Truck and Barter: Government Wi-Fi as Public Bad

October 26, 2004

Government Wi-Fi as Public Bad

By Kevin

The economic theory of goods defines a bad as something that makes you worse off by having it, or better off by not having it (e.g. a disease, pollution, crime, and if you're anti-war, nuclear weapons).

As a dissertation writer, I need uninterrupted and distraction-free quiet to write, write, and write... I have to become a hermit--move into deep seclusion: no friends, no TV, no music, no internet, no blogging!. Woe to me then, when yesterday, I moved into what seemed like the quietest and most secluded position in the Alexandria Central Library, and my computer started downloading my email and Instapundit popped up in Firefox.

I didn't ask for the free Wifi, yet now I cannot avoid it. This is a bad--in fact, a disaster. As a result, I am now blogging this post instead of writing my dissertation. This whole situation reminds me of Sam Gordon in Russ Robert's The Invisible Heart who took control of his life by eliminating television--a private bad. Alas, I will now have to find a new place to write...

My coblogger Ian has already come down against government financed wi-fi networks. Alas, I too must oppose them, because to me they are a public bad. Imagine a world where I cannot anywhere avoid Wi-Fi, except in remote mountainous regions. I'd be writing my dissertation until I die...

Posted at October 26, 2004 10:18 AM

Comments

Try a strategy of precommitment: leave your wi-fi card at home.

Comment by Andrew at October 26, 2004 01:42 PM | Permalink

Techdirt is having some fun with this.

Alas, my wireless card is integrated, and I'll just have to have some self restraint.

Comment by Kevin Brancato at October 26, 2004 02:32 PM | Permalink

Well, government ownership issues aside, just because you lack the attention span to properly work on your paper doesn't mean wi-fi is a bad to the rest of us, hehehe.
I'd reckon train crossings are a bad to people who only ever drive, but it'd be a bit silly to get rid of them when so many of us take the train.

Comment by Andrew McManama-Smith at October 26, 2004 05:23 PM | Permalink

heh ... now you're part of the fiercewireless club as well. :) of course, reading your blog entry is keeping me from doing your work, so it seems wi-fi proliferation is in fact doing what you say it will (in a roundabout way).

-m-

Comment by matthew kershaw at October 26, 2004 05:42 PM | Permalink

I don't know about your laptop but my laptop lets me turn off my wireless adapter (a good). What has happen to personel responsibility. Oh but wait you were downloading emails Remotely? Isn't that a good.

Comment by SJB at October 30, 2004 11:30 AM | Permalink

I was trying a precommittment strategy to study in solitude, like Andrew suggested. What I'm suggesting is that ubiqitous wi-fi will transform the function of public and private spaces... I agree that many people think this is a good, but I'm suggesting that a negative externality will exist... Still, I'd rather you bear the cost of the externality... not me. :)

Comment by Kevin Brancato at October 30, 2004 12:23 PM | Permalink