SeattleWireless Node Fundraiser

[Casey Halverson]

One of the biggest challenges for SeattleWireless, or perhaps any other
community wireless network that's not smack in the middle of Nebraska,
is the lack of line of sight.  Its tough getting above those trees,
buildings, and hills.  It limits our growth and people who we can reach.

The tower node is different.  From our initial surveys, 150 feet on top
of capitol hill gets us pretty far.  Not only can it tie into the
existing SeattleWireless system in several locations, but we can also
reach parts of the community completely unserved by the SWN network.  It
doesn't stop with the seattle area either -- some have reported seeing
the distant cluster of towers on Capitol Hill and want to tie in their
homes or communities as well.

High up, key locations are important to bringing SWN to the critical
mass required in order to make the project useful for everybody.  This
usually is in association with high dollar rent, and is usually cost
prohibitive for an organization with no financial structure or bank
account, but not this time.

We really need to seize this moment and help in construction of this
system.  We have taken care of the politics (getting on towers for
free), people are still interested in building a network, we have a
non-profit backer giving us this space, and we have plenty of technical
expertise to bring this project to rapid completion.  The last hurdle is
financing this project.  This is something that everybody can do...even
if it's a small contribution.  It doesn't have to visually move the
progress bar.  It could even be $1!  Hey, if you don't want to give any
money, that's okay too.  Continue to use our system free of charge --
that's our model.  Nobody will hold it against you.

I subscribe to quite a few services ... $40/mo for my DSL line, and
$180/mo for my cellular.  But over the last 5 years, SeattleWireless has
cost me *nothing*.  I get no bill, and no one is hounding me for "dues"
and other BS.  It has literally saved me hundreds in hotspot fees,
intercity transit over private links, etc.  

This is your chance to give back.  Once we reach our goal, I promise we
won't bug anyone again until we find the next tower ;)

- Casey

> -----Original Message-----
> From: talk-bounces at seattlewireless.net 
> [mailto:talk-bounces at seattlewireless.net] On Behalf Of Matt Westervelt
> Sent: Monday, November 28, 2005 2:58 PM
> To: dev at seattlewireless.net; talk at seattlewireless.net
> Subject: SeattleWireless Node Fundraiser
> 
> Hello everyone,
> 
> For the first time in 5 years, we're asking for some money from the 
> community.   We have access to one of the towers on Capitol 
> Hill and we 
> need some cash to build out the node and pay the climber.  
> 
> This tower can be seen throughout most of Seattle, and can be 
> seen from 
> Bellevue and Kirkland as well.   
> 
> For more details and donation information, see the webpage:
> 
> <http://seattlewireless.net/fundraiser/>
> 
> 
> Thanks
> -matt
> 
> 
> 
> 
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