In their neverending quest to catalogue or take over pretty much everything on Earth, Google has put in a bid to provide all of San Francisco with free wireless internet access. That's right, folks. FREE.

The Mountain View, Calif.-based company filed an application late Friday to provide wireless, or "WiFi," service that would enable anyone in San Francisco to connect to the Internet.

Google submitted its 100-page bid in response to a request from Mayor Gavin Newsom, who is looking for a company to finance a free wireless network to lower the financial barriers to Internet access in his city.

Besides freaking the fuck out of pay internet providers like SBC and Comcast, the bid also seeks to provide Google with an entire city full of Google-philllic guinea pigs.

"It makes sense for Google," said Chris Winfield, who runs a search engine marketing firm, 10e20. "They say their mission is to organize the world's information, so the logical next step is to provide the access to it."

Google spokesman Nate Tyler said Saturday that the company doesn't have any plans to offer a WiFi service outside the San Francisco Bay area.

"Unwiring San Francisco is a way for Google to support our local Bay Area community," Tyler said. "It is also an opportunity to make San Francisco a test-ground for new location-based applications and services that enable people to find relevant information exactly when and where they need it."

Oh. And did I mention that it's going to be FREE!? Be jealous. Be very jealous.

Subrosa

San Francisco, CA

July 2004

OCT 04, 2005 04:07 PM

Now. If we can just make sure it's a decent signal...

highcontrast

San Francisco, CA

March 2003

OCT 04, 2005 04:07 PM

seems cool, but it will be unsecured access, right?

Telltale

USA

May 2004

OCT 04, 2005 04:09 PM

oooooohhh, this is so exciting! It's my belief that one day the whole US will be like this. *crosses fingers*

Subrosa

San Francisco, CA

July 2004

OCT 04, 2005 04:10 PM

JayHawk said:
oooooohhh, this is so exciting! It's my belief that one day the whole US will be like this. *crosses fingers*

Ha ha! But in the article it says that Google has no plans to provide this anywhere else. In other words, neener neener neener!!

Jayden

SUICIDEGIRL

Oregon, USA

OCT 04, 2005 04:26 PM

I love it. I am all for Comcast getting screwed in any way possible.

unravled

Portland, OR

August 2003

OCT 04, 2005 04:29 PM

JayHawk said:
oooooohhh, this is so exciting! It's my belief that one day the whole US will be like this. *crosses fingers*

Someday is pretty far off, still, I'm guessing.

My dad lives in a rural town in Northern California, and he still doesn't have a provider that offers DSL.

boundcreature

Boston, MA

April 2004

OCT 04, 2005 04:30 PM

^ Verizon too!

jedemzmedem

I'm lost

September 2005

OCT 04, 2005 04:35 PM

Felony said:
I love it. I am all for Comcast getting screwed in any way possible.

Agreed. What an interesting development seeing as how SF is in the middle of trying to renegotiate their contract with Comcast right now.

MistahPrince

Chicago, IL

February 2005

OCT 04, 2005 04:39 PM

I think I speak for everyone, save Subrosa and the SGSF group, when I say...

fuck you.

MetaTag

United Kingdom

September 2002

OCT 04, 2005 04:43 PM

And Google has just teamed up with Sun to distribute Sun's office suite...

Juliana

SUICIDEGIRL

Saint Lucia

OCT 04, 2005 04:44 PM

FUCK YES I love living in the Bay Area.

NimChimpsky

Oakland, CA

March 2004

OCT 04, 2005 04:50 PM

so what's the catch?

Subrosa

San Francisco, CA

July 2004

OCT 04, 2005 04:52 PM

Sknow said:
I think I speak for everyone, save Subrosa and the SGSF group, when I say...

fuck you.

Caligula_ODM

Newport, RI

March 2005

OCT 04, 2005 05:06 PM

they also offer free email called "gmail". they monitor all incoming and outgoing mail, flag key words, then bomb you with advertisements triggered by these key words. read the fine print and watch your back ... aint nothin' free boy!

bean

STAFF

Los Angeles, CA

OCT 04, 2005 05:18 PM

Caligula_ODM said:
they also offer free email called "gmail". they monitor all incoming and outgoing mail, flag key words, then bomb you with advertisements triggered by these key words. read the fine print and watch your back ... aint nothin' free boy!

I've got gmail, and have yet to see a single ad (I get and send my gmail through POP using Apple's Mail app), and anyone expecting privacy from email they're not hosting themselves is foolish.

smithers_jones

I'm lost

November 2003

OCT 04, 2005 05:20 PM

Gloat all you want. I am starting a personal campaign to have San Francisco nicknamed "Google's Bitch."

MisterSatan

Portland, OR

August 2002

OCT 04, 2005 05:20 PM

Actually, unravled and I usually talk about how funny the ads are in our emails.

tomahto

San Bruno, CA

June 2003

OCT 04, 2005 05:22 PM

unravled

Portland, OR

August 2003

OCT 04, 2005 05:36 PM

MisterSatan said:

Actually, unravled and I usually talk about how funny the ads are in our emails.

Last night I ordered ostrich burgers and had them sent straight to my doorstep. Thanks gmail!

Kaziklu

Canada

November 2004

OCT 04, 2005 05:38 PM

That's funny I don't see any advertisments?
I have hotmail open right now and there is an advert banner running down the right side. I have Gmail also open and there are no adverts at all.. when there have been in the past it's relvant to what was in the e-mail. Which I personalyl would rather have a bot cataloging that and giving me someing relvent then useless and flashing.
and yep they monitor all incoming and outgoing mail just like everythign else on the Web is moniter and you end up being able to find old e-mail faster.

not overly concrened..

What people should be concrned with is the crappiness of google talk.. which is the only failed things they done so far (that i know of)

also I want to move to San Fransico now.

bean

STAFF

Los Angeles, CA

OCT 04, 2005 05:40 PM

Kaziklu said:
What people should be concrned with is the crappiness of google talk.. which is the only failed things they done so far (that i know of)

It's also still in beta. It didn't work on my mac for just about the entire month of September, but it's fine now, and I actually like it a lot. Though it won't be replacing AIM via iChat anytime soon on my desktop, they coexist quite nicely.

JGailor

San Francisco, CA

March 2005

OCT 04, 2005 05:42 PM

One more check in the + column for moving to San Francisco, not that I needed anymore.

Lemonkid

Canada

May 2003

OCT 04, 2005 05:43 PM

unravled said:

MisterSatan said:

Actually, unravled and I usually talk about how funny the ads are in our emails.

Last night I ordered ostrich burgers and had them sent straight to my doorstep. Thanks gmail!

Mmmm... succulent ostrich.

Goob

Hatboro, PA

March 2004

OCT 04, 2005 05:55 PM

Lemonkid said:

unravled said:

MisterSatan said:

Actually, unravled and I usually talk about how funny the ads are in our emails.

Last night I ordered ostrich burgers and had them sent straight to my doorstep. Thanks gmail!

Mmmm... succulent ostrich.

only succulent if you cook it right. that shit can be tough.

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San Francisco, CA

July 2004

OCT 04, 2005 09:41 AM

San Francisco, CA

July 2004

OCT 04, 2005 04:07 PM

San Francisco, CA

March 2003

OCT 04, 2005 04:07 PM

USA

May 2004

OCT 04, 2005 04:09 PM

San Francisco, CA

July 2004

OCT 04, 2005 04:10 PM

SUICIDEGIRL

Oregon, USA

OCT 04, 2005 04:26 PM

Portland, OR

August 2003

OCT 04, 2005 04:29 PM

boundcreature

Boston, MA

April 2004

OCT 04, 2005 04:30 PM

I'm lost

September 2005

OCT 04, 2005 04:35 PM

Chicago, IL

February 2005

OCT 04, 2005 04:39 PM

United Kingdom

September 2002

OCT 04, 2005 04:43 PM

SUICIDEGIRL

Saint Lucia

OCT 04, 2005 04:44 PM

Oakland, CA

March 2004

OCT 04, 2005 04:50 PM

San Francisco, CA

July 2004

OCT 04, 2005 04:52 PM

Newport, RI

March 2005

OCT 04, 2005 05:06 PM

STAFF

Los Angeles, CA

OCT 04, 2005 05:18 PM

I'm lost

November 2003

OCT 04, 2005 05:20 PM

Portland, OR

August 2002

OCT 04, 2005 05:20 PM

San Bruno, CA

June 2003

OCT 04, 2005 05:22 PM

Portland, OR

August 2003

OCT 04, 2005 05:36 PM

Canada

November 2004

OCT 04, 2005 05:38 PM

STAFF

Los Angeles, CA

OCT 04, 2005 05:40 PM

San Francisco, CA

March 2005

OCT 04, 2005 05:42 PM

Canada

May 2003

OCT 04, 2005 05:43 PM

Goob

Hatboro, PA

March 2004

OCT 04, 2005 05:55 PM