Nebraska Forces City To Stop Advertising Free WiFi
from the how-dare-they! dept
I'm actually on a road trip across the US this week, still working along the way with a mix of EVDO and WiFi. I'm writing this post while connected to some WiFi in Cheyenne, Wyoming (nice town) and I'll be on my way into Nebraska shortly. That's why this story caught my eye: apparently the small town of Louisville, Nebraska has set up a free WiFi zone in their downtown and smartly decided to advertise that fact on the main highway that runs by the town. Yet, the State of Nebraska Roads Department has forced them to take down the sign, worried that other towns across the state might also demand that the state put up signs advertising free WiFi. Considering that the signs in Louisville weren't installed by the Roads Department in the first place, this seems like a totally misplaced worry. If other cities demand such signs, why not just tell them to put up their own signs if they want to? I might just have to swing by Louisville myself and post something using their WiFi.Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
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Filed Under: free, louisville, nebraska, wifi
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Not a billboard
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Re: Not a billboard
It would be wrong indeed for the city to put up a sign in green. But I see no reason why the city can't have the highway dept put up a brown sign. (there's money that changes hands here, that's fine)
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Re: Re: Not a billboard
Another quick tip for your drive across the corn-filled plains. After you pass Kearney, NE you're going to see an archway museum that goes over the interstate. You'll be tempted to stop as it's really the only interesting thing you've seen for miles. ... Just pretend you never saw it and keep on driving. You'll thank me.
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Re: Re: Re: Not a billboard
With NE being 400 miles wide, you better have an extremely fuel efficient car to make it all the way to Omaha from Laramie, WY, your probable last fueling stop. And on the archway, I have been under a few times and haven't stopped. Now I don't have to wonder if I missed anything. Thanks.
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Not a billboard
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Re: Re: Re: Re: Not a billboard
Well, the car does get about 400 miles+ traveling highway speeds between refills, but there are tons of gas stations along the way as well.
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Re: Re: Re: Not a billboard
Well, ended up stopping in Lincoln, but will swing by Omaha for a bit tomorrow.
Another quick tip for your drive across the corn-filled plains. After you pass Kearney, NE you're going to see an archway museum that goes over the interstate. You'll be tempted to stop as it's really the only interesting thing you've seen for miles. ... Just pretend you never saw it and keep on driving. You'll thank me.
Thanks indeed. I saw your comment earlier in the day and we drove right on by... Even went an extra stop to fill up for gas, since we didn't even want to get off at that exit at all.
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No more signs in NE
Seriously, the state owned rest stops typically have signs showing what amenities are available. Shoot, every exit has a sign that tells whether you have gas, food, lodging. I have seen Wi-Fi signs at state owned rest stops, so just pretend your city is a giant rest stop which may be closer to the truth.
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I think they are "official"?
It seems to me the "township" should have the ability to place appropriately "official" looking signs to aid travelers? My state of Virginia for example puts up signs often showing what services are available on a given exit and I can certainly see where having Wi-Fi added to that sign might be nice (along with the EXXON, BP and TACO BELL logos they already contain). Of couse having come to that realization I think I can see what was scary about this to the people at the state . . . more work hehe.
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Good Plan
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Lick a nut
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Louisville
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Re: Louisville
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Re: Louisville
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Counting Blessings
I guess focusing on *one thing at a time* depends on how you define it.
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The people your with must really hate you if you stop every few hours to blog about news articles about towns without wifi access and teledildontics.
If you were in Vail last week, when your WiFi at McDonalds didn't work (and missed that discussion-- yes you should be mad), and your goal was to get east, you shouldn't have gone North on I-25 to I-80 but taken I-76 to I-80 and taken 50-75 miles off of your route. Considering gas prices, that would have made more sense.
And Cheyenne is only 4 exits in size. I don't know why you think it's a nice town. Did you get fireworks?
Any way you look at it, I'm putting you ON NOTICE.
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Re:
Maybe he has some other reason to go to Wyoming. Personally I've never had a reason to go to eastern Wyoming (only through), but there could be one. Or maybe he was in Ft. Collins, in which case it would probably make sense to go up to I-80.
And the only nice towns are big ones? Millions of people disagree with you. I'm not defending Cheyenne in particular, since as I mentioned I've only passed through, but small != not nice. Besides which you could argue about whether Cheyenne even qualifies as a small town with over 50,000 people. It's the biggest city in the state! Seriously.
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Re:
Heh. Well, I beg to differ. I'm now happily in Lincoln Nebraska.
The people your with must really hate you if you stop every few hours to blog about news articles about towns without wifi access and teledildontics.
Nope. The person (my wife) is perfectly happy with the pace at which we are travelling. My dog is fine with it as well, as she needs to get out and walk and pee every so often as well. But thanks for your concern. I'll let them know.
If you were in Vail last week, when your WiFi at McDonalds didn't work (and missed that discussion-- yes you should be mad), and your goal was to get east, you shouldn't have gone North on I-25 to I-80 but taken I-76 to I-80 and taken 50-75 miles off of your route. Considering gas prices, that would have made more sense.
I wasn't in Vail last week. Where did that come from? I was in Sunnyvale CA. I was in Vail last month for a conference, but that was done by plane. I'm taking 80 from CA so it made perfect sense to go through Cheyenne. We had originally planned to drop down through Denver, but there's some big convention going on, and we figured it was best to avoid it.
And Cheyenne is only 4 exits in size. I don't know why you think it's a nice town. Did you get fireworks?
Nope. Skipped the fireworks, but had a nice dinner downtown, and yes, I thought it was nice. Sorry to disappoint you.
Any way you look at it, I'm putting you ON NOTICE.
Sweet. When do I get to see my name on the board?
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There is no such thing as
It should be called what it is, either courtesy WiFi if a private business offers it, or subsidized WiFi if a government offers it.
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Not I-80
The state Roads Department will not allow such signs. According to the article: "The Roads Department has strict guidelines for what it will accept for highway signage."
I agree this seems a little ridiculous. Still, the town could rent one of the billboards along the highway (of which there are several,) and the Roads Department would have nothing to say about it.
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I was the guy in the picture
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