[isf-wifidog] big picture - Fwd: [wsfii-dev] Re: CUWiN follow-up...

Lun 17 Oct 10:37:16 EDT 2005

this was a rough attempt to respond to a question on the overall.  I
probably didn't portray everything exactly, but then again, i don't
have an hour to spend on this email.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Michael Lenczner <mlenczner at gmail.com>
Date: Oct 17, 2005 10:35 AM
Subject: Re: [wsfii-dev] Re: CUWiN follow-up...
To: Buildign next-generation free information infrastructures
<wsfii-dev at lists.okfn.org>
Cc: Sascha Meinrath <sascha at ucimc.org>, David Young
<dyoung at pobox.com>, Paul Smith <paul at cnt.org>, Schuyler Erle
<schuyler at nocat.net>, Bill Comisky <bcomisky at pobox.com>

Here goes.  Benoit might have different comments, but this is my
understanding of where we are on the following points:

On 10/16/05, Saul Albert <saul at twenteenthcentury.com> wrote:
> On Fri, Oct 14, 2005 at 01:25:01PM -0500, Sascha Meinrath wrote:
> > >1. Network Infrastructure
> > >    - mesh

We got started again on it after 1 1/2 years.  It's going well.  But
we need to improve both our technical and real-world knowledge of
deployment.  And we need to work on social innovation (killer apps,
how we "market" it to non-geeks)
> > >    - splash

full-speed ahead.  we have a bit of money for UI both to improve user
view and admin view.

> > >    - local storage
zilch
> > >    - bandwidth shaping
working on it.  very hopeful about having something in place in the
near future.
> > >    - metadata exchange
Benoit's working with Jo on this.  Knowing them, I have high hopes.
> > >    - authentication / id-sharing

This we are interested in, but no one's looking at it.  We could use
help both with technology and figuring out use-cases.

> > >2. Applications / Content
> > >    - network monitoring
We're doing well with that both with wifidog and installing with snmp
on our nodes.  Have to figure out how to use some of our these tools
for mesh nodes.

> > >    - analysis tools
We have all the stats of usage we could have, except where people surf
or which ports they use.   And most of the analysis's look pretty,
too.

> > >    - Mapping Annotation
Nothing.

> > >    - Displaying geolocated content
We have a powerful system to tie content to hotspots.  but not to gis
coords.  Benoit understand the scenario a lot better from meeting with
chris, jo, schulyer, and is interested in working on it (GIS) and
there is interest from several vols - but no time right now.  We could
use help or resources to integrate this better / work faster on it.

> > >    - events
Interested, but no time to work on this right now.  We would love to
tie this into what we're doing at our hotspots.  I think we will have
to *make* time because of how important this is. But it really has to
be presented with a gis system to be cool.

> > >    - peer produced / micro-produced content

This we should be doing *very* well in 6 months.  We will be using our
portal page to solicit neighborhood artists in 1 month in a program
called quARTier.  Wireless Toronto will be launching a similar project
soon as well.  This should proceed well on a volunteer level so no
need for cash.
> > >    - civic data

I think we'll have a group similar to theyworkforus in 2-3 months.
Then we'll have to look at what other kind of data we can collect.
I'm trying to make sure this is a separate group from ISF.

> > >    - user interaction & communication

We need to bring neighbornode http://neighbornode.net/ and placesite
http://www.sims.berkeley.edu/~savage/ps/ into the fold.  These could
be extremely important to help move mesh nodes.  I've talked to both
of them and they are receptive, they both have their own platforms
right now.  I would like to see someone put together a residential
neighbornode-type skin for wifidog specifically to sell mesh-nodes.

> > >    - currency / trading / barter systems
zilch
> > >3. Development / Organisation
> > >    - sustainable communications & neutral-ground hosting
> > >    - integrated shared code repository
> > >    - sustainable project roles / responsibilities
> >

Sorry if this was too navel-gazing to be helpful.  But I did want to
share that we will be trying to pull all of this stuff together in the
near future.

And we're working on having a north american wsfii in the spring, so
that should help move things along as well.

And btw:   we just hit 10,000 users 2 days ago! (with currently 60
hotspots).  with 70% of them having logged in at least twice in the
last 6 months.

cheers,
mike

> > All three of these areas fit with CUWiN's vision (though some of the
> > sub-components -- e.g., barter systems -- are a bit beyond our primary work
> > ;). One major aspect of building this collaboration (along with
> >     everything open source, which is a fundamental assumption) is standardizing
> > interfaces/APIs/etc. in a way that facilitates interoperability.
> > Unfortunately, to do this requires building some sort of network among the
> > projects -- some sort of "glue" to help pull everything together, identify
> > areas where various components can be standardized, and facilitate that
> > standardization among the groups.  WSFII has the potential to be this
> > bridge among the projects -- and I'd like to help that along; but it sounds
> > also like WSFII is attempting to do this without funding or resources --
> > which makes this job tremendously more difficult.
>
> hmm.
>
> >
> > >It would be good to expand on this list then make a wiki page for each
> > >one - with best advice etc.. The shared code repository etc.. seems like
> > >a big co-ordination challenge somehow - and making sure everything plays
> > >nicely with everything else. But then, maybe not so if we have a good
> > >wsfii-dev group.
> >
> > What we need is some entity that is pulling information (instead of relying
> > on the various component projects to push info onto a wiki, CMS, etc.).
> > And I think that all the different organizations/projects involved would
> > greatly benefit from this.  So, in my mind, the question really is, how do
> > we find the funding/support/initiative to make this happen?
>
> Maybe it's worth approaching the Djursland institute and seeing if they
> could host a researcher to do this? I think they are already planning to
> invite people from the n corners of free infrastructures to do workshops
> / presentations.  Maybe it would be useful if when those people came to
> present, someone was there collecting, noting and redistributing
> information about this group of functionalities / projects.
>
> I think fund-raising for positions in academic institutions like this
> would be much easier than getting a self-contained project off the
> ground.
>
> Alternatively, the ilesansfil group seem to have the largest user-base
> with the most interesting use-patterns of any free network I know of (ie.
> people are using their system to auth and get meta-data about their
> environment already). Mike, Benoit and Francois showed some pretty
> impressive analysis views of use patterns etc.
>
> Given that there's this existing lively free network with a great deal of
> momentum, maybe we could try support someone in their network to do this
> integration-type work.. with voluntary help and support from the various
> other projects. I like the idea of experimenting on canadians then
> implementing on Londoners...  :) Mike? do you know of any opportunities
> to do something like this?
>
> X
>
> S.
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> wsfii-dev mailing list
> wsfii-dev at lists.okfn.org
> http://lists.okfn.org/mailman/listinfo/wsfii-dev
>