sascha's blog

CUWiN is hiring a new position to be a part of our Urbana, IL team. This VISTA Intern will be involved with user support, fundraising, and the day-to-day operations of the CUWiN project. Along with the stipend and healthcare benefits provided, CUWiN will help arrange accommodations and help get this team member settled within our local community. If you or someone you know would be interested in working on one of the premier open-source wireless projects in the world, please contact CUWiN at cu-wireless-support@cuwireless.net before January 30, 2006.

--Sascha Meinrath
CUWiN Project Coordinator

More info on CUWiN: http://www.cuwireless.net
More info on VISTA: http://www.americorps.gov/about/programs/vista.asp

***

Job Description

Communicate CUWiN's vision and mission to people and organizations
outside the project.

Ensure that CUWiN has adequate operating capital. Create
effective fundraising strategies. Solicit gifts from persons,
corporations, and foundations in support of the project.

Identify and reach out to underserved communities. Help new
communities use CUWiN's software to create new wireless networks.

Keep the project website up-to-date. Staff the email "helpdesk."

Skills

Has experience maintaining websites and mailing lists.
Understands fundraising activities for non-profit organizations.
Knows how to write a grant proposal. Can use email and instant
messaging effectively in a chaotic office environment. Can learn
new computer and Internet technology quickly, and explain it
to lay persons. Working knowledge of wireless networking,
especially WiFi, is a big plus.

We are looking for a well-presented, detail-oriented, outgoing person with good communication skills and a desire to work in a fast-paced
environment.

Management

The CUWiN Project Coordinator and Technical Lead will be
available daily to guide VISTA members. VISTA members will
send to the CUWiN staff regular progress updates on fundraising,
outreach, and website administration.

Pay

VISTAs receive a $10,748 Stipend (the living wage for a single
person in Champaign-Urbana), a $4,725 Educational Award,
healthcare, et cetera.

This weekend - Friday November 11 to Sunday November 13th - will be an historic moment for our community. We want you to be part of it.

~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>
The Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center will open its community space in the downtown Urbana Post Office building!
~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>

Last May, the IMC purchased the Post Office building - thanks to the generous help of our capital campaign contributors!

This historic building boasts a huge 5000 square foot space behind the post office lobby. The postal services will remain. The rest of the first floor, which has gone unused for many years, has been converted into a performance space, media production facilities, a library & reading room, and meeting space. We are starting discussions on adding a cafe, bookstore, food store, or restaurant - come envision with us!

This summer/fall we undertook a major construction project - replacing much of the roof, separating and securing the post office space, adding a wheelchair accessible bathroom, and building a broadcasting studio for Radio Free Urbana.

* Come take tour of the building this Friday at 1 PM. *

* On Saturday, come celebrate the new space with a 5-band show (rock genre): 7pm until midnight. All ages, smoke-free, alcohol free. $5 donation. *

~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>
The IMC will co-host a Radio and Wireless Barnraising with the Prometheus Radio Project!
~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>~>

Read more...

Thanks to everyone who came -- we swapped notes, hacked on software, climbed around in the dark on roofs, pondered collaborations -- all the good stuff. In the end we got a node installed in a key location, managed not to die climbing down that ridiculous crawlway, savored numerous potables, were invited to present about Wireless at the WRFU Barnraising, and had ourselves a righteous good time. Look for the next CUWiN Hack Night in early November.

See you all then!

CUWiN's extremely happy to announce the first "CUWiN Hack Night" of the season:

Wednesday, October 12th from 6-9pm at the IMC -- mark your calendar! We've already got a core group of developers who will be there and *we'll buy pizza for those who RSVP* -- so come to talk with the team, get questions answered, hack on equipment, learn, teach & play. We'll be retiring to the Crane Alley Bar & Grill at 9pm for further drink and contemplation:

What: CUWiN Hack Night

Who: Anyone interested in wireless, getting involved, & having fun

When: Wednesday, October 12, 2005; 6-9pm

Where: IMC -- 202 S. Broadway Ave., (use Elm St. Entrance on North Side)

Bring: Yourself, interesting gadgets, wireless equipment, questions & ideas

Post Hack Night: 9pm -- Crane Alley (a block away at 115 W. Main St. in Urbana)

The coalition of groups, individuals and organizations working to set up emergency telecommunications infrastructures throughout the Katrina disaster area continues to expand. There are now at least four main staging areas (Ponchatoula, Rayville, Algiers, and Bay St. Louis) and well over 50 people working on coordination, logistics, and implementation.

Today we shipped 2600 pounds of phones, computers, and related equipment to our teams on the ground. And more donations continue to flow in hourly.

The Radio Response Website has just gone live and our communications infrastructures (cell, IRC, IM, Wiki, e-mail, etc.) have been fantastic at getting information to our teams on the ground and funneling supplies anf funding to where it's needed most.

We're definitely hitting our stride.