Slashdot Mirror
SSID As the New Community Bulletin Board and Yard Sign
Hugh Pickens writes "Megan Garber writes that wireless routers have become the lawn signs of the digital age, particularly in large apartment buildings, where almost every unit has a unique Wi-Fi network that will be detected in turn by all the other unique Wi-Fi networks. SSIDs can be a cheeky, geeky way to broadcast messages to your immediate neighbors. Most of us keep it simple with '275_Elm_Street,' 'Apt23,' or 'my_network,' but some get more creative with names like: 'Apt112IHaveYourMail,' 'PrettyFlyForAWiFi,' or 'WeCanHearYouHavingSex' — a great way to freak out your annoying neighbors without hiding in their bushes or peeping in their windows late at night. Now the team at OpenSignalMaps, which maintains a database of geolocated Wi-Fi access points, analyzed the data they've collected about wireless routers to see whether Wi-Fi names are 'being used to fly political colors' and have found, globally, 1,140 results for 'Obama' and an additional six for 'Romney' — an indication not necessarily of Romney's popularity relative to the president's, but of the attention that four years as president can confer. 'There's something uniquely contemporary and incredibly old-school about that kind of broadcasting: It's messaging meant only for your immediate neighbors,' writes Garber. 'The politicized network names are like lawn signs for people who don't have lawns.'"
I saw "GetYourOwnDamnWifi" the other day. Ok guy, I get the point.
The reason Romney is so under-represented is that "Romney" is actually more vanilla than "Linksys".
Make it an open network but don't connect it to anything. Some people will spend hours trying to connect.
Works better when it is in range of busy public spaces.
Also works equally as well with "Free Porn".
... but I'm not giving up "FBI Surveillance Van".
Boobies is the more visible one (2.4 Ghz b/g/n), and everyone who comes over with a smartphone or laptop finds it amusing, the ladies moreso than the guys. I have a second vlan on it for when friends bring their children over with ipods, kindles and such; it doesn't seem right to tell a 10 year old to just grab boobies!!
When you're dead, you don't know you're dead. It only affects the people around you. Same thing when you're stupid.
'WeCanHearYouHavingSex' — a great way to freak out your annoying neighbors without hiding in their bushes or peeping in their windows late at night.
I was looking for a better way to freak out my neighbours than hiding in their bushes or peeping in their windows late at night.
Thanks slashdot!
Wow, that's lower than I expected.
I set my phone up to broadcast "IRSAuditor28401938" and took a stroll around the wealthy area of town. Almost as fun as yelling "migras!" at a construction site.
No, it's because any AP with an SSID of Romney will not respond consistently. Then again, any AP with an SSID of Obama is heavily compromised and, even when given full power, does almost nothing.
"Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos!"