Cell reception and iPhones this year???

[Simon of the Playa]

This issue really steams me up. Let me give you an example of why:

I was in the bank, standing in line, and there were three tellers working. That is, they were supposed to be working. But all three customers were jabbering on cell phones, keeping the tellers twiddling their thumbs.
"My kingdom for a pocket-size jammer!"

you just havent tried the new chip and lens combo pack from DARPA yet..

Augmented Reality Rocks, IMHO.

[Homiesinheaven]

hmmm, so i dont get all the jargon. does the OpenBTS project get people connected to ATT and Verizon or do those companies have towers near there?

and are OpenBTS nerd burners testing an idea out or just another company trying to make money off of the event?

[motskyroonmatick]

hmmm, so i dont get all the jargon. does the OpenBTS project get people connected to ATT and Verizon or do those companies have towers near there?

and are OpenBTS nerd burners testing an idea out or just another company trying to make money off of the event?

I think the OpenBTS project is more of the nerdy burner type testing out an idea that could transform into a $ making venture given the right situation.

[dburgess00]

[quote="Homiesinheaven"]hmmm, so i dont get all the jargon. does the OpenBTS project get people connected to ATT and Verizon or do those companies have towers near there?

and are OpenBTS nerd burners testing an idea out or just another company trying to make money off of the event?[/quote]

We're nerd burners, probably of the worst possible kind.

BRC is a unique test environment and we also happen to think that it is the Happiest Place on Earth. We're not in cahoots with "big cellular". Our "operations center" was two laptops in a tent at 4:30&G. We do not and cannot charge people for use of the system. We do it for the experience and because it's damned fun.

Last year there was some confusion because the playa was also getting service from Commnet Wireless, a commercial cellular carrier operating under the ATT and VZN brands from a truck near Frog Pond. This year, hopefully, Commnet will stay home, which will be a lot less confusing for people. Also, the OpenBTS system is *much* more reliable than last year. We will provide on-playa texting for people who want to participate. We are still considering off-playa texting and time-limited speech calls.

Also, if it matters, BRC is no longer our only test site. We have a full-time pilot site in the island nation of Niue. The development of the Niue system would have been impossible without our experience from BM2009, so we (and the cell users of Niue) thank all of the other burners who put up with us last year and all of the volunteers and contributors whose work got recycled in that remote corner of the Pacific.

[Elderberry]

If I were in that situation I would have cut right ahead of all three of them. The cell phones aren't the problem.

JK

This issue really steams me up. Let me give you an example of why:

I was in the bank, standing in line, and there were three tellers working. That is, they were supposed to be working. But all three customers were jabbering on cell phones, keeping the tellers twiddling their thumbs.
"My kingdom for a pocket-size jammer!"

[Elliot]

If I were in that situation I would have cut right ahead of all three of them. The cell phones aren't the problem.

Trouble is, I don't want to lower myself to their level of rudeness.

[ezekielchakras]

If we really are to explore our intellectual curiosity on the playa, a place of freedom from the rest of society in order to nurture a new awakening, why the cell phones?

Part of the joy of past BM events was the lost discovery of new folks and folklore amiss.

How can we be lost if we are always navigable?

Digest that on your iphone app!

[Simon of the Playa]

If we really are to explore our intellectual curiosity on the playa, a place of freedom from the rest of society in order to nurture a new awakening, why the cell phones?

so i can text people and post on facebook how fucking cool it is at burning man, duh.

[stickydingo]

Motz- you know I love you like a brother, but I gotta go the other way on this one. A few of us Staggers were on a playa tour and saw some girl on a cell, it was about as offensive for me to see as someone sprinkling a coffee can full of fish hooks into infants bassinette. Part of what makes the burn sacred is the unique nature of the enviorment. My take anyway.

[Elliot]

Hear, hear!

[curiousgnate]

this could be made into a fun kind of game like taunt the cellie user and make them do crazy shit cause they are on their celly or just piss them off so that they stop using it! It would be more fun then fishing for candy ravers!

[Elderberry]

Motz- you know I love you like a brother, but I gotta go the other way on this one. A few of us Staggers were on a playa tour and saw some girl on a cell, it was about as offensive for me to see as someone sprinkling a coffee can full of fish hooks into infants bassinette. Part of what makes the burn sacred is the unique nature of the enviorment. My take anyway.

Next you'll be telling us that the temple burn should be a quiet, solumn, spiritual experience, too I'll bet.

JK

[ygmir]

it is sort of interesting, how,( for such a radically self reliant, self expressive, self indulgent group), so many want to tell others "how to burn" or, "what they should or shouldn't do".
And, if they're doing something, (not to or at you, but, on their own), some folks want to mess it up...........

What about the art cars playing loud music in the streets at all hours?
What about the people with megaphones, berating someone or some thing?

That seems ok.

But, "don't you dare do something I don't like"........

Of course, if someone is peeing on your leg, well, seems ok to tell them to stop, even if it's what they want to do for their burn.
They are directly affecting you, but, well, talking on a cell phone?..........

I, have no intent on using one there, but, don't see how someone else doing so changes my experience.

[curiousgnate]

Point taken Ygmir, but it is always fun to find another way to fuck with people on the playa be it ravers shirtcockers tourists leo's or people walking by (with a megaphone) it could be done in a fun way. I revoke my pissing off comment! it could be entertaining to them and myself.

[ygmir]

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[ragabashpup]

I go back and forth on this one. I would love to be able to call my daughter a few times during the week but at the same time I like to be able to disconnect from everything. I do like the idea of a cell phone ghetto to make a 5 minute call but I also worry what sort of "performance art" that area would turn into.

[stickydingo]

Let me clarify my position here- I do not have and do not expect any right to tell someone if they can use a cell or not, but geographically speaking you can use a cell in 99.9998% of the country and no one blinks, by the same token a man dressed as a giant carrot wielding a homemade flamethrower can stroll down the street in BRC and no one blinks. They are entirely different enviornments. It would be considerate and courteous of people to honor that difference. Your kids sick? Bring your phone, use it discretly,in the privacy of your tent or vehicle absolutely, but don't knock over some stilt walker on Esplanade because your texting someone back home about what a bitchin' party Burningman is.

[Boijoy]

or.. you could stop by Burning Phone Camp to make your call. They have been providing phone service on the playa for about 3 years now. You might have to wait a while,, but partying in line is half the fun.

[ZaphodBurner]

The Black Rock Desert should stay a klystron free zone and the same goes for supercows. Don't need no stinking super cell on wheels sites hauled up 447.

I don't even know what you're talking about and I agree with you.

Although I have to admit, talking to my little girl from the playa through some '70s phone on an old coffee table in front of somebody's pickup was worth more than the liquor we gave them. Would have been useful during Katrina, too.

Still, it diminishes the principle. Plus... fucking iPhones. Shouldn't that be iPhones(TM)? Will I be able to drive my Ford to the desert so I can take off my Levis and put up my Coleman tent and ride around on my Schwinn wearing only Nikes and RayBans and upload photos to Facebook from my iPhone?...

Ow.

Unfortunately, between Critical Tits, Facebook, Flickr and the iPhone(TM), privacy has jumped the shark.

[Boijoy]

"Although I have to admit, talking to my little girl from the playa through some '70s phone on an old coffee table in front of somebody's pickup was worth more than the liquor we gave them. Would have been useful during Katrina, too."

THAT would be Burning Phone Camp. && it was a Jeep.

[ZaphodBurner]

"Although I have to admit, talking to my little girl from the playa through some '70s phone on an old coffee table in front of somebody's pickup was worth more than the liquor we gave them. Would have been useful during Katrina, too."

THAT would be Burning Phone Camp. && it was a Jeep.

Well, we owe you one! Because of your phone, my wife found out we didn't have to leave BRC early for a fucked-up Friday afternoon job interview--an omen right there--to basically work for the devil, because she got a better offer from somebody else. Which meant I could quit my job working for the devil and start our business. Plus we got to talk to our baby girl.

What we were talking about as we were heading back to camp to leave for Gerlach to check our messages was, whether we should pack up everything just in case we had to go to Portland, or risk having to do the whole entry/exodus thing all over again...

Then, literally out of nowhere, a telephone appeared in the desert. I just thought "No. No way. That doesn't happen."

Your phone saved our burn!

When we were talking to you guys, a group of people walked by and thought it was a joke or performance art or something, like the Talk to God booth. Well done, and thanks!

Sincere apologies for forgetting that it was a jeep. The missus says when she married mine, she knew I came with it.

[Boijoy]

The phone is actaully my friend Dans set up. I was with the group of "clowns" next to the phone that keep the people waiting to make a call out of the sun & properly hydrated. <--- with booze.

Glad we could save you from the Devil.

[Simon of the Playa]

naked butt fax machine camp!

[Boijoy]

Hell yes !! thats a great idea. wounder how you would get it to "fax out"?

[Delrious]

some of us had aquariums that texted us so that we knew that our crabs were ok. It wouldn't be as enjoyable if we were worrying about our crabs all the time.

[theCryptofishist]

The playa is rife with opportunities to acquire new crabs, so there was nothing to worry about.

[Playa Foot]

The tower is still working. I was on playa last week and got a call from work.
There was a story going around last year that someone drove up t gate and gave then the "Just a second" finger as they ere on their cell phone. They got out of D Lot in time for Exodus.

[ZaphodBurner]

I was on playa last week and got a call from work.

"This is the end... my only friend, the end. " -Morrisson

[Boijoy]

yeah.. that tower out there works until about 50 thousand people show up & try to make calls from a tower thats only equpied to handle about 50 calls at a time. just another reason why the folks in Gerlach hate us. We kill thier cell service for a week.

[bm_cricket]

What about a theme camp that gifts cell phone free space?

http://www.methodshop.com/gadgets/revie ... ndex.shtml