Comments on: Lodgenet = Stupid (from the Hilton Santa Clara) http://www.contentious.com/2005/07/31/lodgenet-stupid-from-the-hilton-santa-clara/ Amy Gahran's news and musings on how we communicate in the online age. Tue, 07 Oct 2008 22:01:06 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Amy Gahran http://www.contentious.com/2005/07/31/lodgenet-stupid-from-the-hilton-santa-clara/#comment-28338 Amy Gahran Tue, 02 Aug 2005 00:53:01 +0000 #comment-28338 LOL, Elana, you had better luck than Koan and I did. We couldn't see the Westin's wireless network. We were on the opposite side of the hotel from the Westin, maybe that's why. Oh well... - Amy Gahran LOL, Elana, you had better luck than Koan and I did. We couldn’t see the Westin’s wireless network. We were on the opposite side of the hotel from the Westin, maybe that’s why. Oh well…

- Amy Gahran

]]> By: Elana Centor http://www.contentious.com/2005/07/31/lodgenet-stupid-from-the-hilton-santa-clara/#comment-28304 Elana Centor Mon, 01 Aug 2005 12:07:02 +0000 #comment-28304 Hello Amy! Like you I tried to hook into the Hilton's high speed internet but on a lark I decided to try my WiFi. O and behold I was instantly connected to WESTIN's wireless service. It was great and It was very free. T As I wrote in blog. Thank You WESTIN for making my stay at Hilton much more enjoyable and about 30 dollars less expensive. Hello Amy! Like you I tried to hook into the Hilton’s high speed internet but on a lark I decided to try my WiFi. O and behold I was instantly connected to WESTIN’s wireless service. It was great and It was very free. T As I wrote in blog. Thank You WESTIN for making my stay at Hilton much more enjoyable and about 30 dollars less expensive.

]]> By: Cheryl Morgan http://www.contentious.com/2005/07/31/lodgenet-stupid-from-the-hilton-santa-clara/#comment-28264 Cheryl Morgan Sun, 31 Jul 2005 19:52:09 +0000 #comment-28264 This sort of idiocy is quite common in paid hotel internet access, particularly in the UK where they still think that an appropriate charge for access is $10/hour or more. Fortunately many of the systems they use are not as smart as they think they are. If you get caught like this, check to see if the system has a "log out" page. Often the supposed "per computer" restriction only works because the first person to use the system didn't log out, not because the system detects the ID of the computer that bought the access as they claim in their terms of service. Also note that because the idiots who write these systems generally only ever test on IE, the logout screen is often a pop-out window which Firefox automatically blocks for you. Failing all else, the systems generally log you out automatically after an hour or so of inactivity and someone else can then log in. (Sorry I missed you Amy, you flew into the Bay Area just after I had flown out.) This sort of idiocy is quite common in paid hotel internet access, particularly in the UK where they still think that an appropriate charge for access is $10/hour or more. Fortunately many of the systems they use are not as smart as they think they are. If you get caught like this, check to see if the system has a “log out” page. Often the supposed “per computer” restriction only works because the first person to use the system didn’t log out, not because the system detects the ID of the computer that bought the access as they claim in their terms of service. Also note that because the idiots who write these systems generally only ever test on IE, the logout screen is often a pop-out window which Firefox automatically blocks for you. Failing all else, the systems generally log you out automatically after an hour or so of inactivity and someone else can then log in.

(Sorry I missed you Amy, you flew into the Bay Area just after I had flown out.)

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