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

Francois Proulx fproulx at edito.qc.ca
Mer 19 Oct 13:27:28 EDT 2005


Wow the design is very sweet :-) I don't think we would need such an
elaborate interface for now since we mostly have hotspots nodes and not
mesh nodes... Is this stuff Creative Commons licensed ??


> interesting to take a look at cuwin's interface.  (or at least the mockup)
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Sascha Meinrath <sascha at ucimc.org>
> Date: Oct 19, 2005 11:29 AM
> Subject: Re: [wsfii-dev] Re: CUWiN follow-up...
> To: Dana Spiegel <dana at sociabledesign.com>
> Cc: Buildign next-generation free information infrastructures
> <wsfii-dev at lists.okfn.org>, Schuyler Erle <schuyler at nocat.net>, Bill
> Comisky <bcomisky at pobox.com>, Paul Smith <paul at cnt.org>
>
>
> speaking of APIs, have folks seen the CUWiN node config mockup:
>
> www.cuwireless.net/nodeconfig
>
> --sascha
>
> Dana Spiegel wrote:
>> Sorry for being so non-communicative on this end. Been reading the
>> posts, but haven't had a chance to respond until now.
>>
>> (Almost) all of the below is well in line with what NYCwireless wants
>> too. We're a little less gung-ho by the art distribution thing, but
>> certainly can support it, and would be happy to promote it. Its just not
>> a particularly high priority.
>>
>> That being said, we're especially interested in creating an essentially
>> turn-key solution for setting up hotspots + mesh + managed portal and
>> stats. Our idea is to have a product that can be sold by local ISPs that
>> contains a WifiDog Node and is preconfigured for both the location and
>> the ISP's WAN network. To do this, we really need:
>>
>> 1) unification of firmware contents (wifidog + fff or some other mesh)
>> 2) cleaned up UI and streamlined interface for wifidog (this we're
>> working on with ISF, based on our meetings at WSFII). We're trying to
>> make it so that an average coffeeshop owner can set one of these things
>> up and configure the web portal. This will take time, but is a great
>> benefit for all
>> 3) External APIs for node and location information. Imagine wifithankyou
>> automatically figuring out what hotspot you're at when you come to the
>> page? Or neighbornode feeding locational information back to the hotspot
>> page?
>>
>> These are the big things for us. As I am one of the people who's good at
>> (a) UI and (b) web api's, that's where I'm spending most of my time.
>>
>> We're also working on a plan to get more hotspots with wifidog out
>> there, and have launched a "trade-in" offer, whereby anyone can trade us
>> an unconfigured WRT-54G and we'll hand them a fully configured one in
>> exchange.
>>
>>
>> *Dana Spiegel*
>> *sociableDESIGN*  *::*  *www.sociableDESIGN.com
>> <http://www.sociableDESIGN.com>*
>> 123 Bank Street, Suite 510, New York, NY 10014
>> p  +1 917 402 0422  ::  e  dana at sociableDESIGN.com
>> <mailto:dana at sociableDESIGN.com>
>>
>> Read the Social Technologies blog: http://www.sociabledesign.com/blog
>> Read the Wireless Community blog: http://www.wirelesscommunity.info
>>
>>
>>
>> Michael Lenczner wrote:
>>
>>>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
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>_______________________________________________
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>>>
>>>
>
> --
> Sascha Meinrath
> Policy Analyst    *  Project Coordinator  *  President
> Free Press       *** CU Wireless Network *** Acorn Active Media
> www.freepress.net *  www.cuwireless.net   *  www.acornactivemedia.com
>
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