I know I'm probably going to get into trouble for this...

...but so be it.

As you've no doubt noticed, it's been quite a while since either Mac or I have reviewed a new location. Well, I guess that's to be expected, given that Wi-Fi has matured now and the big-boom days of circa 2002-05, when everyone rushed to unwire every place anyone might conceivably sit with a booted laptop for more than a minute or two are long past. New sites just don't pop up as often as they did when I started all this.

But that doesn't, in my view, mean that new and growing businesses that might benefit from offering wireless Internet to their customers should hesitate from taking the plunge. And given also that Wi-Fi's newness has worn off, meaning that new locations don't get the media attention they once did, there's always a chance that some establishment here or there has unwired and we just didn't hear about it.

So, on the outside chance of coming across such a location and to satisfy my personal curiosity, I decided to cruise through the jazz district-also referred to as the 18th and Vine historic district in some circles-this afternoon, looking for likely candidates for hotspots, which I'd then survey on foot, trusty finder in hand.

I really shouldn't have bothered. There was what appeared to be one open access point provided for customer use by a restaurant at the vaunted intersection above, but walking past and peering into the windows didn't really tell me anything. And now here's where I'm likely going to start trouble.

Dear Mr./Mrs./Mr. & Mrs./Ms. Restarurateur(s): Did it ever occur to you that someone walking past your establishment during the hours it's closed just might be a bit curious as to your cuisine? Ever take a walk past your competitors' establishments on the Plaza, in Westport, or down at Power and Light? If so, did you by any chance notice that practically all of them post their menus on their windows just so that someone walking by like me can satisfy his or her curiosity, and maybe-just maybe-make a mental note to return a bit later with a healthy appetite and with credit card in hand?

And if that Wi-Fi router is indeed intentionally left open for your patrons, it might be a courtesy to say so. (And if it's not, drop what you're doing, go dig the router's instructions out and learn how to change and stop broadcasting that SSID and set up WPA, then go and do it-RIGHT NOW!!!)

Now for the trouble part. No, I will not give anyone a pass out of consideration of where this is located. Good business practices on one side of town are good business practices everywhere else. Inexperience? An explanation, but not an excuse. Besides, feedback like this is how experience is gained.

And a bit more experience and expertise is what this development sorely needs, and soon. The rather imaginative facades of long-gone businesses just don't have the decorative impact they were intended to when they have to compete with the high vacancy rate in the renovated structures. And I know that given the emphasis on jazz and nightlife, one would expect bars to predominate. However, here's a memo to the developers: You have enough liquor licenses down there already. How about some family and youth oriented establishments such as a non-alchohol serving restaurant or two, a bookstore or perhaps a coffeehouse or ice cream parlor? You know, the kind of place that would attract someone other than nightcrawlers, and encourage them to stay awhile? Free Wi-Fi could help with that, too.

Or you could keep rolling the sidewalks up at 3 a. m. instead of leaving them for the day shift.