Weekends Wi-Fi Free

Victrola is a cool coffee house on Capitol Hill where tech-savy baristas serve up beautiful espresso. They offer free wi-fi, but in an effort to reclaim their atmosphere, they have turned off the wireless router on weekends. The result? "The place was noisy and jumpin' - people actually conversed," according to a Victrola barista.

Local tech guru Glenn's report at Wi-Fi Networking News has generated an impromptu philosophical debate about the cultural implications of free Wi-Fi. Victrola barista and coffee artist, Tonx, has the official and unofficial insider take on the "overblown" response their decision has received from internet news and blogs.

In short - free wi-fi is electronic cocaine.

Every staff meeting we had, the topic of wi-fi became the most heated. The cafe had become quieter, the tip jar was getting lighter and a small minority of difficult and demanding users were making things unpleasant for the baristas. At the same time, a great number of our favorite regulars were good citizens and managed to use the wifi at length while still being friendly, sharing tables, buying stuff, flirting with our staff, etc.. Pulling the plug wouldn’t be an easy option.

It seems that free Wi-Fi attracts "Wi-Fi zombies" who by themselves, take up a whole table for hours and in many cases don't even buy anything. That is lame and anti-social and Seattlest can't believe that any Seattleites would be such freeloaders. Luckily, thanks to Mayor Nickels, the freeloaders can get free Wi-Fi from the city.