SATURDAY, OCT 31, 2015: NOTE TO FILE
The Info-Ether
Wikipedia article accessed June 23, 2353
via Wayforward Machine
Eric Lee, A-SOCIATED PRESS
TOPICS: NEAR FUTURE, FROM THE WIRES, LIKELY STORY, HISTORY, INTERNET
Abstract: The Info-Ether is the name given to the future internet, which is low power and lacking in social media other than email/SMS messaging.Can this level of information be maintained in a low-powered world?
TUCSON (A-P) — The internet, though it had continued for a time as a high-speed intranet for the elites, had survived the Caliphate Days as the Ham-net radio-based system. Page requests, text-based with few graphics, could be requested using ham radio and within a day or two requested information (that mattered, so no porn or prattle) was relayed and received from somewhere on the planet.
Bandwidth was limited, but information was mainly held on local library servers and shared via thumb drive within the community. The community library requested needed info (unavailable locally) over the Ham-net and the info cameth via the ether. Thus were the would-be knowers informed. The idea of burning bandwidth by watching Movies or Porn became emblematic of the High-lifer's sense of entitlement.
People's palm-sized smartbooks (the same size as clay tablets once were) were connected via their community intranet, a local wi-fi system with a connection to the global Ham-net and later non-orbiting satellite Info-Ether for sending and receiving messages. Each village had its tower and citizens could request info in bulk, including some film and video clips, from the library and upon passing through the village square, insert their thumb drive in the Library Kiosk and receive a week or more of reading material to explore and consider on their smartbook.
Each citizen received infopons that limited their use of available Info-Ether bandwidth. Most used their allotted infopons for recreational material or gifted them to a more scholarly relative. Those whose interests were scholarly could be allotted more bandwidth per merit. Transmitting a book was equivalent to less than 2 seconds of video, so readers were never without AI vetted (to filter out misinformation and disinformation) material to consider and flourished. Thumb drives were the medium of information exchange and the illiterate had enough to view. Some video clips went viral, spreading by thumb drive.
Some individuals were comparative over-achievers and earned perpons that could be used to set up a hotspot which involved an antennae pointed at a community tower. Their antennae transmitted a premium wi-fi signal for their use, but also connected their neighbors' smartbooks to the community intranet at no cost to them. Premium users did not experience delays when using the intranet as their signal was allotted preference if a neighbor was using their wi-fi.
The neighbors' connection would be throttled back when the premium user was using the connection, so those who could and wished to spend perpons did so and their neighbors had free, if somewhat more limited by a few seconds, access to the intranet. When possible, such as late night, premium users could receive requested info over wi-fi without waiting to visit the Library Kiosk.
The cost in perpons for premium intranet was adjusted so that about a quarter of the population were willing to serve as neighborhood intranet providers. Premium users, when not at home, also benefited from nearly ever present hotspots. Access to info had been preserved at great effort by the techno-scholars and was a human right, freely provided.
The ground-based Ham-net is still used for emergency communication at night as the Ham-net can be powered by batteries or bio-fuel generators. During the day there are always solar wi-fi satellites carried by hydrogen blimp above the troposphere where it is always sunny.
The solar array also serves as wings for controlled descent. If repairs are needed the balloon is deflated to trail behind as the array glides back to a repair station. Solar powered electrolysis refills the balloon (slowly) for relaunch. Some of the solar satellite's power is used to turn water vapor into hydrogen to maintain the blimp.
As there are no batteries aboard, all non-emergency Info-Ether traffic is by day. Today is a low power world by 21st century Growther standards, but all have power enough and info enough. It is by universal custom that all Library Kiosks are in the form of public sculpture celebrating the exploits of the anonymous techno-scholars, the legendary ITs of yore, who had saved civilization. The thumb drive ports are at the Techo-scholars' fingertips so citizens can receive information (without misinformation, disinformation, belief-based claims, propaganda... as in the 21st century prior to collapse).
