Battle Rages On Between Cafes And Wi-Fi Users > Well if you offer something for free...

reply to Fireblade

Re: Well if you offer something for free...

It is free for "customers".

Sitting in a seat for three hours, leeching wifi does not make one a customer, it makes them homeless.

I agree. Our country is becoming a graveyard of good intentions because people only think of themselves.

About 15 years ago I attended a Microsoft technical conference where the CIO of the major investment company described a situation early in his career where a service provider signed a contract with them. I forget all of the details but it turned out that the service provider grossly underestimated their costs and they could not keep the contract. His company certainly would have been within their right to enforce the contract not unlike the folks who scream "...unlimited means unlimited..." and "...if you advertise free WiFi, it's a free for all..." However, the CIO said he realized that to do so would have put the service provider out of business causing his company to be without the service it needed. He did the right thing and renegotiated the contract so that his company could get what it needed and the service provider could turn a reasonable profit. I've never forgotten his words when he said that a contract really isn't a contract when it doesn't provide reasonable equity.

With respect to free WiFi, I'm quite certain every coffee house provides the service for paying customers. Furthermore I'm sure it's not equitable for anyone to expect to use that service for three hours after buying one cup of coffee.

Isn't this just common sense? Have today's generations been raised with a sense of entitlement that blinds them to what should be obvious?

I truly believe capitalism and it's belief in private property is the best social system man has yet to create. However, this laissez faire system won't work unless our society practices basic ethics and morals. Don't we all know this to be true or do we believe we have a right do die on a hill screaming that unlimited means unlimited?

Think about it. Do you want Starbucks to offer free WiFi if you buy a cup of coffee or do you want to press the free issue to the point that they finally have to pull the plug?

Isn't this just common sense? Have today's generations been raised with a sense of entitlement that blinds them to what should be obvious?

This is so true - today's generation thinks everyone and everything owes them

Has there ever been a current generation that hasn't said that about the next generation?

No but that doesn't mean it isn't true. Society goes through cycles just like a capitalist economy. Fortunately society moves slower than economies and it requires a lot more generations before things get bad enough that they receive a correction.

The modern idea of society is over and we are now entering post-modernity. Some believe we will shift away from a "me" attitude to a "community" attitude. In moderation this could be good but it could also mean socialism and the thought police. I know health care is hot but it's a great example.

I believe it's broken and we need to do something but what happens when in the public interest, folks start getting the idea of outlawing salt or Big Mac hamburgers?