Comments on: An immodest proposal http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/10/30/an-immodest-proposal/ Same old blog, brand new place Fri, 04 Dec 2009 20:29:45 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.5.2 hourly 1 By: Don Marti http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/10/30/an-immodest-proposal/comment-page-1/#comment-105137 Don Marti Mon, 17 Nov 2008 20:41:01 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/10/30/an-immodest-proposal/#comment-105137 Mike -- or when you buy an "electric space heater" you get your money back as soon as the "heating element" has done the device's value in processing power. Mike — or when you buy an “electric space heater” you get your money back as soon as the “heating element” has done the device’s value in processing power.

]]> By: Mike Warot http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/10/30/an-immodest-proposal/comment-page-1/#comment-100506 Mike Warot Sun, 02 Nov 2008 04:30:05 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/10/30/an-immodest-proposal/#comment-100506 Doc, You do realize that if the internet is distributed everywhere, then servers can live anywhere, and ideally would be spread out there in the net. Think solar cells on poles, with a CPU and a radio on each one.... as the sun comes out, they wake up and talk to their neighbors, speeding or slowing with available energy... the high-tech replacement for the humble cricket. Compute load would shift worldwide to where the sun happened to be out. You could take it even further and just put all of it into a single chip... power, compute, communications.... that only works in the light. No hassle of worrying about storing power, you just move the work to where the sun is. Smart dust? Not quite, but smart flowers, maybe. Doc,
You do realize that if the internet is distributed everywhere, then servers can live anywhere, and ideally would be spread out there in the net. Think solar cells on poles, with a CPU and a radio on each one…. as the sun comes out, they wake up and talk to their neighbors, speeding or slowing with available energy… the high-tech replacement for the humble cricket. Compute load would shift worldwide to where the sun happened to be out.

You could take it even further and just put all of it into a single chip… power, compute, communications…. that only works in the light. No hassle of worrying about storing power, you just move the work to where the sun is.

Smart dust? Not quite, but smart flowers, maybe.

]]> By: Doc Searls http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/10/30/an-immodest-proposal/comment-page-1/#comment-100129 Doc Searls Fri, 31 Oct 2008 21:02:13 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/10/30/an-immodest-proposal/#comment-100129 Don, there isn't a catch. That's why I said it has to be open to, and involve, municipalities that are in the best position to do something. But I also have to say I still don't know much about what's happening there. I used to follow Palo Alto pretty closely, and they were all over the map. But I'll start looking now. Thanks for the heads-up. Don, there isn’t a catch. That’s why I said it has to be open to, and involve, municipalities that are in the best position to do something. But I also have to say I still don’t know much about what’s happening there. I used to follow Palo Alto pretty closely, and they were all over the map. But I’ll start looking now. Thanks for the heads-up.

]]> By: Don Marti http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/10/30/an-immodest-proposal/comment-page-1/#comment-100102 Don Marti Fri, 31 Oct 2008 19:24:30 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/10/30/an-immodest-proposal/#comment-100102 Doc, what do you think about the <a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/columns/ci_10795820" rel="nofollow">Palo Alto</a> approach? Seems like a win/win--what's the catch? Doc, what do you think about the Palo Alto approach? Seems like a win/win–what’s the catch?

]]> By: Francine hardaway http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/10/30/an-immodest-proposal/comment-page-1/#comment-99896 Francine hardaway Fri, 31 Oct 2008 01:19:54 +0000 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/doc/2008/10/30/an-immodest-proposal/#comment-99896 I think this is a hugely important project, right up there with rebuilding the electrical grid and other long-ignored infrastructure projects. In Arizona, because we have so many rural areas and reservations, we have been trying to get this done with what amounts to a frenzy:-) I think this is a hugely important project, right up there with rebuilding the electrical grid and other long-ignored infrastructure projects. In Arizona, because we have so many rural areas and reservations, we have been trying to get this done with what amounts to a frenzy:-)

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