Spare some WiFi for Indian Food

January 16, 2006 7:02 PM

Have extra Indian food around your house? Trade it once a month for free Wi-Fi access. Sharing WiFi via Google Maps [via mefi projects] If you've got WiFi and are willing to share it - or you can can 'see' someone else's WiFi and would like to use it - you're in the right place.
posted by tozturk (16 comments total)

The maps on the site appear to be broken, but that may just be me.
posted by mr_crash_davis at 7:15 PM on January 16, 2006

www.sharemywifi.com - great idea, but not to be confused with www.sharemywife.com (NSFW!)
posted by Wet Spot at 7:18 PM on January 16, 2006

Works for me. I can see all of 3 people offering up their connections in exchange for Indian food/cash.
posted by basicchannel at 7:18 PM on January 16, 2006

The maps on the site appear to be broken, but that may just be me.

Definitely broken. Doesn't go any further than the US....
posted by pompomtom at 7:29 PM on January 16, 2006

I do not think spare Indian food is a valuable currency in my apartment complex.
posted by smackfu at 7:35 PM on January 16, 2006

"[If] you can can 'see' someone else's WiFi and would like to use it ..."

... why bother?
posted by mischief at 7:36 PM on January 16, 2006

Because it's nice?
posted by Freen at 9:15 PM on January 16, 2006

"[If] you can can 'see' someone else's WiFi and would like to use it ..." then get arrested
posted by marvin at 9:27 PM on January 16, 2006

sharemywife.com works just fine, thanks -- they also link to google maps.
posted by NewBornHippy at 10:54 PM on January 16, 2006

Or share my wifey
Again NSFW
posted by Joeforking at 2:43 AM on January 17, 2006

So there are seven people in the country who want to share their wifi?
posted by thirteenkiller at 5:16 AM on January 17, 2006

Nice idea, but I still can't think of a good reason not to just leave your network free for the neighbours to use - everyone in my building does and we all benefit - I use the bloke on the ground floor's WiFi when working down in the garden on the two days a year it's sunny enough, the students opposite use mine for a week every month when they inevitably forget to pay their bills &c.
posted by jack_mo at 7:04 AM on January 17, 2006

"...but I still can't think of a good reason not to just leave your network free for the neighbours to use..."

I tried that when I moved recently. But my router became so bombarded, and my bandwidth so decreased, I had no choice but to shut it off to the outside world.

If I am trying to get work done, I don't need 55 people taking my bandwidth down to sub-dialup speeds so they can download pornography or illegal music, and creating a possible liability for me if the RIAA or federales link my cable account to their illegal activity.

Let's face it, it's a noble idea to have free, open wi-fi where you can offer it. But in a world of limited bandwidth and laws that favor corporate interests, it isn't really a great idea to leave your broadband open. Frankly, my neighbor who might be downloading kiddie porn with my IP address deters me enough, let alone the other reasons.
posted by benjh at 10:54 AM on January 17, 2006

It's a nice idea, but I use every bit of my bandwidth, and I don't really feel like sharing. Besides, I'd be concerned about security issues. Wouldn't anyone?
posted by madc0w at 2:48 PM on January 17, 2006

What else can I trade free indian food for, is what I wanna know? laundry service? a trip in a pickup to IKEA?
posted by infini at 7:44 PM on January 17, 2006

pompomtom - click and drag the map, it'll go anywhere. There are several people in the UK and one in France who want to share wifi.
posted by altolinguistic at 6:09 AM on January 18, 2006