BS: Who's HOT in Texas

Subject: BS: Who's HOT in Texas
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 13 Mar 12 - 04:57 PM

Homeless people used as mobile Wi-Fi hotspots

By JENNA WORTHAM
New York Times

AUSTIN, Tex. — Which product at this year's South by Southwest technology conference received more attention than perhaps any other?

Homeless people as wireless transmitters.

A marketing agency touched off a wave of criticism and debate when it hired members of the local homeless population to walk around carrying mobile Wi-Fi devices, offering conferencegoers Internet access in exchange for donations.

BBH Labs, the innovation unit of the international marketing agency BBH, outfitted 13 volunteers from a homeless shelter with the devices, business cards and T-shirts bearing their names: "I'm Clarence, a 4G Hotspot."

They were told to go to the most densely packed areas of the conference, which has become a magnet for those who want to chase the latest in technology trends.

The smartphone-toting, social-networking crowds often overwhelm cellular networks in the area, creating a market that BBH Labs hoped to serve with the "Homeless Hotspots" project, which it called a "charitable experiment."

It paid each participant $20 a day, and they were also able to keep whatever customers donated in exchange for the wireless service.

But as word of the project spread on the ground and online, it hit a nerve among many who said that turning down-and-out people into wireless towers was exploitative and discomfiting.

...

[There's some discussion of people's opinions about all this at the link, but it's clear that if you wanna be HOT in Texas ya oughta strap on yer collar and go mingle. ... ???]

John

Subject: RE: BS: Who's HOT in Texas
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 13 Mar 12 - 06:19 PM

While the link above gives the details of what went on in Austin, a separate comment about the comments about it might be of interest too:

A high-speed connection to Austin's class divide

John

Subject: RE: BS: Who's HOT in Texas
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 14 Mar 12 - 01:13 AM

Hot? It only reached 80 today.

SXSW is known for some oddball stuff. I have several friends reporting back from there. It's Spring Break - not to be taken seriously.

People can get bent out of shape about things for the strangest reasons - if the participants are enjoying themselves, what is the harm?

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Who's HOT in Texas
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 14 Mar 12 - 01:48 AM

It was interesting to see the number of people at the convention who couldn't see any value at all in giving homeless folk a job, even a temporary one.

And others who seemed to think it was demeaning to the homeless to have them actually do something to make a few bucks.

Maybe I'm the only one to see the resemblance to standing on a streetcorner with a sandwich board ad(?). - And hardly anyone tossed them a tip.

John

Subject: RE: BS: Who's HOT in Texas
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 14 Mar 12 - 03:53 PM

Maybe that's what is missing - the sandwich board! Maybe then people would get it.

SRS

Subject: RE: BS: Who's HOT in Texas
From: Bobert
Date: 14 Mar 12 - 09:12 PM

Sad commentary on our nation...

B~