OK, this is very unofficial. The EOGN/Footnote.com Laptop Lounge is traveling to Philadelphia and will be found in booths 225 and 324 in the exhibits hall of the FGS conference this week.
This is a repeat performance. If you have seen the EOGN/Footnote.com Laptop Lounge at an earlier genealogy conference, you already know what I am about to describe. The only difference is that the wireless networking has been improved since last time.
If you are not familiar with this newsletter's Laptop Lounge, I'd suggest you take a look at the photos I snapped at earlier conferences at http://blog.eogn.com/photos/laptop_lounge/.
Thanks to the folks at Footnote.com, the Laptop Lounge is a booth in the exhibits hall where you can drop in, relax, check your e-mail, converse, and "take a load off your feet."
I suggest you bring your own wi-fi enabled laptop or handheld device for use in checking your e-mail. However, I will probably have a spare laptop available for those who do not bring their own.
Actually, the free wi-fi Internet connection should cover all of the exhibits hall. You really do not need to sit in the Laptop Lounge booth to use the wireless network. This year's FGS conference includes a snack bar area with lots of tables and chairs. The snack bar area isn't far from the Laptop Lounge and the free wireless wi-fi signal should be strong in the snack bar area as well. Take your choice: snack bar or Laptop Lounge: sit wherever you wish. Check your e-mail or see what is going on "back home." Just because you are out of town doesn't mean you have to be isolated!
There are a few "rules" concerning use of the free EOGN wi-fi wireless network:
- Keep in mind that you are using a shared network of moderate speed. Please don't use all the bandwidth for hours at a time! Please be considerate of other conference attendees who also wish to use the network. Please don't use this wireless network to download huge files or to play graphics-intensive online games.
- The wireless network is offered "as is." It usually works but there is always a chance of hardware failures. The service is free and is offered with no guarantees.
- The EOGN wireless network is a pet project of mine and is not affiliated with the convention center nor with the conference organizers in any way. They don't even know about it. If you encounter problems, please do not complain to them! Please see me.
- Please do not use this network to display your products or services in your booth. You are invited to check your e-mail at any time and to use the network for other, personal uses. However, using the EOGN wireless network for commercial purposes (such as displaying your organization's web site) is a violation of the users agreement I signed with Verizon. Violators will be locked out of the network (and please remember that I can use the network administrator's menu to see who you are and where you are surfing).
For you techies who have an interest in wireless networking, you might be interested to know that this week will be the first time I have used some new grid networking hardware. I will be bringing three wireless "nodes" and should be able to provide strong wi-fi signals throughout the exhibits hall. For details about this grid network, see http://www.open-mesh.com.
See you in the Laptop Lounge!
