Enough of conferences with no power strips
REDWOOD CITY, Calif.--As a fairly frequent conference attendee, I have had to deal with all kinds of little annoyances that come with the endless confabs that go on these days.
Over the years, one of the ones that has most bothered me--and annoyed others--has gotten somewhat better: the lack of Wi-Fi. It's not perfect, of course, but more and more I'm finding that I can get online wirelessly, something crucial to me as a reporter.
But one pet peeve has not gotten any better, and I, and others, have had enough: the lack of power strips.
I'm currently at the Dow Jones Consumer Technology Innovations 2007 event here, and in the main ballroom where the keynotes and panel discussions are being held, there is zero power available at the many tables in the room. Sure, there's power against the wall, as there always is, but that's just not sufficient.
I simply can't understand how, in late 2007, with almost no end to the number of conferences, symposiums, and other events put on by technology and media companies, organizers haven't caught on to the necessity for power.
Sure, not everybody's going to need it. But many are. Just look at the number of people with their laptops out during talks. Each of those people would appreciate a power strip to plug into. How do I know? Because even at many the events where such luxuries are provided, the strips are jammed full, and some people still can't power up.
Honestly, I don't know what to do other than rant about it here. I hope that someone in a position to do something about this phenomenon sees this and decides that it's time to make sure this changes. Because it's time.
Daniel Terdiman is a staff writer at CNET News covering games, Net culture, and everything in between. E-mail Daniel. 
