Yeah. If they can figure out a way to do it, they will. They HATE the fact that people can easily do things like review the text of a speech that a politician gave two years ago.
You could do that before the Internet, but it wasn’t easy. Not only that, it gives people a place to pool their expertise and resources to analyze things. Before the Internet, would anyone have caught CBS lying about Bush’s military service?
So, yeah. I agree with you. But from a business perspective, I understand this decision.
Since I got a notebook computer with WiFi, I didn’t care if a place had WiFi or not. Now, I find I sometimes make decisions on where to dine based on whether they have WiFi. Since I usually dine alone, I admit I’m not the target audience for a lot of businesses and I doubt I would take my computer if I was dining with others.
But it is a plus in my view if they offer it and if they need to find a policy to keep “campers” (as waitresses refer to people who stay for hours and order practically nothing) that fits their business model, I’m fine with that.
I may stay at some places for several hours, it is never without compensation for the business and a gratuity for the waitress so I feel as if I am a fair customer. I’ve never had a business ask me to leave.