A new charity initiative in America has drawn much criticism from the world's press. The basic idea is that in the digital age, people are not buying publications (such as the Big Issue) from homeless people. This means the small income they gained from this, has been lost.
An organisation came up with what they thought was a good idea... attach a wireless hotspot to a homeless person and get people to donate, by text, to that individual to use the internet connection.
The BBC reported people's reactions:
Comments posted to the BBH's site accused the project of being "unseemly" and "wrong".
Members of Twitter asked "what has this world come to?" and accused the project of being a "gimmick".
However, others praised the idea as being "inspirational" and a chance to create a "positive interaction between the public" and homeless people.
Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-17345926
The advertising agency and the organisation have defended their idea and it is being used at the SXSW music festival currently taking place in Austin, Texas.
Read more: http://homelesshotspots.org/
What do you think? Is this a good idea or not? Is 'being' a wifi hotspot the same as selling a magazine in 2012?
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