Virtual office puts time limit on Wi-Fi users

By Jim Stafford
Published: August 20, 2008

I eased into my seat and fired up my laptop as I always do at my "north office” at the Panera Bread along the Kilpatrick Turnpike at Meridian Avenue.

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I didn't realize I was on the clock.

There was a challenging story to be written, and Panera Bread is where I often escape from the real office to complete a time-consuming project with little interruption from, say, editors.

I go to Panera for the free Wi-Fi and baked potato soup, in that order.

Over the time limit
Anyway, as I logged on to their network I saw a little notice that "asked” Wi-Fi users to limit their time online to 30 minutes between the hours of 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. It was a little after 10:30 a.m. on this day two weeks ago.

The story began to take shape and about an hour later I popped up to refill my coffee cup. When I got back to the computer it had lost the wireless connection.

An attempt to reconnect got a message that instantly put a black cloud over my day.

"You have exceeded your allotted time,” the message on my screen said.

Nothing left to do but pack up and head into the newsroom and finish the job.

Walking fine line
The new Panera Bread free-online-but-with-limits policy is all about restaurant access for lunchtime customers, spokesman Andrew Carlson told me on Tuesday.

The restaurant walks a fine line between accommodating Wi-Fi users and the lunchtime crowd simultaneously, he said.

"The lunch rush is a busy time for us, and we ask people to limit their time,” Carlson said.

"We want to be able to provide the amenity for our customers but ensure the entire restaurant is available to all customers.”

Fast forward to last week when another big project faced me.

I began to search out alternative restaurants that have free Wi-Fi networks.

Other free Internet options
IHOP? Too syrupy. McDonalds? Too kid friendly on a workday. Full Cup in Edmond? Not big enough to offer needed solitude.

So, the downtown Java Dave's won the out-of-office workspace lottery by default. It offers unlimited free Wi-Fi and plenty of space to spread out and get the job done.

However, today I came back to my comfortable north office where I'm writing this. I looked closely at the log on notice asking users to limit their time. Panera also asks solitary users to avoid large tables. There are only four seats at the table at which I'm sitting. I take up one seat and my backpack takes up another, so there.

My time online is approaching the dreaded 30-minute time limit, so I had better hurry and


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#1 The connection is FREE!!! How typical of today's society to complain about something provided to them at no cost. "Give them an inch and they take a mile".
#2 Exactly why does it require an internet connection to write an article? Since when does Microsoft Word require an internet connection to type? Write your article THEN connect and upload the finished product. Sound more like you're complaining about time limited internet surfing in the restaurant instead of at the office where say, editors, can see you goofing off. ;)
Bryan, Oklahoma City - Aug 20, 2008 11:59 AM
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Thanks for trashing some nice restaurants who are trying increase revenue during slower economic times. Even though the Oklahoma economy is holding its own overall, small pockets of businesses, especially in the retail and casual dining segments, are looking for ways to increase revenue. One of the ways is to move traffic. I have been to panera at times and found a large number of campers like you, who, because they have watched Friends too many times, think that they own the place. They spread out across multiple tables, open their Macbooks and give dirty looks to anyone who trys to invade "their" space. If you want solitude and free internet, go home. The rest of us would like your seat so we can eat and get back to work.
Tony, Edmond - Aug 20, 2008 9:35 AM
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