SF WiFi: Mayor loses vote on EarthLink Google WiFiinitiative

[Matt Westervelt]

Let me put it this way Todd.

The Ruckus CPE to connect to the Google WiFi network in Mountain View 
costs 100-150. People don't really mind spending the money to connect to 
a network once it is bootstrapped. I wouldn't really call the google 
network a community network.

The big problem community networks have is bootstrapping. Bootstrapping 
a community network takes a few people (not 40 million) to actually set 
up key spots that people can connect to, and interconnect with. The 
tools to do so were not available 7 years ago, but they are now. They're 
not drop-dead todd simple, but they're not exactly rocket-science 
either. Setting up a mesh is about as simple as telling the box "You are 
a mesh node, here is your name and IP" and plugging it in. Todd, you 
haven't followed any of this, but every now and then you get it in your 
mind that things are not progressing, so you come in here and say "Why 
isn't this working?". Well, it isn't working for you, because you're not 
willing to put forth any effort other than an email or two, and it does 
take more than that. I'm not blaming you for your economic theories, I'm 
telling you that you're a crackpot, and your theories aren't valid. 
That's completely different. You say you don't think it would make a 
difference if you studied and learned anything to your neighbors, but I 
think you're wrong there too. I think it would make a lot of difference 
if you actually knew something about what you were talking about. Even a 
little bit.

You haven't looked at any of the tools available. For the most part, 
everything that you want is available on a web page. I'm pretty sure 
'normal people' can handle that.

I also doubt that your neighbors are as dense as you think.

-matt


Todd Boyle wrote:
> At 05:48 PM 2/16/2007, Matt Westervelt wrote:
>
>> > ... people might buy a thing if it was like, $50 to 100.
>> At $50 to $100, you're never going to find anything that does what you
>> want.
>
>
> It is not *my* supply and demand curve. It's the whole region's supply 
> and demand curve. There's 4 million other people in the puget sound 
> region. You can address your statement just as well to them.
>
> I'll quit complaining about the pricing on the supply side if you quit 
> blaming me for the low prices offered on the demand side, two sides of 
> the same coin.
>
> You're completely missing the point, the spirit of my email. I'm 
> presenting my theories of why SWN didn't get mass adoption or grow 
> geometrically etc. only because somebody asked. I am not making a 
> statement of what the device is worth, or even what it's worth to me. 
> The only thing that matters is, what's it worth to the people in my 
> suburban area? Such that a sufficient number of nodes got installed.
>
> I've told you the device would have to be turnkey, and it would have 
> to be real cheap. I could be wrong. But that's still my belief.
>
> Should I be ashamed to admit that I don't know how to configure a 
> linux host or an AP for bandwidth sharing?
>
> Maybe. But that would not make one bit of difference if I study, and 
> learn, and practice, unless my neighbors also learn how to do it. I'll 
> be happy to introduce you to some of my neighbors--- they are nearly 
> TOTALLY impervious to any stimuli that doesn't come either from their 
> family, or their boss or client. It doesn't matter what you try to 
> talk about. They just don't absorb. They have attention spans of only 
> a few seconds. And they are so far from wanting to learn linux 
> sysadmin or wifi configuration! Seriously! It has to be something you 
> plug in, and it just works.
>
> Todd
>
> ps this was written by an earlier generation of highly talented unique 
> guys,
>
> Oh, I have slipped the surly bonds of earth,
> And danced the skies on laughter-silvered wings;
> Sunwards I’ve climbed and joined the tumbling mirth
> Of sun-split clouds – and done a thousand things
> You have not dreamed of - wheeled and soared and swung
> High in the sunlit silence. Hovering there,
> I’ve chased the shouting wind along and flung
> My eager craft through footless halls of air,
> Up, up the long delirious burning blue
> I’ve topped the wind-swept heights with easy grace,
> Where never lark, or even eagle, flew;
> And, while with silent, lifting mind I’ve trod
> The high untrespassed sanctity of space,
> Put out my hand, and touched the face of god.
>
> Somehow, this by Jethro Tull seems more appropriate,
>
> So you ride yourselves over the fields and
> you make all your animal deals and
> your wise men don't know how it feels to be thick as a brick.
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
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