fun with noderunner and netstumbler

We played noderunner today in Seattle. Noderunner is a fun game where two teams go out in the streets with wifi devices and cameras, searching for open wireless access points. The object is to find an open AP, take a photo of the location, and email the photo from that wireless node, back to your team's photoblog. The team with the most valid APs found and used, wins.

It was a lot of fun even though my team lost. There are so many access points out there, literally hundreds within a few blocks of the Westin. I downloaded Netstumbler as we were walking out the door so I could see the nodes more easily, it's a pretty nice little tool. But I guess people have heard enough about security, so most APs we saw were locked down.

Noderunner was created by folks from NYCwireless and Eyebeam. The big dream is to get free, open wireless coverage to emerge in cities, and the game is one way to raise visibility for this hopeful vision. I agree with this; in the long run, it seems that 'venues' should no more charge people for using their wireless than they would for use of their air conditioning or their electricity. We have a long way to go though.