User:Christostsiaras/sandbox

Wireless technology enables the creation of "offline" Local area networks (LAN), which can operate outside the Internet. Do it yourself (DiY) networking is based on such "offline" Wireless LAN networks. Even when the Internet is easily accessible, such DiY networks form an alternative autonomous, option for communication and services, which (1) ensures that all connected devices are in de facto physical proximity, (2) offers opportunities and novel capabilities for creative combinations of virtual and physical contact, (3) enables free, anonymous and easy access, without the need for pre-installed applications or any credentials, and (4) can create feelings of ownership and independence, and lead to the appropriation of the hybrid space in the long-run.

In other words, DiY networks follow the punk Do-It-Yourself subculture, provide the technological means for more participatory processes, benefiting from the grassroots engagement of citizens in implementing the smart city vision through novel forms of social networking, crowd sourcing, and citizen science. But for these possibilities to be materialized there are many practical, social, political, and economic challenges that need to be addressed, and which require the involvement of researchers and practitioners from different fields and backgrounds.

Although DiY can also be used for illegal purposes, the DiY concept become more and more popular these days. There is a large potential for new, novel, and free locality-aware services and opportunities that demand anonymous and easy access, such as Online Social Networking (OSN) via DiY-Based Sites. Single-board computers such as Arduino, or Raspberry Pi, are commonly used for DiY networking purposes, since such computers are open-source, relatively cheap, have low power demands, support multiple protocols, and are portable.