The traveling blogger

Funny, I was reading the New York Times on the flight from Seattle to Las Vegas (I’m on my way to Philadelphia) and I see my friends DL Byron and Steve Broback are in it talking about blogging on the road.

I was just thinking that it’d be cool to have a Wikipedia style guide to airports. I’m sitting in Las Vegas’ airport right now. Free wifi!!! I love this place.

When I arrive at an airport, here’s what I want:

1) Where is the free wifi? If there isn’t free wifi, what else is available? Sometimes I find three different services and I have no clue which one is cheapest or which one has best bandwidth.
2) Where are the power outlets. I have gotten pretty adept at finding them, but would be great to know a map of outlets in the airport. Particularly good if near a Starbucks or other food outlets.

Any interesting things to see? Some airports have neat artwork, for instance. Others have nice architecture. While others have great views of the runways, but only at certain places.

It’d be great to have a Wiki where I could add to a community resource.

Oh, cruddy! I should have guessed that Wikipedia already has a Wiki page on each airport. Here’s the one for the airport I’m at (McCarran Las Vegas). You can search Google/Yahoo/MSN for your airport name and “wiki” and there probably is a page.

I’ll see if I can add anything onto these pages.

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14 thoughts on “The traveling blogger

  1. Why doesn’t Orbitz (for example) include a link to the airport Wikipedia page when you book your trip?

    Then you can do what you must with vital digital information — print it out.

    Maybe somebody will create an iPod deck of this stuff – then you’ll be all set.

    Like

  2. Why doesn’t Orbitz (for example) include a link to the airport Wikipedia page when you book your trip?

    Then you can do what you must with vital digital information — print it out.

    Maybe somebody will create an iPod deck of this stuff – then you’ll be all set.

    Like

  3. This is a very interesting area. Wikiairport. From this point, I can see the light of Web3.0. Web2.0 is about RSS, Blog, Wiki, social network etc. Now let me give some topics to the Web3.0. First, Give the airport 2D image, similar to Google map or MS earth, it can mark each places as Gate, check-in, Cafe, Wifi, shops(ads attractive)etc. Wiki or blog can leave mark on each of these places, good or bad about services. Together with searchable information and topic about the airport. Next step, it is real virtual airport in 3D. Like the XBox game. You can visit the Airport online. If this is not enough, integrate with airport camera(for safety reason,secret area will be filtered out). This model can expand to any interesting place, such as museum, shopping mall.
    sharing some thoughts with me:
    ccnote at gmail

    Like

  4. This is a very interesting area. Wikiairport. From this point, I can see the light of Web3.0. Web2.0 is about RSS, Blog, Wiki, social network etc. Now let me give some topics to the Web3.0. First, Give the airport 2D image, similar to Google map or MS earth, it can mark each places as Gate, check-in, Cafe, Wifi, shops(ads attractive)etc. Wiki or blog can leave mark on each of these places, good or bad about services. Together with searchable information and topic about the airport. Next step, it is real virtual airport in 3D. Like the XBox game. You can visit the Airport online. If this is not enough, integrate with airport camera(for safety reason,secret area will be filtered out). This model can expand to any interesting place, such as museum, shopping mall.
    sharing some thoughts with me:
    ccnote at gmail

    Like

  5. Also check out forums like http://www.flyertalk.com/ – fantastic for finding answers to just about any travel related question. Not as well organised as a wiki perhaps, but still quite effective.

    Would be good to capture more of the expertise on FlyerTalk into a wiki.

    Like

  6. Also check out forums like http://www.flyertalk.com/ – fantastic for finding answers to just about any travel related question. Not as well organised as a wiki perhaps, but still quite effective.

    Would be good to capture more of the expertise on FlyerTalk into a wiki.

    Like

  7. Robert, we also need your travel plans on Google Maps or something so us local Philly geeks could catch up with you! Too bad we don’t have our town set up as a giant hotspot just yet; now that would have been perfect for you!

    Like

  8. Robert, we also need your travel plans on Google Maps or something so us local Philly geeks could catch up with you! Too bad we don’t have our town set up as a giant hotspot just yet; now that would have been perfect for you!

    Like

  9. Further my thoughts about Wikiairport or virtual airport. Let’s extend Google map and MS Virtual Earth(following we call it MAP) with social contribution. Now the Wiki, blog, Flickr are not directly related to geographic position. Suppose I visit a “wild park”, I use mobile to record video or take picture, the mobile takes the GPS coordinates. Then upload these to “global earth” website, with tags and also GPS coordinates(with GPS, it is easy to link to the Map, or we can manually find the position on the Map, and tag its position to our video and picture contribution). When some one visits the “wild park” on the MAP, in screen area it has indication video or picture in the region (just like this web site has RSS etc). By active it, it show dots on the Map where the video or picture was taken. Click it show one or a list of the media with time stamp. Choose one, the visitor can view the picture and video around that place. This is for fun, for information. Also this records the human life. Hundred years later, people still can see what it looks like 100 years ago. It can record any place, city, countryside etc. Geographic teacher can find fine material for his/her class as well. Now the technology makes these possible and easy (not yet for integration) to do.

    Like

  10. Further my thoughts about Wikiairport or virtual airport. Let’s extend Google map and MS Virtual Earth(following we call it MAP) with social contribution. Now the Wiki, blog, Flickr are not directly related to geographic position. Suppose I visit a “wild park”, I use mobile to record video or take picture, the mobile takes the GPS coordinates. Then upload these to “global earth” website, with tags and also GPS coordinates(with GPS, it is easy to link to the Map, or we can manually find the position on the Map, and tag its position to our video and picture contribution). When some one visits the “wild park” on the MAP, in screen area it has indication video or picture in the region (just like this web site has RSS etc). By active it, it show dots on the Map where the video or picture was taken. Click it show one or a list of the media with time stamp. Choose one, the visitor can view the picture and video around that place. This is for fun, for information. Also this records the human life. Hundred years later, people still can see what it looks like 100 years ago. It can record any place, city, countryside etc. Geographic teacher can find fine material for his/her class as well. Now the technology makes these possible and easy (not yet for integration) to do.

    Like

  11. Where is the free wifi? If there isn’t free wifi, what else is available? Sometimes I find three different services and I have no clue which one is cheapest or which one has best bandwidth.

    Well don’t go to Boston Logan as MassPort wants to make any wifi, free or pay, not run by them illegal:

    Massport has consistently argued its policy is only trying to prevent a proliferation of private WiFi transmitters that could interfere with wireless networks used by airlines, State Police, and the Transportation Security Administration. WiFi service providers are free to negotiate so-called roaming deals, Massport officials say, that would let their subscribers who pay for monthly access use the Logan network. But major providers including T-Mobile USA have balked at Massport’s proposed terms, saying the airport authority seeks excessive profits.

    Like

  12. Where is the free wifi? If there isn’t free wifi, what else is available? Sometimes I find three different services and I have no clue which one is cheapest or which one has best bandwidth.

    Well don’t go to Boston Logan as MassPort wants to make any wifi, free or pay, not run by them illegal:

    Massport has consistently argued its policy is only trying to prevent a proliferation of private WiFi transmitters that could interfere with wireless networks used by airlines, State Police, and the Transportation Security Administration. WiFi service providers are free to negotiate so-called roaming deals, Massport officials say, that would let their subscribers who pay for monthly access use the Logan network. But major providers including T-Mobile USA have balked at Massport’s proposed terms, saying the airport authority seeks excessive profits.

    Like

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