Homeless Doesn't Mean Offline
Posted 06/02/09 at 05:49:04 PM by Mark Edward Soper
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The Wall Street Journal reports on the increasing numbers of homeless computer users. While some resort to familiar solutions such as using computers set up in shelters or at public libraries, others carry their own laptops and external hard disks, and some even generate their own electricity or connect their units to car batteries to keep their systems running. Cybercafes, sympathetic friends, and "hidden" locations in public places that offer AC power and wireless access are some of the methods used to stay online.
Except for where homeless users run their systems and make online connections, they're not much different than those of us using PCs at home or at the office: PCs are used for news, information, and entertainment, social networking, advocacy, and jobhunting. As one homeless user puts it: "You don't need a TV. You don't need a radio. You don't even need a newspaper, but you need the Internet."
If you had to hit the streets, what would you give up before you gave up your PC? If you're a PC nomad, what are your favorite ways to stay powered up and online? Hit Comment and share your thoughts.
Detail of image by Brian L. Frank for the Wall Street Journal.
Homeless Wifi Bandits
Submitted by Daemon on Sat, 06/06/2009 - 11:13pm
Ya don't suppose these homeless people leech wifi from paying home users huh? Do they get hasseled by The Man when they do? What sorts of wifi rigs do you suppose they're using, waveguide antenna's, maybe a pringles project, or even a wokfi? I'll have to keep my eyes peeled for these guys. Meanwhiles over at Unclyopedia the closest thing to Homeless geeks are nerds http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Homeless_nerds its a fairly apt description if I may say so.
nice
Submitted by oriental-monkey on Thu, 06/04/2009 - 7:01am
i would take a laptop over drugs any day.
oc to 10ghz
Submitted by Daemon on Wed, 06/03/2009 - 6:00am
WTF - FTW HOMELESS WIFI GEEKS! Shopping cart wifi antenna rigs how much range and dBi do those rigs get anyways? Here in Toronto I haven't seen any pluged in homeless folk on the street. Maybe they hide all their tech at their "residences" or in a locker at the bus station? I'm beginning to wonder if theres an underground homless warwalkin, warbiking around town with wifi on bicycles since obviously they don't drive. Some undoubtedly do live out of their cars, I've just never seen one with a wokfi or a dipole antenna. Over at Uncyclopedia they seem to have this whole hominid variety pretty much pegged amazingly enough.
<a href="http://uncyclopedia.wikia.com/wiki/Homeless_nerds">Uncyclopedia: Homeless Nerds</a>
this smells like one of
Submitted by Denis63 on Wed, 06/03/2009 - 12:18pm
this smells like one of those american things that we dont see here in canada.
I've actually been homeless AND Online
Submitted by Stry8993 on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 8:24pm
So this does reflect personally. Its not easy. Going from the bottom, and back up, but I used the library most often, a cell phone connected to the internet, and my laptop whenever I could. You run a big risk of getting things stolen, thats for sure, but, get this, I was making $3000 a month, and I was homeless because I helped someone else from being homeless and it f'cked me over. Fancy that hey? Its all good now, but, next time your at your local library, and you think that dirty old guy is a loser, wait until you see some of the Runescape Characters he has.
I know a guy who got himself off the streets playing WoW and selling char's, and worked for the internet cafe to pay his bill. Pwned.
thanks for the "inside info"
Submitted by almax on Wed, 06/03/2009 - 7:02am
I would never consider a homeless person a loser, however, the next time I see a homeless person I will consider some key points from your post if asked for a handout.
"but, get this, I was making $3000 a month"
"got himself off the streets playing WoW and selling char's"
"worked for the internet cafe to pay his bill"
Submitted by mesiah on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 8:10pm
The next time you get pwned in WoW, or your face blown off playing crysis you'll have to ask yourself... "Did I just get my ass beat by a homeless guy?" hmmm....
Submitted by sparkey247 on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 7:30pm
i rather see someone whos homeless and surfing the web rather than see a homeless passed out because he's drunk, at least he is on the right state of mind and maybe can pull him self out of the gutter, rather than sleeping in his own urine. who knows maybe technolgy really can save a life, i say this because i live in a chicago suburb and everytime i drive down to chicago im bound to run into one or two hobos asking for change, though smelly, and most of the time drunk, they are still human, and to be human means you make mistakes some of us just make greater mistakes than others.
lol
Submitted by Vano on Wed, 06/03/2009 - 6:48am
I don't believe one laptop can provide equal amount of warmth at night as one weekend newspaper.
On other thoughts, it depends...
Submitted by gibsurfer84 on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 5:20pm
Rule 34 my friends, that is what keeps the internet alive.
Submitted by foamcup on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 4:44pm
Some of those guys are pretty clever, one uses a Mac because of the lower power usage and disconnected the fan. He cools it with a damp cloth, says he gets 16 hours battery life. I'm getting pretty close to homeless myself, I should scout around a bit for wireless access and power.
I used..
Submitted by aluCard1462 on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 3:32pm
I used to go into Best Buy and charge my phone ( with Windows Mobile ) at the kiosk where they sell them.
Submitted by DOOMHAMMA on Tue, 06/02/2009 - 3:33pm
That's my kind of homeless! Leave it to a hobo to set you straight, we really don't need anything but the internet, everything else makes its way to it anyway!
Google image search, "homeless on laptop." There is a real good one there, I am not sure if the photo above is a legit hobo!
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