Wifi Liberator toolkit
|
"The project is presented as a challenge to existing corporate or "locked" private wireless nodes to encourage the proliferation of free networks and connectivity across the planet." Like the Wifi-Hog project, "the Wifi-Liberator examines the tensions between providers trying to profit from the increasingly minimal costs associated with setting up a public network and casual users who simply want to see the Internet transform into another "public utility" and become as ubiquitous and free as the air we breath. The project targets pay-per-use wireless networks as often found in airports, other public terminals, hotels, global-chain coffee shops, and other public waiting points." An important feature is that Wifi Liberator only allows a person to connect to the Internet if they share their connection, thus stopping people from using the Liberator to "leech" the connection only for themselves. Via coin-operated. Related: Interview of Jonah Brucker-Cohen. |
Leave a comment |
|
This is a fantastic idea, and precisely the kind of thing that people need to have out there in order for a wide range and free wifi network to exist.
The sharing catch is good and bad though. I mean...if you have stuff on your PDA or laptop that you don't want to risk anyone else seeing, then you might not take them up on the offer. But on the flipside, I'd be inclined to use it, because free wifi is something I personally want.
> jack : opening up your wifi is not equal to open your all computer, exept if you're still using redmond's OS ...
The idea of nodes that permit others to join the wifi network and extend that wifi network is realy the one behind the creation of wifi communities in cities like Berlin (freifunk.de) or Bruxelles (reseaucitoyen.be), at the difference that those are not always aimed at sharing "internet" (even if they do it).
There is also legislations and "term of use" that in fact make you illegal when you share ISP acces, in Belgium and France for ex. that make already existing "sharing communities" almost if not completely illegal (like FON) for different reason .... so this tools is for me "just another sharing tool" ...
i don't get it. does the user running liberator have to pay? and then that user can share with the public? or the user running liberator also benefit from free access (i.e. no one pays). ?
Isn't it kind of wrong to not allow people to share their ISP-acces? I mean, if I buy a banana, I can share it with my friend, right? As long as I stay inside the bandwidth limit I see no problem.
And for accessing closed networks the person running Liberator is responsible. I like the concept. If enough people do this in for instance a office-center, the community actually benefits from those money-guzzling ethically unhindered molochs of companies.
I say: Go Liberator!