You Know They're Lying When They Say . . .

The next time your mayor (like Jim Erbs), or your governor (like Chester Culver), or anyone in your community (like Charles City, Iowa), says they're not technically savvy, and have to rely on their computer experts to brief them on whether they will be doing the right thing about bringing community broadband infrastructure to their citizens, try to be a little respectful (like I am) and not guffaw in their faces. These officials are under the impression that they're clued in, and the Public (that's you and me) are just plain stupid. Now, I guess it's all right if you go ahead and guffaw in their faces.

Community wireless mesh networks are able to be built with no technical expertise required, beyond someone in each house being able to plug a lamp into the nearest wall socket. That's it! Each house purchases this little box called, a Meraki unit, plugs it into the nearest wall socket, and the entire community lights up in one big wireless cloud. Every computer talks to every other computer in the community wireless mesh network that's created, at broadband speeds that are tenfold faster than what the phone or cable monopolies offer. Your cell phones (depends on what you've got) work on the network, your tv works on the network, your radio works on the network, your laptop works on the network. Any digital device that can "see" the network works at blazing fast speeds.

Well, the officials will tell you, "Hey, wireless mesh networks for communities are hard to understand, need really good technical expertise, and might be illegal." My Foot!

These are the same officials that don't believe smoke detector devices are too technical. Just plug them into a battery, and you're safe, where you weren't safe, before. You'll be doing the community, and yourselves a favor, saving lives and contributing to a higher level of community health and well-being.

These are the same officials that don't believe tv converter devices are too technical. Just plug these $50 devices into your nearest wall socket and you're able to watch digital tv, and your old tv won't become totally useless when the country shifts to digital transmissions in February, 2009. They think these devices are so neat, that the taxpayers are getting a deal by contributing $450 million dollars to help your neighbors who can't afford them, apply and get vouchers to purchase one. These converter devices after all, contribute to a higher level of community health and well-being.

On the other hand, if you ask them about the Meraki units that are being used to build out the broadband infrastructure in San Francisco, or in the community of Ypsilanti, Michigan, they believe these things are just too technical. There's no way you can just plug them into your nearest wall socket, and the entire community removes its dependence on phone or cable monopolies to bring broadband infrastructure to their citizens. When San Francisco builds out, and Ypsilanti, Michigan, build out their community wireless mesh networks, their community broadband infrastructures, they will have a 21st century indigenous resource. All future generations that arrive, will enjoy free broadband speeds that are tenfold faster than what the phone and cable monopolies offer. It will only be good for local stuff.

It will only work as far as the furthest point in the network. Of course, if the neighboring communities do the same, and every community in America can "see" their neighboring communities' network, then, yep, you're right. The entire nation will be able to communicate without having to depend on the phone or cable monopolies. Now, just how long will it take, for every house in America to get the message, buy a unit, and plug it into their nearest wall socket? Probably as long as it took for the smoke detector thing, or as long as it takes for the tv converter box thing. Not very long.

If you want to join, wherever you are in America, send me an email, and let's make fools out of the mayor and governor and deputy director of your town, state.