[ale] Linux-based workstations/public 'net access in Atlanta for the US Social Forum

[Daniel Kahn Gillmor]

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Hi good people at ALE--

I'm a native Atlantan currently living in NYC, and am working with a
group of folks preparing technology for the upcoming United States
Social Forum [0].  We'd love to collaborate with skilled tech folks in
Atlanta who might be able to help get 'net connectivity and public
workstations deployed for people at the conference.

The USSF will be in downtown Atlanta from June 27 - July 1 (a month
and a half away!) at the Atlanta Civic Center, Central Park (? i don't
remember a Central Park from my time in ATL), the Peachtree Westin
Hotel, and the Atlanta Downtown Marriott.  Our technology working
group (e-mail list Cc'ed here -- please join if you want to post to
that list) is heavily focussed on using free software to help meet the
needs of the USSF.

One big upcoming need is to have 'net access and some workstations
available at the event for bloggers, other independent media folks,
and the public to publish their observations and document what they're
working on.  We want the USSF to be connected to the global network,
and we really want it to be done using free software as much as
possible.

Are any of you interested in helping out by placing/installing linux
workstations or routers for public access?

Things that would be useful:

 * Organizing upstream connections to locations around the forum.
   This might be radio modem connectivity, shared via 802.11b/g, local
   DSL or cable lines to area businesses, or something else entirely.
   We're open to suggestions: Got a project for a wireless mesh in
   downtown ATL?  We'd love to help you demonstrate how useful it is!

 * Wrangling hardware for public workstations.  There will be at least
   one press center in the forum itself, and we'd love to get other
   small labs scattered around the forum for public use.  This will
   require hardware, though.  Do you have a spare computer that could
   be used as a simple web terminal?  Have you ever wanted to build an
   LTSP lab of your old laptops hooked into one solid server?  Since
   many of us on the tech team are not in Atlanta, we're not going to
   be able to bring large amounts of equipment with us, so help or
   suggestions would be great.

 * Workstation configuration and placement. Do you have contacts in
   downtown Atlanta who might be able to offer space for a
   workstation?  Do you have suggestions or ideas about the way a free
   public-access terminal should be configured or run?  We'd love to
   collaborate with you to make sure high-quality free tools are
   available to anyone who needs them.

 * Any other suggestions?  We'd love to hear from you.

I've outlined the current thinking (in broad strokes) of what we'll
probably want here:

  http://www.ussf2007.org/en/node/2316#comment-508

Thanks for your consideration.  I hope i get to work with you in the
near future.

Regards,

        --dkg

[0] http://www.ussf2007.org/
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