The Evolving Newsroom

I find it so difficult staying connected when I'm on the road that I feel compelled to compliment hotels, motels and airports when they do something to help. And complain when they do something to make it harder.

So here are this week's Broadband Brickbat and Bouquet.

The Brickbat goes to Telecom for telling me I won't be able to get free wifi at their Wifi Hotspots anymore - previously a perk of being a Telecom home subscriber. Now I'm going to have to pay, like everyone else, to log in at airports and cafes which, more annoyingly, will no doubt involve filling out forms or queueing to buy vouchers and typing in cryptic usernames and passwords. Not good when I'm in a hurry to get something done before boarding a flight or heading into the next meeting. Grrr.

The Bouquet goes to the new Atrium motel in Hamilton for providing free broadband, supplying a cable when I checked in (yes, I had left mine at home), and making it possible to just plug in and run without having to faff about with forms and cryptic passwords. Hotels, take note: why would I stay with you when you charge more and offer less?