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Homeless Hotspots

dayday 9,611 Posts
edited March 2012 in Strut Central
To say this is a bad look is putting it mildly.


""Homeless hot spots" began as a charitable experiment at the SXSW Interactive conference in Austin, Texas, but quickly morphed into a debate about the ethics of bridging the digital divide.

It started with a blog post by the New York-based marketing company BBH Labs (short for Bartle Bogle Hegarty).

"This year in Austin, as you wonder [sic] between locations murmuring to your coworker about how your connection sucks and you can???t download/stream/tweet/instagram/check-in, you???ll notice strategically positioned individuals wearing `Homeless Hotspot' T-shirts," according to BBH. "These are homeless individuals in the Case Management program at Front Steps Shelter. They???re carrying MiFi devices. Introduce yourself, then log on to their 4G network via your phone or tablet for a quick high-quality connection."

http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-texas-homeless-hotspot-20120312,0,5851125.story

  Comments

  • jjfad027jjfad027 1,594 Posts
    I don't see what the big deal is. Are the homeless being forced/coereced into doing this?
  • AKallDayAKallDay 830 Posts
    this business name is what is so creative and dignified about the thing really. HH.

    hi i'm here for the music conference and i really want to upload some pics of my cappuccino and my new manicure side by side to facebook but 3G is so spotty, are you are the homeless person i am supposed to talk to about my connectivity? do you like sky ferreira?
  • MurdockMurdock 542 Posts
    The campaign would make more sense if they left out "homeless". Why not just hire homeless people instead of exploiting them.
  • AKallDayAKallDay 830 Posts
    oh ps Day, not to hijack but what's up with the new Saguaro in your neck of the woods, it looks kinda awesome and fantasmagorical!







  • dayday 9,611 Posts
    I can see both sides of the story. It's giving the homeless work, they accepted it, people interact with each other, etc. It still seems dehumanizing to me.
  • dayday 9,611 Posts
    Hey A**y - I haven't been in there yet, but I hear it's cool. I have a couple friends who bartend over there and they like it. Tequila bar, mad colors and it's run by the same company who owns the Ace.
  • HarveyCanalHarveyCanal "a distraction from my main thesis." 13,234 Posts
    They got that work, believe it.
  • DJFerrariDJFerrari 2,411 Posts
    The concept is okay... not really any different than street newspapers. It's the name and marketing that is NAGL. Typical naivet?? from the "tech scene".
  • DJ_EnkiDJ_Enki 6,473 Posts
    Homeless hotspot? That'd be 6th and Mission.
  • meistromocomeistromoco 954 Posts
    Murdock said:
    The campaign would make more sense if they left out "homeless". Why not just hire homeless people instead of exploiting them.

    this 1000%
  • MurdockMurdock 542 Posts
    day said:
    Hey A**y - I haven't been in there yet, but I hear it's cool. I have a couple friends who bartend over there and they like it. Tequila bar, mad colors and it's run by the same company who owns the Ace.


    It's owned by Joie de Vivre . California boutique hotel company. Big in San Franny.
  • dayday 9,611 Posts
    Murdock said:
    day said:
    Hey A**y - I haven't been in there yet, but I hear it's cool. I have a couple friends who bartend over there and they like it. Tequila bar, mad colors and it's run by the same company who owns the Ace.


    It's owned by Joie de Vivre . California boutique hotel company. Big in San Franny.

    I should have said the company that developed the Ace http://www.sydellgroup.com/?cat=9
  • MurdockMurdock 542 Posts
    day said:
    Murdock said:
    day said:
    Hey A**y - I haven't been in there yet, but I hear it's cool. I have a couple friends who bartend over there and they like it. Tequila bar, mad colors and it's run by the same company who owns the Ace.


    It's owned by Joie de Vivre . California boutique hotel company. Big in San Franny.

    I should have said the company that developed the Ace http://www.sydellgroup.com/?cat=9


    But, they are in turn, owned by the CIA https://www.cia.gov/
  • UnherdUnherd 1,880 Posts
    I agree, NAGL. Quote from the NYT article:

    "my homeless hotspot keeps wandering out of range, and it???s ruining all my day trades!"
  • dayday 9,611 Posts
    Murdock said:
    day said:
    Murdock said:
    day said:
    Hey A**y - I haven't been in there yet, but I hear it's cool. I have a couple friends who bartend over there and they like it. Tequila bar, mad colors and it's run by the same company who owns the Ace.


    It's owned by Joie de Vivre . California boutique hotel company. Big in San Franny.

    I should have said the company that developed the Ace http://www.sydellgroup.com/?cat=9


    But, they are in turn, owned by the CIA https://www.cia.gov/

    Nice try, CIA guy. We all know it's Serco.
  • TheKindCromangTheKindCromang 1,463 Posts
    Worst Homeless Related Idea since Bumble Bums?? !!!!
    (homeless dressed up in bee costumes)
  • DJ_EnkiDJ_Enki 6,473 Posts
    TheKindCromang said:
    Worst Homeless Related Idea since Bumble Bums?? !!!!
    (homeless dressed up in bee costumes)

    What we should be doing is having them pull rickshaws.

  • billbradleybillbradley You want BBQ sauce? Get the fuck out of my house. 2,906 Posts
    DJ_Enki said:
    TheKindCromang said:
    Worst Homeless Related Idea since Bumble Bums?? !!!!
    (homeless dressed up in bee costumes)

    What we should be doing is having them pull rickshaws.


    The Pedicabbers in Austin would beat them up.
  • MurdockMurdock 542 Posts
    day said:
    Murdock said:
    day said:
    Murdock said:
    day said:
    Hey A**y - I haven't been in there yet, but I hear it's cool. I have a couple friends who bartend over there and they like it. Tequila bar, mad colors and it's run by the same company who owns the Ace.


    It's owned by Joie de Vivre . California boutique hotel company. Big in San Franny.

    I should have said the company that developed the Ace http://www.sydellgroup.com/?cat=9


    But, they are in turn, owned by the CIA https://www.cia.gov/

    Nice try, CIA guy. We all know it's Serco.



    "They run time & space"
  • rootlesscosmorootlesscosmo 12,848 Posts
    meistromoco said:
    Murdock said:
    The campaign would make more sense if they left out "homeless". Why not just hire homeless people instead of exploiting them.

    this 1000%

    yes.
  • rootlesscosmorootlesscosmo 12,848 Posts
    so what's the "homeless hotspots" of this yr's SXSW?
  • HarveyCanalHarveyCanal "a distraction from my main thesis." 13,234 Posts
    rootlesscosmo said:
    so what's the "homeless hotspots" of this yr's SXSW?

    It's the try not to get run over by a car year at SXSW, unfortunately.
  • JectWonJectWon (@_@) 1,654 Posts
    You know that dude who you see on the side of the road at a stop light?

    He's got two rectangular signs strapped to the front and back of himself? Selling cheap Tax filings, pawn shop deals, gas prices, club cover prices, fuck shit that you don't need?

    You wonder to yourself 'how much money does that dude make? It's gotta be almost nothing, right? I bet he hates that gig...fuck that sucks...maybe it doesn't...I dunno...fuck, green light...gotta get to work'.

    This is no different.

    Different technology, different profit/marketing angle....same timeless song and dance.

    Who knows if it's right wrong or somewhere in between. You tell me...
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