| Picture this scene. It's a warm spring afternoon on | | | | network might soon seem rather insignificant if |
| the campus of an urban, Northeastern university. | | | | the City of Philadelphia proceeds with plans to |
| Frisbees are soaring through the cloudless sky. | | | | make the entire city a wireless hotspot. |
| Music fills the air while dozens of students enjoy | | | | Today it is not too difficult to find a wireless |
| the day; some sunning, some playing, some | | | | Internet node with a little bit of hunting. Many |
| standing around talking. As you look closer, you | | | | airports, hotels, offices, coffee shops and campus |
| realize that the music is coming from speakers | | | | buildings offer WiFi access with more and more |
| attached to one of the students' laptop computer. | | | | coming online all the time. |
| The computer is not playing a CD, but rather it is | | | | Less desirable (because of slower connection |
| streaming music from an online radio station. | | | | speeds), but more accessible, is the ability to |
| The laptop owner rolls over, flips up his | | | | check e-mail and access the web through a |
| sunglasses, and pulls the computer to him. He | | | | Blackberry, Cell Phone, or Cellular adaptor for a |
| spends the next 30 minutes reading e-mail, | | | | laptop. |
| checking his schedule, IMing with some friends and | | | | What does this all mean to you? Very simply, it |
| finishing the application to a grad school, which he | | | | means that online recruiting continues to become |
| started the night before. | | | | more vital every day. The computer with a |
| This scene could be taking place on the campus | | | | wireless hookup to the Internet is becoming |
| of Drexel University in Philadelphia because the | | | | ubiquitous. The students (think early adopters) |
| entire campus is set up for WiFi, both indoors and | | | | that you are looking to recruit are ahead of the |
| out. Any member of the campus community with | | | | curve. Postal mail, paper view books and other |
| a laptop has access to the Internet with a | | | | "old-world" media are becoming more and more |
| wireless, broadband connection from anywhere on | | | | insignificant to them. The student on the blanket is |
| campus. | | | | filling out a school's application. |
| More surprising is that Drexel's ambitious WiFi | | | | |