Worldchanging reports in 'Yellow Chairs and Neighborly Technology' how yellow has been used to denote a shared resource: previously a project using yellow bikes was used to denote that it could be shared. Now, another ad-hoc 'yellow project' has sprung up - yellow chairs! Yet these yellow chairs inform passers-by that they can sit down and use a free Wi-Fi network from a nearby house....nice touch!
"When a local household in San Jose decides its share its wireless network with neighbours and other strangers, the house members do not know what to expect. Few curious passersby stop by to see what would happen next. There is a rumour that somewhere else, at the other end of town, another household with a yellow chair is doing the same thing. What was going on? The rumour mill worked overtime, as people wondered why anyone would want to sit on a yellow chair to access a wireless network. But for those who sat on the chair, they knew it was a unique experience and a lot of fun. They had been ‘invited’ to enter personal networks, share music and movies and shout across town about war and politics if they so wished. They felt like cyber voyeurs, entering unknown territories, grabbing and dropping files across the neighbourhood, across the city, over a cup of coffee."
Is there a yellow chair near you?
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