Watch Your Hotspot Names When Attending A Work Conference


We’re fans of using strange names for your wireless access point, whether that’s to amuse yourself or to improve security. But you might need to be more careful if you take the same approach with a mobile hotspot at a public event such as a conference.

Earlier this week at Linux.conf.au, organisers took the relatively unusual step of reminding attendees not to use offensive names for their access points. The conference code of conduct requires all presentations to be suitable for an audience aged 12 or over and bans any sexualised content, a policy which apparently extends to hotspot names as well. While the event offers free Wi-Fi at most venues, there were problems with it on the first day due to some equipment issues, which led to mobile hotspots being used more extensively than might have otherwise been the case.

Not everyone appears to have paid attention to the request, with disruptive names continuing to appear (NSFW link) at the conference. In part, that might reflect the difficulty of regulating the issue: it’s impossible to easily identify the owners of individual hotspots. The code of conduct has been a controversial issue, but agreeing to it is a condition of attending. Is it fair to extend it to hotspot names? Share your thoughts in the comments.


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