At http://www.unstrung.com/document.asp?doc_id=89087&WT.svl=news2_1
As municipal WiFi networks begin to roll out in cities across the
U.S., users are discovering that there's no such thing as a free
wireless connection.
To fund and deploy WiFi networks without charging subscription fees,
some cities are turning to advertising-supported models, including
systems that insert new ads onto existing Web pages and so-called
"interstitial" ad pages that appear when users click on hyperlinks.
(See SF Muni WiFi in Low Gear.)
...
NYCwireless uses splash pages that appear when users log onto the
network that contain a usage agreement plus an area for logos from
supporting organizations. The ads -- essentially just logos for the
organizations that help fund the network -- are confined to the
splash page.
"The idea of artificially inserting ads into Websites that are viewed
on the network is an appalling idea that has another name: adware,"
says Spiegel. "NYCwireless would never endorse any program like that,
and we feel it would create a bad experience for the people that use
our networks."
User tolerance for ad-cluttered Web pages has been tested before --
thus the pop-up blockers now standard on many Web browsers -- and
it's not clear that users will be willing to tolerate additional ads
in order to gain access to supposedly "free" muni WiFi networks. For
cities offering such networks as well, the association with ad-
supported networks could raise sticky questions.
Dana Spiegel
Executive Director
NYCwireless
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
www.NYCwireless.net
+1 917 402 0422
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