Do-It-Yourself Networking

Description

"DIY infrastructures offer a rich set of special characteristics and affordances for offering local services, that are operated outside the public Internet:

• the ownership and control of the infrastructure and the whole design process;

• the de facto physical proximity of those connected (meaning that all users are physically present within the reach of the WIFI signal) without the need for disclosing private location information, such as GPS coordinates, to third parties;

• the easy and inclusive access through the use of a local captive portal launched automatically when one joins the network;

• the independence from network providers and big tech companies;

• the opportunity to interact privately within a local network and not share details beyond the network, and have the option of anonymity;

• the materiality of the network itself;

• a new mode of communication that can attract curiosity and interest."

(http://mazizone.eu/)

Advantages

"There are many potential benefits by taking advantage of these affordances during the design process, such as

• The design for intimate communication, yet without commitments, between those in physical proximity, and collective action by building the community network

• The empowerment of citizens to claim their right to the hybrid city, including access, participation, representation, and ownership

• The availability of complementary infrastructures in case of disasters that offer resiliency.

• The facilitation of interdisciplinary exchanges around the design of hybrid space and the role of ICTs in society"

(http://mazizone.eu/)

Example

• see: MAZI