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<div class="WordSection1">Hi all, <br>
<br>
Just letting you know I still have a pulse and am paying
attention. <br>
<p class="MsoNormal">* I wanted to see Stuart's presentation to
NovaLug but unfortunately was out of town at the time.
</p>
* I read the article posted here on how IPv4 contributed to the
centralization and rent-taking of the net, and found it
thought-provoking. Coincidentally my job put me through Amazon
Web Services training and I saw it from the perspective of 'More
centralization! It didn't have to be this way'. <br>
<br>
<p class="MsoNormal">My current status mesh-wise is that I have
a PittMesh node in the window of our condo, serving free
internet to the courtyard. It is a gl-inet in a weatherproof
shell. It is VPN'ed to PittMesh but really just a gateway
through our own cable connection to the traditional internet.
It is fun to realize that even if PittMesh itself disappeared,
my own node could still be the start of an independent
network. <br>
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Unfortunately this node seems to have less
range than the mere spillover from our in-house netgear
router. Oh well. At least it's a symbolic flag to fly in
solidarity. <br>
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">I have also been on NYCMesh's Slack channel
reading and asking questions. They just installed their 200th
node! <br>
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The guys at PittMesh are good people doing
good work, but NYCMesh seems a lot more open, and I think it
makes a difference in their growth rates. An online community
of people discussing the subject seems to generate more
interest than just asking for a node and having it mailed to
you. <br>
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The backbone of a mesh isn't the hardware,
but an active subculture of people sharing tribal knowledge of
how to really build and maintain it. I may yet try to install
an NYCMesh node VPN'ed to NYC as well. <br>
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">But shouldn't I buy local? Stuart, you are
growing a mesh in your area. How hard would it be for me to
VPN to it and serve wifi to our courtyard, assuming I am an
idiot unable to configure a router myself? Yes, just
assuming, ha. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">-John</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br>
</p>
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