I received a comment on my last blog entry that made me realize that perhaps I needed to start on a more basic level. Rather than identifying the benefits and shortcomings of a particular wireless mesh solution, I need to identify what the issues are for community wireless networks.

The issue that sparked the comment is a question of network topology. Before you completely zone out, give me a paragraph to explain topology. It's pretty easy to explain, I think, and then we can address further issues.

Computer networks are about creating connections between various locations. Locations, whether they are computers or geographic locations, are often referred to as nodes. The way that nodes are connected to one another is the network topology. Diagrams that indicate the ways that the locations are referred to as topologies. Take a look at Diagram 1. I've diagramed three network topologies, each having its own unique characteristics.

What is important in this discussion is the ramifications of each topology. Networks that use the bus topology (left) are very vulnerable to failure. A break in the line may halt all communication on the network. The star topology (center) is less vulnerable to a single break in the network, as a break in one line only cuts off one node. The drawback is that the network is completely dependent on the central node, which may fail or reach its capacity. The mesh network (right) is the most fault-tolerant, as a break in any one line doesn't mean that the connection to any node is lost. Unfortunately, it is also the most expensive, or at least it is the most expensive solution for wired networks. For more information about the various topologies, take a look at Wikipedia.

Wireless Networks

Wireless networks almost always use one of these three topologies, but the language is sometimes different. Wireless bus topologies are often called point-to-point. Star topologies in wireless networks are usually referred to as point-to-multipoint. Mesh, fortunately, is still mesh.

For wireless networks, meshing does not have the high overhead that it does for wired networks. If one combines the fault-tolerance of a mesh network and with cost-effectiveness, one can easily appreciate why community networks that are interested in wireless are excited about mesh.

In a follow-up post, I hope to outline the wireless solutions that are aimed at community networks. For now, this should suffice to explain the basics of network topology.

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Everything’s going quite well here at NTEN as we’re of course very busy tying up all the loose ends before the NTC. As far as what's new and exciting in my work, I finally managed to make a breakthrough in using our sometimes unwieldy CMS (netFORUM) to design a searchable member database for our website. That project had been on my plate since the beginning of January (and until yesterday I’d made very little progress), so it was nice to finally make some real headway there - and it should soon be up on our website and ready for use.

Outside of work I’m loving the longer days and beautiful weather out here in the Bay Area. Last weekend I went on a really cool bike ride down in Santa Cruz. Looking at the map beforehand we had thought the route was maybe 7 miles with maybe 600 feet of elevation gain. After the ride though (which at points was quite exhausting), my friend pointed me towards a very cool website that lets you track the actual distance of any path, anywhere in the world, and also creates an elevation map of said path (using the wonderful google maps interface). So after playing around with this, it turned out that instead of our planned 7 mile ride, we actually had gone close to 13 miles with nearly 1,000 feet of elevation gain (here’s the link to see our actual route: http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=785895) ... so it was a much more difficult ride than we were planning on, especially after several months of winter inactivity.

Well, that’s about it from here, so I hope everyone else's work is going well and I’ll see many of you in a couple weeks at the NTC,

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*The following would have been posted last month if I didn't constantly close Firefox in mid-blog*

I have no idea what the heck they're working on next door but they're certainly doing a great job of constructing it as loudly as possible. It would be one thing if it was a steady-state din, but instead there will be a long stretch of quiet, followed by an ear-splitting CLANG! as someone (I'm guessing) starts taking a sledgehammer to a very massive, VERY resonant object. There's also the deafening buzz of a chopsaw gnawing through metal the very moment you start to get your concentration back, as well as the desk-rattling jackhammer to add insult to injury. To make matters worse, when they have a radio playing its top-40 stuff. Not like I have anything against popular music, I just don't want Ashlee Simpson as the musical backdrop to this chaotic production. Call me a purist, if you will.

Anyway, the big news of the past couple of weeks has been the arrival of 14 new computers. I say a couple of weeks instead of a week because Dell certainly did their part in making sure I had plenty of work to do. It didn't start off too bad. I did get bounced to 3 different sales reps (due to the quantity), none of whom could cut us much of a break (so much for a karma discount) and had some annoyances putting together a quote, but nothing I wouldn't normally expect. When the systems finally arrived (no hitches yet), I pulled them out and noticed the CPU sticker only denoted an AMD64, and not the 64X2 dual core that I had specified. Fired it up noticed the BIOS listed the CPU as the 64. Not cool.

After looking over the invoice, it turns out that we did, in fact, get the correct systems. However, the systems magically changed from 64X2s on the quote to plain-old-64s on the order. Blarg. About an hour and a dozen phone transfers later we finally arranged to the dual-core systems sent. They arrived without incident, and also without return labels for the old systems. Cripes. Another hour and a few more phone transfers later, we finally arranged for another pickup the next day. Fast forward 24 hours, and the Fedex man is here with 8 shipping slips in hand. Wait a sec...8 slips...14 computers...KHAAAAAN!!!

A couple of days later, everything resolved itself and we all lived happily ever after, until it came time to order mounting systems. We wanted to mount the computers under the tables and elevated from the ground. While not unheard of, this wasn't particularly common so of course nobody locally had anything. Most online sources had units starting at $60-80ish, with the most simple units consisting of mounting plates for the table and straps to suspend the computers from the table. Not exactly kid-proof, but the alternative were designs that featured drawer slides and swivels, so the strapping method won by default.

When it came time to order the mounts though, the lead time was pretty long and we already had volunteers lined up to help install the computers, so rather than arrange for rush shipping when we probably wouldn't get the units in time anyway, I cobbled together a knock-off from tie-plates, tiedown straps, and drywall screws. It used 3x7" tie-plates to hold the straps against the bottom of the table. Then, an old mouse pad was taped over the plate with some double-sided carpet tape. After cinching the straps as tightly as possible, the excess looped around the end on both sides and tied onto the other side of the strap as a safety measure. The remaining ends were cut and fused. To make the catches tamper resistant, wedges were cut from shim stock, sprayed black to match, then put into place and secured with cable ties. Not exactly foolproof, but good enough.

Between the smaller footprint of the LCDs, the under-table mounting, and some cable organization, the lab looks much cleaner all-in-all. Wish I could say all the kids loved it. A few really were wide-eyed and overjoyed, but most others just kinda shrugged, said 'meh' and went back to their regularly scheduled YouTube viewing. *sigh*

Installation was smooth and easy thanks to the imaging process, although our inital attempt at imaging a dual-boot XP/Vista install didn't go over particularly well. Alright, so it didn't work at all. That plus the lack of support for Deep Freeze and we're looking at a purely XP setup on most of the computers. 4 computers were manually set up with a dual-boot just for kicks. While it'll leave a big, gaping Deep-Freeze exploit, I'd be tickled to death if our kids were savvy enough to take advantage of it.

Anyway, enough blabber, here's some pictures:

A shot of our old lab setup

 

Our new lab setup

 

Mounted computers

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I'm back on the blog tip. We didn't have the net for a few weeks due to some funding issues. I had my own funding issues and I'm holding on with my finger tips, but its all good! We are in full effect at Jordan high located in Watts and I'm proud to be apart of such a life transforming project. The kids are really picking up video production fast and Ill post some of the project's as soon as they are done.

Today I picked up a donated computer which will be used for a community information Kiosk. I'm still in the process of creating some content for the Kiosk. It will be information that will help serve the community here... you know ...health issues, where to find help and government services, local sports and the finished video projects from the students in the program. we gettin it crackin (done, for those who don' speak..you know) LOL

I have been given the task to increase the viewership and participation in www.sflregionalequity.org (a website dedicated to achieving greater equity in the Southeast Florida region through promoting and enabling affordable housing, transit-oriented development, stronger neighborhoods, and equal access to education and health).

I believe in the cause and I think demand for the website is out there. However, I did not know how to best get the word out. At first I spent approximately 60 hours identifying 1800 possible organizations and local activists who would possibly be interested in the purpose of the site. I then went ahead and emailed and snail mailed invitations to the website with very little response. I believe that of the 1800 pieces of mailings I received 2 phone calls and 7 emails. So that tactic did not get the results I was hoping for.

Next, I decided to create an e-newsletter through Constant Contact. The Collins Center already has an account with them so there is no additional cost to the website. Otherwise, It would cost over $300 a year to run the newsletter. However, I can not use my current email list to send out newsletters because if a certain percentage unsubscribe from the newsletter the account will be cancelled, thereby ruining the service for the whole organization (Constant Contact has a strict NO-SPAM policy). So that tactic could possibly produce the desired results, but it could also get me in some hot water with the Collins Center if the service gets cancelled.

After I spent some time reviewing my ineffective attempts, it became clear that the website needs an informed and focused marketing plan. I scheduled a "Marketing for Nonprofits" seminar this week that the Collins Center was gracious enough to pay for, but one seminar can only do so much. The website is in serious need of tried-and-true marketing strategies that work, and I plain have no expertise in marketing.

Therefore my plan is to a) gain knowledge of basic marketing principles; b) identify best practices for marketing websites; and c) choose one or a combination of best practices to implement.

If anyone else has the assignment of increasing participation in a website or project and would like to share your experience let me know! I think working on similar projects and having others share their input really helps, and it makes the whole process more enjoyable.

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-Mike is told to create a company website

-Mike is no web designer

-Mike tries 2 teach himself

-Mike suks

-Mike contracts with an outside web designer

-All is well

-Computer breaks down

-Mike is sad

-Computer's getting fixed

-All is well

 

 

the mediaaidcenter.org

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Now announcing the first official CTC VISTA photo contest! Now that everyone should have received their own personal version of the Project mascot, we're aiming to propagate the robot fun by offering a mysterious, but exciting prize to the best photo uploaded to the blogs (or on Flickr tagged as "ctcvista" and "robot") of your new CTC VISTA friend in action. Big points given for creativity. Prizes could include exclusive rights to name the lil' robot guy, Paul's undying love and affection, and our an all expense paid vacation for your robot (we can't afford to send you, but the lil guy would surely enjoy a week on the beach...).

Also, vote in the poll to name the robot or submit your robot name ideas! But keep it clean...

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I just finished my first MassIMPACT Spreading the Stories three and 1/2 day digital storytelling train-the-trainer workshop, hosted graciously by Inquilinos Boricuas en Acción (IBA) and the El Batey Technology Center of the Villa Victoria housing development in the South End of Boston. It was the first of two workshops I'm doing this spring in the South End, trying to foster some REALLY local working groups of digital storytelling facilitators. I pitched the idea to David Kay of IBA and Giles Li of Boston Chinatown Neighborhood Center (BCNC) after they both mentioned in separate meetings that they were interested in incorporating digital storytelling into their existing youth and adult programs. As it turns out, they knew each other already and knew of some other interested community workers at the Castle Square Technology Center. I pulled in my fellow Mass Housing cohort, Seline, and a new friend Jayme from Mandela Residents Cooperative Association and our group was complete.

We had a lively group of youth workers, adult education teachers, fundraisers, spoken word poets, administrators, and visual artists. Every person had such a unique story, voice and approach that the finished set of stories ranged from a call for an end to the violence in the South End (and beyond), to a reflection on "kneading" your grandmother's coconut cake or diversity in one apartment building, to the cold nature of Bostonians, and finally to an immigrant teacher's love of "civic navigation." I heartfully enjoyed the subtle theme that emerged in many of the stories around turning challenges into blessings.

We also brainstormed some ways that the three local South End programs can work with each other and share their existing knowledge bases and foster more collaboration among the organizations. The youth workers were especially excited about bringing more meaningful use of technology into the youth's experiences and helping them break down the barriers by street corners and blocks that are leading to fights and escalating violence.

I was able to enlist the help of fellow facilitators Lisa and Sheela, which was more than necessary as we topped off the last day with TEN finished stories...well at least drafts! [They'll be up on the MassIMPACT website gallery in the coming weeks, but here's a few photos up on Flickr of the workshop itself.]

The next workshop is in early May (1st, 8th & 9th) at the BCNC and I'm aiming to open it up to some local CTC VISTAs and others who are preparing for summer programs.

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Conference call for the TANP and ComNet groups:
Wednesday, March 7: 1:30PM Eastern/ 12:30PM Central / 10:30PM Pacific

In attendance:

Aliya Abbasi
Andrea Collopy
Corey Funderburk
John Miller
Kamala Kalluri
Karl Hedstrom
Kevin Bulger
Laura Hanley
Mike Moore
Timothy Wescott

Agenda:

1. Individual check-ins (Ongoing)

2. ctcvista.org updates

Aliya

-------

Package arriving.

via mail.

From the project.

-------

Heather Wiley
moving on - Promotion

Lora Grady will be
taking up that position.

Some of you might've met her at orientation.

---------

People moving on - taking
ed award.

Call americorps.gov to order
ed award

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3. Re-Structuring the conference call

Alphabetically - by First Name

Conference Software / Sites / Alternatives (Aliya - ??)

Vyew.com - FREE Anytime Collaboration and Live Conferencing
Free Conference - current conferencing system

4. Challenges/Joys/Reminders

Aliya

Stay up on Conferences.

5. Project/ctcvista.org updates

Andrea

I am working with volunteer instructors to schedule regular monthly computer classes here at The Center. Classes are taught by volunteers and course topics reflect the interest and skills of the volunteer instructor. We have offered six classes in our first month and a half since we started, and already have a schedule lined up for the remainder of March and beginning of April. A challenge has been getting the word out about the classes so that attendance increases, although some classes, such as Introduction to Computers, are full!!

The Center has also partnered with the Library of Congress and the Lambda Archives to participate in the Veteran's History Project. The project relies on volunteers to achieve its goal of collecting and preserving stories of wartime service. The (San Diego LGBT [Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender] Community) Center's is focusing on the stories and experiences of LGBT Veterans. We have completed 8 interviews thus far, and are training another group of volunteer interviews to conduct more Veteran interviews. We would then like as many LGBT Veterans as possible to take their interview and their pictures, and create a digital story!

Corey

Got new Mississippi Project (See blog - Corey's Blog)
Working on Training Manuals / Regular Office Stuff

John

Doing new website.
Contracted with new vista (June)
Help to get new site live by Monday
Send Link.
New Server. (Freight Elevator)

Kamala

She is making progress on "downtime" database project which has been my long term project. She has temporarily suspended work on 'downtime' to configure and install a word press blog software for "Renaissance club" (local non profit organization) whose website we host. She is currently on a one week vacationing in sunny San Francisco, away from winter wonders of Mass.

Karl

Been busy setting up for 2007 NTC.
Basic Database stuff (Net:FORUM)
Membership campaign.
Grandpa died. Going to funeral in IL.

Kevin

NTen Question:

What are the kind of things (Topic Areas)?
How does it compare to other conferences?
What are the tangible benefits?

Suggestions: Karl / Aliya

Goto NTen website.

One of the more well known NP Tech Conferences

Over 100 sessions

Likely to be something interesting

Aliya - (Note - NTEN links ^^Above^^)

Attended last year

Handouts? Depends on presenter / Online handouts / Blogging / Flickr / Notes

Sessions (USB Thumbdrive)

Two days - Thurs / Fri - Weds (Day of Service - Sign up on website)
Weds - 8am sign up to help an organization (Take you there, Bring you back)
Optional (may or may not be affiliated with NTen)

Or attend affinity group (NOTE: ctcvista Affinity Group on Weds)
Informal - talking about current projects

Session on one of other days for Project Presentation
Anything you've been working on.
Talk about your organization.

Peter Miller Scheduled as designer for Affinity Group and Project Presentation

If not sure, talk to Karl or Aliya or ???

Laura

Training materials.
Testing.
Dreamweaver Class
Photoshop Class (CS2)
Demo (Free download 4 month) - Adobe Website:
Here's the link for the free trial version of Adobe's Photoshop CS2:
Adobe Trial Software

Mike

NCLR ACTS
NCLR ACTS - Press Release

- Project Issues: Can't Delete / South American Developer / Update ISP Connection (T1) / Cisco Server (Currently being worked on)

Project System Powerpoint - Intro / Tutorial (Work in Progress - Ongoing)

New PC
Capacity Building - Spreadsheets (Reorganizing/Consolidating), DB (Tweaking), Espanol Links

Knowledge Sessions:

- About the Organization: El Centro de la Raza -
El Centro de la Raza Homepage
- Video: Inconvenient Truth
- Emergency Preparedness

Tim

Software Development Conference - Oakland
Close to 100 people
NP Software how it's used, developing good software

Session Notes Wiki:
Wiki on Software Development Conference

Tim's website and his NP: Aspiration
Aspiration Homepage

Next week another usability stint at Google
(This (past) weekend)

Getting ready for NTen (Penguin Day - Day after conference)

Interested in Software Development ($90) - Attend Penguin Day

Try to get a blog entry up on SW Dev Conference

6. Wrapup

Blogging: Tim, Kevin, Mike

Feel Free to share USB (Thumbdrive Info) / updates from NTen
for those not attending

Next session - Apr 11, same time.