Money & Mesh Networks

[jessicagmarshall]

Money & Mesh Networks

Description

A talk exploring the question is it possible to build/manage communal mesh infrastructure in a decentralized fashion and pay contributors fairly, all while staying true to an ethos of providing free/low-cost Internet to those who want it? and a possible answer.

The talk comprises of:

1. Sharing observations about my experiences and conversations as a peripheral participant of a donation-based, volunteer-run mesh network and what has limited my involvement in the network
2. Sourcing input and feedback from audience members about their experiences building community mesh networks with limited funding and volunteer labor
3. Introducing (and possibly demoing) Distribute, a decentralized autonomous organization we've prototyped for managing distributed utilities like community mesh networks. It provides a cryptoeconomic token framework for capital and labor contributors to come to agreement about what projects should be funded, how much they should receive, and on what timeframe they should be completed, as well as a mechanism to check that no one is acting dishonestly.
4. Critique - approach, complexity, ethics, limitations, etc.

Type: talk/discussion/demo
Length: 1.5 hours w/demo || 1 hour w/out
Additional considerations: n/a

Session Objective

• Share experiences and thoughts about money and its place in community mesh network initiatives
• Explore a new methodology for mesh network governance and solicit participant feedback

Material and Technical Requirements

• Presentation screen & projector (compatible with laptop running macOS)
• Internet connection
• Whiteboard or large pad of paper on an easel to take notes during discussion and critique
• Dry erase markers or permanent markers

Presenter(s)

Name: Jessica Marshall
Email: jessica.marshall14@gmail.com
GitHub: @jessicagmarshall
Interested in attending the sprint July 16-18: N
Interested in a community billet: billet

Name: Ashoka Finley
GitHub: @shkfnly
Interested in attending the sprint July 16-18: N
Interested in a community billet: billet

Presenter Bio

Jessica Marshall is an adopted New Yorker and critical theory nerd who likes to write code and play with antennas. She volunteers when she can with NYC mesh and is currently working on ways to use blockchain to subvert ISPs.

Ashoka Finley is a unicorn.