Piratebox was a fun project that got orphaned, which is sad.
I’m constructing a new one of sorts using my ansible automation.
The firmware will turn a Raspberry Pi into a wifi access point that will broadcast a network labeled “JoinMe.”
Users who connect to the network are forwarded to a captive portal hosted on the device. The captive portal app is a local communicty image board.
The board supports anonymous image posting & is based off the code from https://tokumei.co/. The design is an implementation of some interesting plan-9 inspired tooling called Werc. The licensing is public. It has a more inviting design than the 4chan futaba image boards.
When neighbors are attached to the network, they don’t get access to the Internet. They do get private access to whatever local community resources you insert.
In my implementation, I modified the entry tokumei page to include a link to a static directory of files. You can now host a private library of mp3 files, pdfs, zines and other culture for sharing with your neighbors.
Run an offgrid wifi community network that hosts a bulletin board and a shared library.
Create local community without logging off completely. It’s off the Internet and only accessible if you stop and connect to it when you’re in range. No Internet Trolls- only your local neighbors. No advertisers. No centralized control. I hope it will help you connect with people in your proximity.