Tweetups fuel canalside twi-fi

I've been banging on about wanting canalside wi-fi for over five years. 

I found my first free-to-access connection in April 2005 (see Free wi-fi link via Jason's),  but the adoption by business has been painfully slow.  When you are trying to persuade a licensee or pubco manager that it's a worthwhile investment, they see only the cost upfront, and the monthly subscription, and hear horror stories of hacking.  They can't often see through to the benefits.

Yet for everyone - not just boaters, the benefits can be great - especially now that so many people have wifi-enabled smartphones such as Android, Pre and the iPhone. 

One of the more enlightened pub/brewery chains is Fuller's, who offer wifi at most of their pubs, include several near the Grand Union Canal, from the Paper Mill at Apsley to the Grove Lock near Leighton Buzzard. 

While Fuller's wi-fi is free, it's passcoded and the code is changed daily.  However, you only have to ask at the bar and they'll tell you.

It's probably smartphones, not laptops, which are driving the adoption of wifi.  After all, it's hard to work at your laptop in a pub - and heaven knows I've tried.  Distraction lurks at every table.

Sometimes (see right), being outside away from everyone is the only way for me to do a Grannypost at a pub, and obviously that's only practical in the summer, but even then it can be hard to see the screen if the sun's shining.

But if there's one other thing that's driving wi-fi in pubs, its social networking, particularly Twitter and Facebook.

Tonight from 8pm there's a tweet-up of local Twitterers at Fuller's pub The Boat in Berkhamsted.

Details here on Tweetvite.

15 are already signed up as definite Yes attenders, with another dozen or so Maybe, and half a dozen have taken the trouble to send their apologies.

If you are on a boat in 'Berko' and use wi-fi, even if you don't use Twitter, you might like to go along from 8pm onwards and pass on apologies from Granny Buttons.  You should spot them easily enough - they'll be the disparate but loud and sociable bunch in the corner nearest the car park.

All praise these tweetups. They can help canalside business to recognise the value of opening up their wi-fi to boaters and other customers.

I've never been to a tweetup.  Do they all sit crouched over their phones,  hammering away on the keys, tweeting and retweeting and twitpicking and yfrogging and generally twignoring each other?

Or do they look up from their screens occasionally and twalk?

Hey, is that a recognised collective noun?  A tweetup of twitterers.

Comments

[Andrew Denny]

Dan, actually the drink in that glass was cider. Not a great one (Strongbow, if memory serves), but cider nonetheless. But if I was limited to one drink, it might be a good Beaujolais.

[Dan]

Lager! thought you would be a bitter man Mr D!!

Dan

[Sarah]

I went to a gathering of Canal World Forum members last night an no-one had even taken their computer. Shockingly, we all actually talked to each other, and had a jolly good time.

[Andrew Denny]

Skippy,

Yes, everyone's been talking of that story - but no one's actually said what the company is.  I sniff an urban legend. 

[Skippy]

there are several reasons take up is not greater; Peter Mandalson being a bit of an Idiot and this wonderful bit of precedent http://www.boingboing.net/2009/11/28/pub-fined-8k-after-u.html