The National Genealogical Society's annual conference is being held in Raleigh, North Carolina, this week. (See: http://blog.eogn.com/eastmans_online_genealogy/2009/05/ill-be-at-the-ngs-conference-this-week.html.) I expect a thousand or more avid genealogists will congregate at the Raleigh Convention Center.
One of the things I have always disliked about traveling is the feeling of being incommunicado. That is, simply because you are on the road doesn't mean that you should be isolated from your e-mail, stock market reports, sports scores, or other news from back home. If you attend this year's NGS conference, you won't need to feel isolated.
Most laptop computers these days have built-in wi-fi wireless networking. Even if yours does not have wireless capabilities, it probably has an available wired network connection. The Apple iPhone and many other cell phones also have built-in wi-fi networking capabilities, as do many handheld PDAs. If you have any of these devices, bring it along! You can use it in the conference center.
First of all, the conference blog reports that the Raleigh Convention Center offers free wi-fi connections in the lobby. I haven't been to this conference center before and cannot tell you how it works, but I suspect it will be high speed.
Next, I will be offering both wired and wi-fi wireless connections at no charge in the Exhibit Hall. I expect that the wi-fi networking that I am supplying will work anywhere in the hall. In addition, I will also be offering a wired networking connection in the Footnote booth (booths 216 and 218). Just bring your laptop and plug in!
If you do not have a laptop or iPhone or handheld device of your own, you can probably use my Macintosh laptop or the "Hackintosh" laptop for a few minutes to check your e-mail. Both will be available on an "as available" basis.
To log onto my wireless network, turn your computer on anywhere in the Exhibit Hall and look for a Wi-Fi SSID name of "eogn." That stands for "Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter." There will be no user name or password required; just connect and go.
The “eogn” wireless network does not use the convention center's networking at all; it is completely separate. I do ask that vendors not use the "eogn" network in their booths to demonstrate their product as that is a violation of the licensing terms of the network I use. I can legally share the network connection as long as I don't charge money. While I can use it for commercial purposes, I cannot share it with others who will use it commercially. Shared connections are for personal use only. However, vendors and non-vendors alike are encouraged to check e-mail and use it for personal purposes.
Finally, I will ask you to practice a "good neighbor" policy and not download large files, play video-intensive games, or otherwise use a lot of bandwidth. We will all be sharing one 3G wireless connection. It is moderately fast, but if one person starts hogging the available bandwidth, the rest of us suffer. Please use it for whatever you need but do not use more than your fair share of bandwidth.
Finally, please make sure your wi-fi or wired networking works before you travel to Raleigh. I expect to be busy and won't have time to help you set up your computer's networking. If it already works at home, it will work in the Exhibit Hall.
Again, look for an SSID of "eogn."
See you in Raleigh!
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