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Owen -
I studied various wireless technologies designed for third-world environments when I was about to lose my (decent) internet provided by my pueblo (San Ildefonso) two years ago... I wanted to fill their void with an ISP/co-op but found a total lack of engagement from anyone in the mix. Three of us were the only ones who were willing (able?) to stand anything up and keep it running. Everyone else just wanted Comcast or QWest to "make it so" for them. The Canada de Los Alamos Co-Op was a cautionary tale for me as well... they were up and running and had decent numbers, but *still* suffered from spotty participation. Even my area is nowhere near a third-world situation, but has some similarities. The Village Telco (http://villagetelco.org/) project was perhaps the most interesting for Stewart's work but I am sure he is completely aware of it. VOIP on top of mesh networks via their affordable solar-powered "mesh potato"! My interest in the HIghlands of Panama may be a whim, or it may be a life-changer. I still love my work, but damned if it isn't hard to get paid (well) for too much of it. There is a siren's call of finding a "homesteading" life somewhere where my skills and knowledge and financial assets (small compared to most here, but sufficient in a 3rd world environment) is truly leveraged... the charms of the central American highlands (such as Panama and Ecuador ala Gary) is the weather and the implications for subsistence agrarian lifestyles, boosted by a small amount of high-tech and good-funding (US $$). There is a huge movement around expatriating, but most of it just offends me... semi-wealthy Americans wanting to live a wealthy lifestyle by moving to another country, avoiding US Taxes (whilst keeping citizenship, bank security, etc)... gated communities, resorts, golf courses, etc. Not my cup of tea. I think Gary's situation is a nice notch below all that. I'm looking for a notch yet lower I think. I have had good conversations with Carl about his own ideas for bringing the smallest blip in high-tech to his own favorite 3rdish world environment (Islands off of japan) and finding a life that fits with "the locals". I'm not likely to follow through on any of this, but I am interested. The *one* luxury I don't know how to put down is internet access... not streaming movies or music, but enough to do the research/reading I am wont to do, not to mention write massive missives to dump on FriAM and WedTech! I've been on the road for 6 weeks (8 by some measure) living mostly in the Safari-style tent on my truck, doing a 360 survey of National Parks/Lodges/etc. for a project I'm pitching with Matt/Janire (joint venture is 4Pi Productions) with the NPS... and spotty internet has been my biggest bane. Cold rain, snow, 107 degree heat, high winds, slow tourists, impatient locals, a blowout, an infection from a hot spring, watercraft inspections at every border, etc. were nothing compared to trying to get regular and consistent internet access! It says more about my addiction than the actual availability. Tethering my GSM/ATT was the best, but I burned 10GB in less than a month that way and *still* had holes in my service... the beautiful places (rightly so?) have some of the weakest cell coverage! I'm in Seattle (at a motel!) today, meeting an old friend/colleague who recently retired as VP for HPC at MS... then on to Rainier, Hanford, Spokane and maybe Glacier. - Steve
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