On Fri, May 16, 2008 at 2:01 PM, <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > I'm am very interested in experimenting with mesh networks and developing > related applications. IMO the potential benefits and social impact of ad > hoc > wireless networks remain largely undreamed of. > > Anyone else?
I'm interested. Fifty bucks a month to Comcast for the rest of my life isn't my idea of a Good Plan and I would like to see more people of limited means able to engage in high-bandwidth networking. Depending on my situation when relevant needs might arise, I might be able to contribute some legal research. During the wind-down years of my law practice my only major client was a central Oregon-based radio telephone company. I dealt mainly with squabbles with the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management over their environmental abuses and co-tenant issues, both involving established rebroadcast sites on federal land mountaintops. But I picked up a smattering of more broadly applicable communications law in the process, at least enough to understand most of the words. :-) It should be clearly understood, however, that: [i] I lack depth in the specific areas of concern; [ii] I'm no longer into spending days at a time in the U. of O. Law School library; and [ii] I resigned my Bar membership when I retired and it is a misdemeanor offense for me to engage in the practice of law. I may only express my personal opinion on the law and may not lawfully give legal advice. A project of the type you describe would unquestionably require involvement of at least one competent, licensed lawyer at some point to achieve fruition. Still, there is no legal barrier to a licensed attorney using any legal research I might contribute in order to reduce the expense to his or her client(s). I could also probably assist in choosing among lawyers. E.g., when last heard from, one of my buddies from my law school days was handling corporate affairs for most public interest non-profit corporations in the Eugene-Springfield area. Because of the knowledge he has developed in that specialty area of practice, his total fees for equivalent services are far less than hiring a general practice lawyer who would have to do extensive legal research to perform the same tasks with equivalent quality. Identifying lawyers with the needed expertise and experience is the basic task in holding down legal expenses. Based on my own experience with citizen groups I was involved in or represented on particular issues, getting non-profit corporate status is the key barrier to obtaining seed grants from grant organizations such as the McKenzie Foundation, as well as longer-term funding from other types of grant organizations. I don't know what my friend charges these days (or for that matter whether he is still around and practicing law), but in the early 90s, his standard fee was $300 for establishing a non-profit corporation and providing a starter set of the required corporate documents that must be maintained and updated at important points, along with a written set of instructions. At the time, equivalent services to crank out a non-profit corporation by lawyers in the geographic area whose practices focused on for-profit corporations started around $1,200. My friend's specialization in non-profits allowed him to charge far less because he is far more familiar with the more narrowly focused applicable law and has a library of relevant electronic forms. It also helps that he is civic minded and isn't aimed at buying a second home in the Bahamas. Finding the right lawyer for the given situation is important. I don't always know who the right lawyer is, but my contacts give me the ability to do a better job of tracking down a suitable candidate than most folk less connected with the local legal community. The Yellow Pages are a lousy resource for finding the right lawyer. Best regards, Marbux
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