[speedgibson] Speed Gibson: In Over Their Head

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Posted by Speed Gibson:
In Over Their Head
http://speedgibson.powerblogs.com/posts/1201501444.shtml


   Poor Chad the Elder, living in my home town that I left in 1974. The
   City of St. Louis Park has [1]given up on its dream of eco-friendly
   wireless internet service, replaced by the nightmare of a potential
   $3.8 million loss. I calculate that The Elder's share will be about
   $182.
   The firm they contracted has never installed a solar-powered system
   before, but the city claims to have done the proper due diligence
   nonetheless. One step they missed was to ask the residents what they
   wanted, for what many want now is to have those "ugly" solar panels
   taken down.
   This is the dot-com bubble all over again. Much of that bubble
   resulted from the ability of charlatans to sell unworkable Internet
   systems to companies overly scared of being left behind. They looked
   like credible vendors. They did marketing, made presentations,
   negotiated contracts and prices just like "real" vendors, but of
   course, all that contract language proved worthless when the quacks
   couldn't deliver and disappeared in the ensuing wave of bankruptcies.
   Apparently this "cutting edge" city (per Mayor Jeff Jacobs) was
   worried that Edina was going to get there first, but there is no there
   there. There is no crying, unmet demand for wireless internet. There
   are many choices at many speeds and prices, using dial up, DSL, or
   Cable. You can provide your own home wireless, too, fully encrypted if
   desired.
   To provide this unneeded service with solar power is ridiculous, given
   our climate and the small amounts of energy involved. This was all
   sizzle, no steak, i.e., not one tangible benefit. The real truth is
   that adding a layer of complexity usually adds something to go wrong,
   and it sure did here. What money it might have saved is academic now,
   given this huge loss.

References

   1. http://www.fraterslibertas.com/2008/01/turn-out-solar-powered-lights.html