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Main Forums => The Roundtable => Topic started by: TechMan on March 13, 2012, 12:40:55 PM

Title: Homeless people turned into walking WIFI hotspots
Post by: TechMan on March 13, 2012, 12:40:55 PM
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/03/13/homeless-people-turned-into-walking-wifi-hotspots-in-charitable-experiment/ (http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/03/13/homeless-people-turned-into-walking-wifi-hotspots-in-charitable-experiment/)

Marketing company giving free Novatel Wireless MiFi APs to homeless people.  They also get a tee shirt with their names and words "I'm a 4G hotspot".  Recommend donation of $2/15mins of use to the homeless person.  User must stay within 30' of hotspot homeless person.
Title: Re: Homeless people turned into walking WIFI hotspots
Post by: Lee on March 13, 2012, 08:23:42 PM
Hmmm...nothing could go wrong there.
Title: Re: Homeless people turned into walking WIFI hotspots
Post by: vaskidmark on March 14, 2012, 02:18:15 AM
User must stay within 30' of hotspot homeless person.

Find me a truely homeless person, as opposed to a professional schnorer, that bathes and washes their clothes regularly (without using black market Tide would be a plus) so that I do not have to continue shifting with the wind.

I know some that take advantage of every resource out there but cannot get into, or cannot maintain residence in, what is referred to as "stable housing".  I also know of some pros that retire to day-rate notel [sic] rooms every night after dining out at better than Chez Mickies.  The former are for the most part what used to be called ship-shape, while the latter might actually gag the proverbial buzzard.

And if they are only taking in $12/hr they need either a better location or lessons in schnoring.  Guy at the entrance to the K-Mart/Food Lion that serves the Latino community rakes in better than $25/hr weekdays, and closer to $50 on weekends.  Yes, that is per hour!  I've talked with him several times, and watched him (because I had nothing better to do), so those amounts are fairly honest.  He blows most of it on beer, but to his credit he makes sure his dog eats the best brands and sees the vet at least every 3 months.  And he is at the kaundramat every Monday mid-day.  I do suspect that he has a stash of cash somewhere, but he's much to smart/experienced to have it near the shack he put together in the woods.

stay safe.
Title: Re: Homeless people turned into walking WIFI hotspots
Post by: K Frame on March 14, 2012, 08:03:50 AM
"User must stay within 30' of hotspot homeless person."

Uhm... pass.
Title: Re: Homeless people turned into walking WIFI hotspots
Post by: Harold Tuttle on March 14, 2012, 09:46:01 AM
This was a stunt for sxsw this week
Title: Re: Homeless people turned into walking WIFI hotspots
Post by: vaskidmark on March 14, 2012, 05:27:54 PM
This was a stunt for sxsw this week

And if it gets them enough publicity they say they are going to do it in other places.

It's creative exploitation of the homeless.  In other words, The American Way.

stay safe.
Title: Re: Homeless people turned into walking WIFI hotspots
Post by: MicroBalrog on March 14, 2012, 05:33:54 PM
So help me here.

In America, the security guards at supermarkets earn $25/hour?

How does this occur?
Title: Re: Homeless people turned into walking WIFI hotspots
Post by: Nick1911 on March 14, 2012, 05:38:05 PM
So help me here.

In America, the security guards at supermarkets earn $25/hour?

How does this occur?

Not security guard... homeless bum begging money from patrons of the store.
Title: Re: Homeless people turned into walking WIFI hotspots
Post by: birdman on March 15, 2012, 07:43:45 AM
Hmm....I wonder home much extra $ it will take to bribe them to carry additional hardware for exploiting the dumb people who use it, and steal their data/ID's/etc.   better yet, equip them with RFID readers as well....who notices homeless people?
Title: Re: Homeless people turned into walking WIFI hotspots
Post by: HankB on March 15, 2012, 08:30:11 AM
Oddly enough, various bleeding hearts from as far away as New York City have denounced this, saying that it was "demeaning" for the poor homeless people to earn some extra pocket money this way, and that they were being "exploited."    :facepalm:
Title: Re: Homeless people turned into walking WIFI hotspots
Post by: vaskidmark on March 15, 2012, 09:25:41 AM
Were those the folks from NYC attending SXSW who are paying $700/night for a 2-star hotel room?

NPR Radio had a "feature" on housing for attendees and the number of folks who do not even blink at those prices or the lack of amenities for the cost was literally staggering.

Now, I've never been in a position to afford $700/night for any place to rest my weary head, but I honestly have to wonder at something akin to AmeriSuites (no, that chain was not mentioned - just an "all-suites motel") for what should be more than an all-nighter with a companion (OK, not top-end but with the lights off ....).

stay safe.