Woodstock (the other one)

(Live on the road) We're currently on the last part of our road trip from Toronto down through upper New York, Maine, ferry to Nova Scotia, up through New Brunswick, back along the St. Lawrence river home.

Woodstock, New Brunswick is where we are just stopping for some photos.

At one point this year, Seth Godin had made a point about wireless access points just being open and being something like a flower box on a ledge or some such. I think it was him. There were ( and still are) great debates about security, etc, etc.

Well, here's an interesting observation.

All along the lighthouse trail in Nova Scotia, there are public internet access points. They are contained within various places like tourist offices or libraries.

All of the ones I saw/used were open access wireless in addition to having a desktop for people to use.

It cost two bucks an hour to use.

Totally open. Which, of course, meant you could sit in your car or outside most locations and hook up.

I asked the women working the counter if anybody worried about control, or security, etc. Nope. She just pointed me to the "Toonie Tip Jar" where people paid. Lots of people, including me, paid.

In fact, every place I went said the same thing and had the same gig, a tip jar more or less.

It was nice to see and a fairly good way for access to be available pretty much everywhere.

It was fairly low tech for much of this trip. The reservation system at one B &B was a three ring binder and a pencil.

Or course that B&B was also the home of the best breakfast of the trip so the tech trade off was clearly worth it.

A great trip. Looking forward to posting my photos later this week.

Comments

[Marc Orchant]

Rick: As one of those who mixed it up a bit with Seth when he wrote the post you're referencing, let me jump in here as well. The difference between what you've just experienced and what Seth was asking for is simple, yet profound. You're describing a *public* Wi_Fi infrastructure. Seth was asking private citizens to open up their networks. Big, big difference.

I think ubiquitous WiFi access in all but the most rural of settings is an inevitability and a great step forward. But it probably should not (and more than likely will not) be an infrastructure built by private citizens. Most folk are simply unable to secure their own personal data from the inevitable rogues who will not just avail themselves of the connectivity but will attempt to perpetrate mischief (or worse) as well. If a tourist board, municipality, or company (Google anyone?) chooses to wire the air, that's another thing entirely and a much more satisfying and secure way for this to develop.

My $.02 worth...