Comments on: Did Ronja Fail? http://blog.runtux.com/2009/10/27/142/ Neues, Interessantes, Skurriles Mon, 08 Aug 2011 14:05:10 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Smári McCarthy http://blog.runtux.com/2009/10/27/142/comment-page-1/#comment-765 Smári McCarthy Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:28:09 +0000 http://blog.runtux.com/?p=142#comment-765 FabFi is an interesting project w.r.t. this. http://fabfi.fablab.af - Ronja is pretty cool, but it's easily displaced by WiFi, partly because of the node cost in Ronja, which is relatively high compared to FabFi for example. FabFi is an interesting project w.r.t. this. http://fabfi.fablab.af – Ronja is pretty cool, but it’s easily displaced by WiFi, partly because of the node cost in Ronja, which is relatively high compared to FabFi for example.

]]> By: Ralf Schlatterbeck http://blog.runtux.com/2009/10/27/142/comment-page-1/#comment-763 Ralf Schlatterbeck Thu, 29 Oct 2009 10:00:22 +0000 http://blog.runtux.com/?p=142#comment-763 Lawrence: I really didn't want to oppose your analysis -- writing something about Ronja was on my todo list since i had listened to the oekonux presentation. I fully agree to your analysis that open sourcing hardware will not guarantee economic rewards. But it sounded a little too pessimistic to me, so I wanted to point out that for Ronja there are several other factors which have influenced the economic outcome. A good example of a successful project is <a href="http://makerbot.com/" rel="nofollow">makerbot.com</a> with the open source cupcake <a href="http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:457" rel="nofollow">design on thingiverse</a> as far as I know they were sold out at least once. The vienna <a href="http://metalab.at/" rel="nofollow">metalab</a> has two for example (bought from makerbot industries). Lawrence:
I really didn’t want to oppose your analysis — writing something about Ronja was on my todo list since i had listened to the oekonux presentation. I fully agree to your analysis that open sourcing hardware will not guarantee economic rewards. But it sounded a little too pessimistic to me, so I wanted to point out that for Ronja there are several other factors which have influenced the economic outcome.

A good example of a successful project is makerbot.com with the open source cupcake design on thingiverse as far as I know they were sold out at least once. The vienna metalab has two for example (bought from makerbot industries).

]]> By: Ralf Schlatterbeck http://blog.runtux.com/2009/10/27/142/comment-page-1/#comment-762 Ralf Schlatterbeck Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:46:49 +0000 http://blog.runtux.com/?p=142#comment-762 Marcin: On the extent of the network, see the map <a href="https://map.funkfeuer.at/wien/" rel="nofollow">map.funkfeuer.at/wien/</a>, there are no towers. People use masts on their house or other existing structures. Range is up to several km line of sight, this is a mesh network, so each node is a router. The network has an uplink to the internet. The network is closed in the sense that you have to be member of funkfeuer and get your own (public!) IP address from funkfeuer to participate, participation is free. Limit: Maybe the mesh network will outgrow the routing tables at some point (currently the mesh routing protocol keeps all nodes in its table). But new proposals for mesh routing protocols are being discussed. Regulatory restrictions: You may send with 100mW (= 20 dBm) on 2.4GHz, more (200mW - 500mW) on 5GHz afaik. Marcin:
On the extent of the network, see the map map.funkfeuer.at/wien/, there are no towers. People use masts on their house or other existing structures. Range is up to several km line of sight, this is a mesh network, so each node is a router. The network has an uplink to the internet. The network is closed in the sense that you have to be member of funkfeuer and get your own (public!) IP address from funkfeuer to participate, participation is free. Limit: Maybe the mesh network will outgrow the routing tables at some point (currently the mesh routing protocol keeps all nodes in its table). But new proposals for mesh routing protocols are being discussed. Regulatory restrictions: You may send with 100mW (= 20 dBm) on 2.4GHz, more (200mW – 500mW) on 5GHz afaik.

]]> By: Lawrence Kincheloe http://blog.runtux.com/2009/10/27/142/comment-page-1/#comment-761 Lawrence Kincheloe Wed, 28 Oct 2009 01:41:14 +0000 http://blog.runtux.com/?p=142#comment-761 Its difficult to determine "failure" with an open source project, because their goals don't often fit into the traditional model of success based on profit. Ronja has been a huge success at designing a complete package open source product that can be built from the ground up by a competent builder. Furthermore, they developed a model of funding that has let them maintain their community of users and to make improvements on their products. However I would argue that the point I was trying to make was not related to failure or success, but to the problems that come up when trying to adhere to an open source business model. Ronja ran the gauntlet, from commercial entities not contributing back sufficiently to the community, to funding from advertisements and donations being insufficient to support development. Over all though, I liked the contrast being about technology as opposed to other factors. Its difficult to determine “failure” with an open source project, because their goals don’t often fit into the traditional model of success based on profit. Ronja has been a huge success at designing a complete package open source product that can be built from the ground up by a competent builder. Furthermore, they developed a model of funding that has let them maintain their community of users and to make improvements on their products.

However I would argue that the point I was trying to make was not related to failure or success, but to the problems that come up when trying to adhere to an open source business model. Ronja ran the gauntlet, from commercial entities not contributing back sufficiently to the community, to funding from advertisements and donations being insufficient to support development.

Over all though, I liked the contrast being about technology as opposed to other factors.

]]> By: marcin http://blog.runtux.com/2009/10/27/142/comment-page-1/#comment-760 marcin Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:56:15 +0000 http://blog.runtux.com/?p=142#comment-760 On Funkfeuer, what is the extent of the network? How many different towers does it have for broadcasting signal, and at what range? Is it a closed network linked to itself of also to the outside world? And, what are the limits of such a network for truly free communications? Are there any regulatory restrictions that get in the way? On Funkfeuer, what is the extent of the network? How many different towers does it have for broadcasting signal, and at what range? Is it a closed network linked to itself of also to the outside world? And, what are the limits of such a network for truly free communications? Are there any regulatory restrictions that get in the way?

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