Freenets vs. Commercial Nets
Check out what Infoworld columnist Ephraim Schwartz thinks of freenets. He doesn’t see their value in light of subscription based networks that promise to provide well distributed and reliable access. Over at 802.11b Networking News, Glenn Fleishman thinks that Schwartz has it all wrong. Fleishman points out that freenets or community nets are different from commercial networks. They exist because people want them to exist, not because of some commercial demand. The point here is that the two aren’t in competition, they serve different purposes and audiences. I think what Schwartz really wants to know is what we all want to know, when are we going to have enough hotspots around that there will be one available (free or for-pay) when you really need one.
