I've always been pretty suspicious of the networks labelled 'Free Public Wifi' that seem to spring up whenever I open my notebook in airports, and mildly curious as to why they're so prolific. Sure, I've occasionally tried one when there's no other visible network and I'm keen for connectivity, and it turns out that's the whole problem, as Lisa Phifer at TechTarget explains:

After you deplane at the next city and open your laptop, your Wi-Fi card tries to automatically reconnect to "Free Public Wi-Fi." Others sitting around you see this SSID being advertised by your laptop, and try to connect to you. This cycle repeats itself, spreading "Free Public WiFi" SSID from traveler to traveler, city to city.

While it's hard to break the habit of wi-fi slurping, it's probably sensible to give it up, or at least follow Phifer's suggestions for not automatically connecting to unknown or public networks.
Beware 'Free Public WiFi' when searching for a net connection [Tech Target]

We all know that networking can be vitally important, especially for freelancers and those with a bit of salesmanship to their jobs, but gigantic conferences like SXSW Interactive or O'Reilly Emerging Technology can seem like imposing behemoths, and even smaller gatherings can be frustrating if your crowd-working skills aren't up to snuff—which certainly holds true for your morning editor. There's always another chance to book a room and pin on a name tag coming up, though, so I turn to our more networking-savvy readers and ask: How do you set goals or keep focused on getting something worthwhile out of your time at conferences and seminars? What kind of must-have goods do you bring? Do you plan to meet certain people ahead of time, or are big gatherings a chance to play it by ear? Let's hear your advice, war stories, and suggestions in the comments.

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