Internet users usually think of Wi-Fi networks as either open (hey, let’s steal Internet from our neighbor instead of paying for it!) or closed (only those with a password can access the Internet). If you leave your network open, how often do you actually know the people who are also logged on?
Wifis.org, a new site created and operated by Berlin-based Mathias Nitzsche and “Robert,” turns your WiFi network into a contact form of sorts, making you accessible to others via private messages that are transmitted through your WiFi network. To create an account on WiFis.org, login using your Facebook or Google account.
After you have logged on account, go to your wireless router or modem and change your Wi-Fi network’s name (SSID). This won’t change anything about the service itself.
Should Wi-Fi networks be more social? WiFis.org seems like it might be more useful for a Wi-Fi network you would access while traveling. Take the case of hotel lobbies, for instance. If anything, you may want to stop sharing your files with others in the lobby, but you still may want to find some way to connect with people around you in a less-than-awkward fashion.
“Robert” suggested another possible use to us via email: You’ve just moved to a new neighborhood, and you haven’t yet set up your WiFi connection. So you start looking for open networks. You could do the old-fashioned “knock on peoples’ doors and actually say hello” thing, or you could use WiFis.org to message them. What you decide to do is up to you.
WiFis.org is not designed for the hotel or cafe experience – at least, not yet. For now, it’s best for the everyday home Wi-Fi user who might not know who their neighbors are, and might actually want to. But not necessarily in-person.
