Grande Wi-Fi : understanding what Wi-Fi users are doing in coffee-shops

The relationship between coffee-shops and Internet has recently been highlighted by the launch of wireless "hotspots" which provides e-access through Wi-Fi technology, in coffee-shops and several other public places in America. This thesis explores the social implications of introduction of Wi-Fi in coffee-shops, drawing on ethnographic research, online surveys and interviews with Internet users in coffee-shops, Wi-Fi providers and coffee-shop owners and their staff. It reviews the user experience of the Wi-Fi users in these public spaces. This thesis looks closely at Wi-Fi users everyday activities in four typical research-settings. It is suggested that a closer understanding of the ways in which Wi-Fi users interact - online as well as face-to-face, sustaining their offline and online relationships - is fundamental to understanding the impact of wireless hotspots in America's public spaces.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Architecture. Program in Media Arts and Sciences.

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2004

Author dc:creator

• Gupta, Neeti

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Keith Hampton.

• Architecture. Program in Media Arts and Sciences.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/42341

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/42341