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Wi-Fi Alliance To Brand Public Hotspots
Andreas Ehn writes "802.11 Planet writes: 'The Wi-Fi Alliance is
launching a new program starting today to create a global brand for easier recognition of public access hotspots. The Wi-Fi ZONE program will also include setting a minimum standard of quality for hotspots before they can label themselves a Wi-Fi ZONE or display the ZONE
logo.' Read the article here! It won't be cheap, however -- you'll be expected to pay $100 for a license to use the trademark for three access points at one location, though it will be free until March 2004. Or you could just stick to warchalking."
From a technology standpoint, can someone out there with alot of Wi-Fi experience reply back with how this will differ from products such as Joltage's apps that turn hot spots into instant mini-Internet service providers? Or HotSpottzz, who has creats wi-fi networks via strategically placed antennas? Or is WiFi Zone more this more like the peer-to-peer approach taken by SkyPilot?
--- have you healed your church website?
I think the top one of these would be a better brand symbol.
-no broken link
Well, who is going to pay $100 to offer a service for free?
I guess this is probably going to go more towards pay sites, but if they really want to build a world of total wi-fi coverage, what they should do is build protocols that allow devices to see prices to get on the various Networks that surround them and allow for quick, instant payment for bandwidth used.
autopr0n is like, down and stuff.
But reading this post I find myself trying to write down examples of public domain logos that are not controlled by any organization. And I think that there are relatively few. Of those that come to mind, like the pawn shop's three balls, and the Medical caducious, they are very ancient. A few modern examples are the radioactive and biohazard tri-foils.
We are now poised at a point where a new public symbol might have reached a critical public awareness where it might spring into existence. The Warchalked Wi-Fi hot spot.
Of course I'm glossing over those generic sorts of informational highway type signs that basically are pictographs (mens room, telephone, hotel bed).
Or maybe this is more common than I think. Can slashdot readers come up with other (non-generic) examples of "free" logos with no controlling entity.
Some drink at the fountain of knowledge. Others just gargle.
There are already many ways to list your hotspot, including http://www.nodedb.com, http://www.wifimaps.com, and more. I don't understnad why one would need to pay $100 to use a logo, I think the standard [)(] is sufficient...
1. Stupid symbol. It contains no symbology suggesting wirelessness or radio, and it contains English words (and parts thereof). This is supposed to be an international symbol, so it should use graphics only. Just look at simple symbols like those for radioactivity or biohazards, they're extremely simple and to the point. What's wrong with an idealized graphic of an antenna and radio waves, plus some sort of hint that it's digital?
2. If it's supposed to encourage more widespread adoption of WiFi, the fee will be a super-major downer for a lot of providers (especially in parts of the world where $100 still means something). Plus it sends the wrong signal (no pun intended), charging for something that is supposed to spread the gospel.
Our friends at Homeland Security view the uncontrolled internet access [...] as a *major* problem.
From your post I have a little trouble figuring out your stance on this. Do you disagree with HomeSec?
Completely anonymous high-speed Internet access *is* dangerous. What prevents some script kiddie from pulling up in his Honda Civic (with a huge spoiler of course) and using a public hotspot to launch every known attack against any site on the Internet?
At least with a cable modem or DSL there is the possibility of digging through log files and turning up an IP address. If he's using a public WiFi point then all you'll get is the WiFi owner's IP and the script kiddie will be long gone.
How do you host a public WiFi hotspot yet avoid being used as a script-kiddie (or spam) portal?