At work another IT Project Manager was just saying he didn't understand how Open Source software worked if nobody "owned" it. They just aren't able to visualize what's already there. So he was vulnerable to FUD.
When I was a kid Sesame Street had a small bit that took you to a dairy and showed how milk got to your house. It'd be fun to see a documentary about how Apache server is currently run and maintained. How does a bug get handled? How is the Apache Foundation organized?
Tube is nice, but for NYC, it might be more appropriate to use an 80's boombox:
I had a JVC with two cassette decks...:)
With either kind you could use an IPOD Radio to transmit over the speakers (as long as it had FM)
Now that's a fun way to add Wi-Fi to your local coffeehouse--slip a m0n0wallSoekris and a DSL modem inside an old portable radio and put it on the countertop.
I think we'd want to have some weighted rules for judging a good "sympathetic" installation (highest first):
If the radio works, it should continue to work (do no harm)
As minimal damage to the original casing as possible
The wi-fi unit is easily removed to return item to an old style radio
Operation simple for the user (plug/unplug)
Network indicator lights visible (through the mesh?)
Recently on NYCWireless (http://lists.nycwireless.net/pipermail/nycwireles s/2004-August/008643.html) I posted about an idea that would make this even easier: area wifi tells people where you are. In effect, your PDA keeps searching for a network to broadcast its position. When it finds one, it checks a node db to see if its a community or public node (like nodedb.com) Poof. Automatic cross-reference of person with location.
In general, IM services should get most centralized. Not like Passport (proprietary, but some universal web service (gaim) that websites could lock into to indicate whether and person is online and ifso, where.
Slashdot Mirror
I'd love to check to see if breast cancer funding sites are blocked and such.
At work another IT Project Manager was just saying he didn't understand how Open Source software worked if nobody "owned" it. They just aren't able to visualize what's already there. So he was vulnerable to FUD. When I was a kid Sesame Street had a small bit that took you to a dairy and showed how milk got to your house. It'd be fun to see a documentary about how Apache server is currently run and maintained. How does a bug get handled? How is the Apache Foundation organized?
Tube is nice, but for NYC, it might be more appropriate to use an 80's boombox: I had a JVC with two cassette decks... :)
With either kind you could use an IPOD Radio to transmit over the speakers (as long as it had FM)
Now that's a fun way to add Wi-Fi to your local coffeehouse--slip a m0n0wall Soekris and a DSL modem inside an old portable radio and put it on the countertop.
I think we'd want to have some weighted rules for judging a good "sympathetic" installation (highest first):
Rob
P.S. For do-it-yourselfers, check out ebay's 1930's radios and NYCwireless's primer on setting up community nodes
Recently on NYCWireless (http://lists.nycwireless.net/pipermail/nycwireles s/2004-August/008643.html) I posted about an idea that would make this even easier: area wifi tells people where you are. In effect, your PDA keeps searching for a network to broadcast its position. When it finds one, it checks a node db to see if its a community or public node (like nodedb.com) Poof. Automatic cross-reference of person with location.
In general, IM services should get most centralized. Not like Passport (proprietary, but some universal web service (gaim) that websites could lock into to indicate whether and person is online and ifso, where.