Popular Science has an article about a new trend of wifi hotspots that
are being set up in neighborhoods so that people can get free internet access,
while at the same time being able to learn about and interact with their
neighbors and their neighborhood. When someone uses the
neighborhood wifi to access the Web, he is first directed to a home page with a
message board, classified section and photo page to help neighbors recognize one
another. These new
communal wireless projects are being dubbed "Neighbornodes."
Neighborhoodnodes are relatively easy to set up and are slowly popping up
around the country. New
York City  has 18 of them, and eight other nodes have popped up in Broken Arrow,
Oklahoma, and Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. In case you’re interested in setting up your own Neighbornode, Popular
Science has information on how to set one up.