The cobbler's children - Tech conference Wifi access FAIL

As mentioned in an earlier post, I'm covering the Enterprise 2.0 Conference at the Westin Waterfront Hotel. And the only reason I'm able to upload my stories to Universal Hub are the EVDO access I have on my laptop.

What’s that mean? It means I pay Verizon $60 a month to allow me to access the Internet no matter where I am. I’ve used the laptop to play online poker in traffic (STOPPED TRAFFIC), have used it to cruise the Web while in the passenger seat of #iRoadTrip (google it), and even used it on boats to and from Martha’s Vineyard.

Well, thank god I have this little gadget for my computer because the technology conference going on right now has failed completely in its efforts to set up Wifi.

Here are some of the Twitter comments overheard at the keynote about the horrible Wifi...

@elsuacon: #e2conf looks like the conference wi-fi is flaky again not allowing me to connect; found my way around through a kind soul sharing his wifi

@e2conf: @d2kwe're listening. we try our best but at a tech conference, wifi will never be up to par. :) we're trying to fix. thx!

@digiphile: Once again, wifi at an #E20 Conference is brutal. Forget streaming. All networks crashing. No lessons learned from 2008 fiasco? | #e2conf

@d2k: Come on Westin & @e2conf I paid too bloody much not to have wifi. I don't need muffins I need access. Are you listening?

@VMaryAbraham: @elsua @elsuacon I've found the solution to the wifi problem: Stay at home and watch the livestream! #e2conf

As you can see from the second comment, the organizers are aware of the problem. But isn’t it odd that they had the same issue last year - according to @digiphile - and it’s just as bad this year?

The bigger question might be whether people need to be connected all the time? What does it get us? What do we lose?

In most situations we don’t need to be head-down on Twitter all the time. We can probably benefit from leaving Facebook for a few days at a time - there will be so much good stuff to read when we get back. And checking email every four minutes is skirting the line between OCD and insanity.

But at a technology conference where the majority of the people are attached to the Web 24/7, it’s a smack in the face not to have a proper Wifi backbone at the conference venue. In fact, we were told earlier today that Enterprise 2.0 is moving to the Hynes in 2010...might that be one of the reasons?

Are you at the conference? Do you wish you were? What’s the longest you’ve been detached from the Internet?