Warchalking - More War or More Chalking?

UK Thursday, 19 September, 2002, 09:39 GMT 10:39 UK
Wireless hitchhikers branded as thieves

Take advantage of this and you could be stealing

Phone maker Nokia has come down strongly against warchalking.

It has condemned as theft the placing of chalk symbols on walls and pavements at places where people can use wireless net access.

An advisory issued by the handset maker said anyone using bandwidth without the permission of the person paying for it was simply stealing.

The criticism follows a warning by the FBI about the potential dangers of warchalking.



Do you agree with Nokia?



Stolen pipes

The idea for warchalking first started circulating on the internet in July it has become something of a geek hobby.

This is theft, plain and simple

Nokia The website set up to support the growing community of warchalkers hosts details of places that have been warchalked and advice to people who want to chalk their own networks.

Some security experts have raised questions about warchalking saying that it could encourage hacking.

Now Nokia has joined the chorus of criticism by saying that anyone who sits outside an office and uses a company's wireless network to do their own web surfing is stealing.

"This is theft, plain and simple," wrote Nokia in its advisory.


The company said that anyone using a company's bandwidth without permission is reducing the amount of a valuable resource available to the workers in that organisation.

The advisory was brought to light by technology news magazine Computing.

Nokia warned that if too many warchalkers log on together, the whole network inside a company could slow down.

It also said that unscrupulous spammers could use a network as a proxy to despatch millions of unwanted e-mail messages with no danger of being traced.

 

Bah. If the house or company has decent security to begin with, stealing bandwidth should be impossible. And anyway, who cares, the companies have more than they'll ever use and they don't pay by the minute.

 

can anybody put up a guide to, or some common symbols?

my apt compex is home to many unsecured networks.

 

"There will be no white flag above my door..." -Dido

 

Common sense is not so common. You know where the stuff's gonna be, so why chalk? It's just British politeness.

 

Warchalking is a grass roots effort to create a standard iconography for public Wi-Fi access. The movement was started during the summer of 2002 in London by information architect Matt Jones, who posted and promoted the idea on his Web log (blog). The concept of a Wi-Fi iconography was inspired by the chalk markings used by hobos during the Great Depression to communicate information to fellow itinerants about the friendliness of a place or its inhabitants.

Creator Matt Jones began by posting three possible warchalking symbols on his blog. Two semi-circles back-to-back would indicate an open node, a circle would indicate the presence of a closed node, and a circle with the letter "W" inside it would indicate a WEP node. Ideally, each symbol would be chalked with a corresponding SSID next to it which would act as a password to the node.

Because chalk markings are temporary, warchalkers hope to avoid legal fines for defacing public or private property. The name warchalking is derived from the cracker terms war dialing and war driving.
>>*Find white papers, products and vendors related to warchalking.
Read more about it:
>>* Warchalking.org's mission is to create a hobo language for free wireless networking.
>>* Wired magazine has an article about warchalking: "Warchalking - the idea is cool, but will it take off?"
>>* Matt Jones anticipates that his iconography might be useful for free wireless sites and their mapping-location software.

 

Open Stage

 

Want Wi-Fi? Learn the secret code
Published: June 26, 2002, 10:55 AM PDT



By Matt Loney
Special to CNET News.com

Seventy years ago, during the Great Depression in the United States, hobos drew signs to indicate to each other where they could get a meal. Now, across the Atlantic in London, geeks are talking about using a similar system of chalk symbols to signal where they can get a decent wireless Internet connection.

Warchalking, as the practice has been coined by Matt Jones, entails simply drawing a chalk symbol on a wall or pavement to indicate the presence of a wireless networking node. If you see one of these symbols, you should--in theory at least--be able to whip out your notebook computer equipped with an 802.11 wireless networking card, and log on to the Net.

The idea of organized wireless hot spots, where people can log on at cafes, exhibition centers, airports and the like, is nothing new. BT Group has ambitious plans to create a commercial network of at least 400 high-speed wireless hot spots by next summer, and plans to have 20 up and running by August.

BT's vision, which entails providing access only to subscribers of its OpenZone service, required a change in the law to allow commercial use of the 2.4GHz part of the radio spectrum without a Wireless Telegraphy Act license.

But warchalking is remarkable because it is based on an ad hoc process of people discovering Wi-Fi nodes, whether commercial or not, and signaling their presence with chalk symbols. It is also remarkable for the reception the idea has had.

"I've been a bit overawed by everything, to be honest," said Jones, who came up with the idea after seeing students of the U.K. Architectural Association in what they called a "wireless Internet performance." The students had chalked an office plan on the pavement of London's Bedford Square, and sat out in the virtual office with laptop computers hooked up to the Internet over a Wi-Fi connection.

"I thought it seemed like a really nice idea," said Jones, who has an architectural background himself. "I have only had a wireless networking card for two months myself, and was interested in how it could change a city."

Several days later Jones was chatting with some friends, and someone mentioned the symbols that hobos used to use. "These were all about making visible what might otherwise go unnoticed," said Jones. After spending half an hour in Adobe Illustrator, Jones set up a Web log to publicize his idea, e-mailed the address to a few friends, and waited.

That was Sunday. By Tuesday, the popular Slashdot.org Web log in the United States had picked up on the story and the flood of e-mails began, including ideas to expand the basic set of three symbols to include the direction of the node.

The first attempt at drawing up symbols resulted in three simple designs: two semicircles back to back to indicate an open node; a circle to indicate a closed node; and a circle with a "W" inside it to indicate a WEP (Wireless Equivalent Privacy, a security protocol) node, which will probably be inaccessible to the public because such nodes use encryption for security. Each symbol has a Service Set Identifier (SSID) at the top, which acts as a password to the node. SSIDs are easily obtained using readily available sniffing software.

"The idea of the warchalking blog (Web log) was to put an imperfect idea out there and see what happened," said Jones. "It has been interesting to see how it has happened, but it has grown so fast it does not really feel like my idea anymore. I feel more like the gardener than the builder." Nevertheless, Jones hopes to finalize version one of the runes by the end of this week.

The idea of the warchalk symbols, said Jones, is that they should give just enough of a visual cue to indicate that it is worth firing up a notebook or PDA (personal digital assistant). Some suggestions have concentrated on touring the city with a notebook and GPS (Global Positioning System) to find wireless nodes, and then building an online database, but according to Jones this misses the point: "Using chalk runes breaks the cycle, because otherwise you would have to fire up your computer and log on anyway to find where the nodes are."

And the attraction of warchalking is its simplicity. Jones likens it to the apocryphal tale of how NASA spent 10 years and millions of dollars to make ballpoint pens work in space, only to send its astronauts up with pencils. There are other attractions of the chalk approach too.

"Some people have asked why not use stickers or paint," said Jones. "But the idea of chalk means that people have to go around and renew the symbols to the network is constantly revalidating itself and checking its own integrity. Also, using chalk won't piss too many people off." By using chalk, warchalkers should be able to avoid the fate of IBM, which was fined $100,000 for spray painting its "Peace, Love and Linux" ad campaign on the sidewalks of San Francisco last year.

There have been reports of system administrators expressing concern at the idea of having their wireless networks probed and exposed for all to see, but according to Jones there is a positive side to this. "If someone chalks the fact that you're exposed and you're a (system administrator), you can see it. You know you're exposed, and then you can decide what you want to do. I have already had e-mails from some (system administrators) who said they love the idea. Several even said they will print the symbols on a card and put it in their office windows."

However, the idea does not appear to be universally popular. The organizers of London-based community wireless project Consumer.net, for instance, do not appear to be overly impressed.

"I am one of those people trying to seriously encourage community networking, and if that activity is seen to be some sort of cracker plot it will be damaged," wrote one Consume.net member on the Slashdot Web log.

ZDNet U.K.'s Matt Loney reported from London.

 

Warchalking
Collaboratively creating a hobo-language for free wireless networking.



June 28, 2002
Wibocops

Wow! This is awesome! Doughnuts and warchalking!!!

"Matt,

I'm the CIO of the State of Utah. We network over 250 buildings for 22,000 employees. We're also in the planning phase of deploying Wi-Fi access points at places where cops hang out so they can connect to the net during their shift (they use CDPD for low bandwidth ops, but need a high bandwidth option sometimes). In this kind of environment, warchalking has some important uses beyond finding a free net. I'm hoping to use th warchalking icons to alert employees to the existence of wireless nets in conference rooms and other places.

Given all this, I have to come down in the less is more camp. The icons need to be kept simple and relatively few if we expect them to be used.

I've made references to this on my blog at www.windley.com. Thanks for the inspiration.



Phillip J. Windley, Ph.D.
Chief Information Officer
Office of the Governor, State of Utah


Posted by matt at 04:57 PM
street-legal

Yonah writes:

"...I am also waiting for someone to put up chalkmarks on my driveway - even if I did it myself, I would probably have very few people 'hanging out' as I live on rural street in suburban NYC. (However, I can just imagine coming home one day to find a stranger on my patio with his or her laptop plugged into my outdoor outlet ).

But here is an interesting thought. Obviously much has been said about the whole free vs. paid network scenario, but what about people who war chalk corporate nets. Take the following two situations:

- Warchalker A stumbles across an unsecured network run by XYZ company. Someone from XYZ company sees him marking up the street outside their building, and has him arrested for technological trespassing. Granted, one could argue that if the network were truly private, it would be better secured, but the company might still have a case.

-Wachalker B sees warchalker A's markings, with no indication as to whether the net is private or not. He boots up and starts using it, only to be caught by someone from XYZ. Is he liable? Maybe!

I know that your initial intent was KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid) but in addition to the 'paid' network symbols of $ that people have been suggesting, we might also need a symbol to indicate that access privileges are unknown.

As for the Pay-per-use Wi-Fi chalk marks, I don't see the point. Starbucks in the US advertises their wireless connectivity like crazy. Other spots that have it would too, courtesy of Boingo, T-Mobile, Joltage, etc.

Wasn't the whole point of the Hobo Markings a cryptic sign for those in the know to get a FREE meal? Hoboes wouldn't tag a restaurant if the food was good, but you had to pay for it, would they?"


Posted by matt at 03:43 PM

 

===========================

 

http://www.thinkgeek.com sells a keychain sized hotspot finder, easier then walking around with your laptop when theres no chalk to guide you.

 

Yup! What'll those ad wizards think of next? Price: $59.99

And what'll the huge chalk companies do now? Probably lay people off. People like Tiny Tim's Dad.

And now what's gonna happen to this thread? It's gonna go bust like the Internet bubble.

It certainly is sleek, but I prefer Dick Tracy's panache. He's cool.



This one just sold for $500 on eBay. I think Fossil just picked up on doing retro Tracy stuff. Maybe one of their CEO's bought it for his dog to chew on.

 

I just made one I think is better than theirs...



Yeah, but you'd have to make them want it. Suits & rich kids might buy that other one, but it looks like the first computers--they'd want Apple-Salon-Sheik. That looks like the stuff they have in those Airline magazines.

Kids on the Street think CHALK is cool. It was the powertool of teachers. It's like bombing science, graffiti -- carrying around spraypaint is a power trip because it's destructive in their minds & illegal for them to buy. Spray paint has never lost that edge. That thing is like a watch without the band. Well, I added one. They need to do something completely corny. I think Fossil thinks that way. They are doing a hang around the neck Tracy I believe. Just found out about it researching this. Who did Relic? Is that the company? See, it's a fusion of Old Swatch Goth & Fossils & Retro. Comix are in & Tracy is pure retro-rhetoric.

 

Teens' wireless feat could be world record
By Justin Fenton, Gannett News Service
Four Ohio teens made a 55.1-mile wireless connection at a recent hacker conference in Las Vegas that might be a world record.

Ben Corrado, Andy Meng and Justin Rigling, all graduates of St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati, are amateur radio operators with a fascination for defunct satellite dishes and wireless Internet, or Wi-Fi, connections. They turned a patchwork of satellite dishes and other gear into a powerful wireless base station at DefCon, which bills itself as the largest underground hacking conference in the world, to compete with other techies to see who could make the farthest Wireless Fidelity, or Wi-Fi, connection.

Contestants had to set up a pair of computers and see how far apart they could maintain an Internet connection using homemade and commercial antennas. Part of the team stayed with the equipment on top of a 4,600-foot mountain while the others loaded their equipment into a vehicle and drove until the signal died.
**Wireless Fidelity
What is Wi-Fi?

Wi-Fi, short for Wireless Fidelity, or wireless computer networking, is a way for computers to communicate wirelessly using high-frequency radio technology capable of sending large amounts of data quickly. In most cases, one computer – the host – is connected to the Internet through a standard wired connection and acts as a base station. Other computers equipped with wireless cards then can transmit and receive data through the base station.

The Cincinnati team drove for more than an hour, taking Rigling's father's Astrovan up steep gravel roads and one-way dirt trails, finding every nook and cranny until they ran out of roadway.

"We thought we could go fairly far," Rigling, 18, said. "And then it started to make sense after about 38 miles. We were like, 'Well, this isn't the end. There's more out there if we can find a road to go up.'"

In the end, their 55-mile amplified connection exceeded last year's winner by 20 miles. Then they turned off their amplifiers and broke the record for an unamplified connection at the same distance.

While not yet confirmed, the connection appears to be a world record for a ground connection. The Guinness record for Wi-Fi connection is about 192 miles, achieved in 2002 by Swedish Wi-Fi equipment maker Alvarion and the Swedish Space. But that record was achieved using a Swedish weather balloon, which some experts say isn't comparable to a ground measurement because there are fewer obstacles to block a signal.

The Swedish team also used amplification in setting the mark, while the DefCon team maintained its connection even after turning off the amplification.

Commercial wireless connections are typically about 300 feet long.

Wi-Fi is becoming more popular. It eliminates cords and wires while using radio frequencies so that people with laptop computers or other mobile devices can browse the Internet or check their e-mail while sipping coffee or sitting on a park bench.

Corrado, Meng and Rigling have been interested in Wi-Fi and satellites since joining St. Xavier's Radio Club, where they became amateur radio operators and started brainstorming ideas for things they could build on a low budget. Last year, they collected satellite dishes from the back yards of neighbors who were no longer using them, mounting them on towers in their back yards so they could share files.

That idea was shot down by their parents, and the dishes sat until last month when 19-year-old Meng, who attends LeTourneau University in Texas, spotted the competition on a Web site.

Along with Brandon Schamer, who didn't make the trip, they spent nights in the Corrados' basement, cutting copper plates and welding parts together to make two strong dishes.

The teens already are planning to make the trip again next year. After being recognized at the conference and making a short speech, they tried to negotiate the sale of their equipment. Unable to find a taker, they took off the dishes' important parts and tossed the rest in the trash.

Next year, they'll try to get a sponsor and some bigger dishes and take the connection farther.

"We're the kind of guys who just like to build stuff," said Rigling, who plans to attend Massachusetts Institute of Technology this fall.