Wi-Fi Social Software: PlaceSite and Īle Sans Fil
March 15, 2005 (Filed under: Inspiration, LBS, Social Software)There are two ways to provide location-based services with Wi-Fi networks: you can put the intelligence on the mobile device itself, or you can let the back-end do the work. Herecast chose the former route, but the alternative has some pretty neat advantages too. Most notably, server-based solutions work for anyone who connects to the network. In my report, I referenced one system that was being researched at Purdue University, but there now are a few others that anyone can play with.
Smart Mobs pointed at PlaceSite, a system that that connects people who are in the same cafe. When connecting to the network, users are presented with a list of "who's here." People can also post notes to a local message board. A pilot project will run in a Berkeley, California cafe late next month.
You can imagine that I'm heading in a similar direction with Heresay, the location-based message board. (Support for user profiles is probably near the top of the to-do list.) The photos are a nice touch.
In the comments for the above article, someone pointed to Montreal's Īle Sans Fil, a group that is deploying free wireless hotspots throughout the community. Like PlaceSite, these hotspots have custom home pages that present local content and a list of users online at each particular location. It's quite simple right now, but it might be heading somewhere interesting too.
I like this a lot. For the most complete experience, I would envision these server-side systems working together with a client-side application such as Herecast. This would provide all the advantages of both systems: the widest possible audience, and the greatest coverage area.
