[Ham-80211] Access control suggestions

[Eric S. Johansson]

Steven Phillips wrote:
> I have decided to use this topic as a research project
> for my sociology class.  Here's a question that I have
> come up with.
> 
> In my opinion, one of the major uses of this type of
> system would be for emergency use in disaster
> situations.  With the exception of long range
> communciation, is really necessary to use WiFi under
> part 97?  What I"m getting at, is this.  In the event
...

I've often argued that the best interface for emergency communications 
is a browser, and a standard e-mail client.  Which means amateur radio 
becomes a pipe over which non ham originated messages pass.  Therefore, 
we should concentrate on building tools that work with standard Internet 
protocols on one side, transport messages across RF links, and then 
interoperate with standard Internet protocols on the other side.  I've 
often suggested that UUCP is a good conceptual model for this environment.

before you get your part 97 undies in a bunch, yes I know there are 
content restrictions which I believe should be waived for the 
circumstances.  One could argue for this on the grounds that we're not 
providing general access, we're providing a publicly beneficial service 
to the agencies servicing disasters zones.  One could use tiered 
services to allow individuals to send "I'm alive and OK" messages 
outside but not accept any traffic back except under very special 
circumstances.  This traffic obviously would have to go through the part 
97 scrutiny process.
> 
> Sheesh I'm long winded. 

comes with a territory.  I've had to go to water cooled finals I talk so 
much.

---eric

-- 
George Bush makes me long for the honesty of Richard Nixon