subscribe: http://lists.nycwireless.net/mailman/listinfo/nycwireless/ >>Archives: http://lists.nycwireless.net/pipermail/nycwireless/ >> > _________________________________________________________________ Instant message in style with MSN Messenger 6.0. Download it now FREE! http://msnmessenger-download.com -- NYCwireless - http://www.nycwireless.net/ Un/Subscribe: http://lists.nycwireless.net/mailman/listinfo/nycwireless/ Archives: http://lists.nycwireless.net/pipermail/nycwireless/ --- Incoming mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.518 / Virus Database: 316 - Release Date: 9/11/2003 --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.518 / Virus Database: 316 - Release Date: 9/11/2003 -- NYCwireless - http://www.nycwireless.net/ Un/Subscribe: http://lists.nycwireless.net/mailman/listinfo/nycwireless/ Archives: http://lists.nycwireless.net/pipermail/nycwireless/
