Just got home after the SM Marikina wi-fi testing and a dinner with some bloggers namely : Marc, Gail, Karla, Sha, Melo, Aileen, and Jay at Krung Thai Resto in Marikina.
I attempted to do a live coverage of the event using cover it live. However, due to the not so friendly wi-fi connection, i wasn’t able to push through entirely with the plan. As you can see from the sequence of events below, i wasn’t able to do a live coverage from the moment i tried SM Marikina’s wi-fi using my Nokia N82.
SM Marikina Wi-Fi Test (02/28/2009)
3:41: in transit. On my way 2 SM marikina using my nokia n82 and globe 3G
3:43: Jay of marikinalife.blogspot.com is at SM marikina. He’s been there since 1pm. Ü
3:44: just crossed katipunan road going to marcos highway.
3:45: now crossing marcos highway bridge.
3:46: now at the underpass to sm marikina.
3:51: am now here at sm marikina
3:55: converting from 3G to wifi
4:45: registered earlier around 4pm
4:47: had merienda wid jay (marikinalife.blogspot.com) and aileen (aileenapolo.com)
4:48: going to cyberzone now
4:49: met gail and marc
10:14: Event officially ended 5 minutes after 5pm.
10:15: Read www.MigsMobile.net for more…
However, i could attest that a lot of bloggers were able to do their own live blogging and that they were able to connect to SM Marikina’s wi-fi. But i was really having problems connecting..
I was using my phone because my laptop was dead (meaning ran out of battery). I tried searching for an outlet at Pancake house but they said there’s a fee for charging.
Aileen and I had a hard time connecting inside Pancake House. Seems that connection there was slow. We had to bear with the “redirecting” page for like an hour i think.
After the event, around 5:30, I pluged my laptop to one of the power outlets at Cyberzone area. Then, the guard approached me and told me that they do not allow unauthorized “pluging” and “charging”. And that i need the approval or consent of admin (SM Admin). So i told the guard that i’m part of the bloggers that attended the event earlier. He told me in a nice way “tapos na po ang event” (the event has already ended). I was supposed to blog about the event but I just packed up and left.
Some suggestions for improvement:
1. Provide more details in the flyer that you give out to the participants. Like the one given to me did not specify which access point is to be used for the wi-fi testing. I’m sure not all of those access points can be used for free.
2. With events like this, involve the establishments in the mall. Or identify some establishments that can join in the wi-fi testing and provide freebies, like free refreshments, even just iced tea for the first ten bloggers. Or just provide free charging of their gadgets.
3. I didn’t find anyone assisiting the bloggers in the activity area.. errr.. the ones that were late (maybe that’s why…) i wasn’t given any free meal (maybe because i’m late). They could have placed some ushers.. like 4 ushers will do.. sorrounding the activity area with something that would make it easier for the participants to see and ask questions from (specially for those like me who arrived late.. hahahah).
4. The organizers should have ended the event with an after-event chitchat and not leave right away and ask the bloggers about their experience.
5. Maybe you can add more routers to cover for the “ends” of the mall (slow connections at pancake house area both inside and out of the establishment).
So… SM Marikina’s Wi-fi. Like any other wi-fi, the mor users, the slower the browsing experience will be. Compared to other malls that offers free wi-fi, The ones at Sta. Lucia and Robinson’s Metro east are easier to use and a bit faster than what i had experienced in SM Marikina. But all these malls will not compare to Gateway mall in cubao which has the fastest and most reliable wi-fi connection inside a mall that i have used here in Metro Manila.
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Update: March 02, 2009
I went to SM Marikina again today to apply for a SUN Broadbamd. I checked out the wi-fi connection.. and it was fast. I tried using my Laptop, Nokia N800 and my Nokia N82.
I roamed around the mall and checked the conenction using the internet tablet and my phone. Good connection up to the third floor. And still low to “no” connection at the sides.
[...] Migs reports that he was having difficulty with SM Marikina’s WiFi last Saturday. The mall asked a bunch of bloggers over, to test the capacity of the area’s wireless network. So how did the WiFi hold up? Well, Migs couldn’t even liveblog the event. I attempted to do a live coverage of the event using cover it live. However, due to the not so friendly wi-fi connection, i wasn’t able to push through emtirely with the plan. As you can see from the sequence of events below, i wasn’t able to do a live coverage from the moment i tried SM Marikina’s wi-fi using my Nokia N82. [...]
That was the worst Bloggers Meet ever. Tinipid na nga, parang nabastos pa mga bloggers. it’s like anyone can go there anyway. No courtesy whatsoever. Only one blogger came home happy with the laptop haha
Get It From Boy!,
Worst blogger meet for 2009 so far? heheheh
I’m optimistic that they will improve on this.