Wizzy Digital Courier
Encyclopedia
Wizzy Digital Courier is a project to distribute useful data to places with no Internet
connection. Primarily for e-mail
, it also carries web content (stored locally in a web cache). From an early description of the project 1:
Delivery mechanisms are by overnight dialup, taking advantage of discount calling rates outside business hours, or USB memory stick. The USB stick uses the UUCP
protocol, carrying information to and from a better-connected location - perhaps a school or local business, which acts as the dropoff for Email, and fetches web content by proxy. The email and web content is re-packaged as a UUCP transaction, and ferried back on the USB stick.
The project site offers a bootable CD image that lets users install Wizzy Digital Courier onto a computer, erasing what is already on the computer and installing a new operating system (a modification of CentOS
Linux, itself a derivative of Red Hat Enterprise Linux
) along with all of the Wizzy content.
, to work on old computers, with no license fees for any software. Many installations are at Shuttleworth Foundation
thin client
labs.
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
connection. Primarily for e-mail
E-mail
Electronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the...
, it also carries web content (stored locally in a web cache). From an early description of the project 1:
- Data normally carried by the dial up telephone link is instead physically carried by a mobile computer between the end user's location and a high bandwidth data drop to the Internet.
Delivery mechanisms are by overnight dialup, taking advantage of discount calling rates outside business hours, or USB memory stick. The USB stick uses the UUCP
UUCP
UUCP is an abbreviation for Unix-to-Unix Copy. The term generally refers to a suite of computer programs and protocols allowing remote execution of commands and transfer of files, email and netnews between computers. Specifically, a command named uucp is one of the programs in the suite; it...
protocol, carrying information to and from a better-connected location - perhaps a school or local business, which acts as the dropoff for Email, and fetches web content by proxy. The email and web content is re-packaged as a UUCP transaction, and ferried back on the USB stick.
The project site offers a bootable CD image that lets users install Wizzy Digital Courier onto a computer, erasing what is already on the computer and installing a new operating system (a modification of CentOS
CentOS
CentOS is a free operating system based on Red Hat Enterprise Linux . It exists to provide a free enterprise class computing platform and strives to maintain 100% binary compatibility with its upstream distribution...
Linux, itself a derivative of Red Hat Enterprise Linux
Red Hat Enterprise Linux
Red Hat Enterprise Linux is a Linux-based operating system developed by Red Hat and targeted toward the commercial market. Red Hat Enterprise Linux is released in server versions for x86, x86-64, Itanium, PowerPC and IBM System z, and desktop versions for x86 and x86-64...
) along with all of the Wizzy content.
History
The project was started in early 2003 by Andy Rabagliati to bring low cost Internet access to schools in South AfricaSouth Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, to work on old computers, with no license fees for any software. Many installations are at Shuttleworth Foundation
Shuttleworth Foundation
South African entrepreneur Mark Shuttleworth established the Shuttleworth Foundation in January 2001. There have been various iterations of the Foundation and how it invests in social innovation...
thin client
Thin client
A thin client is a computer or a computer program which depends heavily on some other computer to fulfill its traditional computational roles. This stands in contrast to the traditional fat client, a computer designed to take on these roles by itself...
labs.
See also
- SneakernetSneakernetSneakernet is an informal term describing the transfer of electronic information, especially computer files, by physically couriering removable media such as magnetic tape, floppy disks, compact discs, USB flash drives, or external hard drives from one computer to another. This is usually in lieu...
, which refers to the practice of a person wearing sneakers carrying a floppy diskFloppy diskA floppy disk is a disk storage medium composed of a disk of thin and flexible magnetic storage medium, sealed in a rectangular plastic carrier lined with fabric that removes dust particles...
or other portable media containing the data. The term takkie net was used in South AfricaSouth AfricaThe Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, where "Takkie" means sneaker in South African EnglishSouth African EnglishThe term South African English is applied to the first-language dialects of English spoken by South Africans, with the L1 English variety spoken by Zimbabweans, Zambians and Namibians, being recognised as offshoots.There is some social and regional variation within South African English...
. Bolivia has used the term abarka net in a similar sense, an abarkaAbarkaThe abarka is the traditional footwear in Pyrenees.This sandal made in one piece of calf leather is tied by braided wool laces around the socks.They were supplanted by espadrilles and rubber sandals for agricultural activities, but remain used for dance....
being a kind of footwear made from old tires. - Interplanetary InternetInterplanetary InternetThe Interplanetary Internet is a conceived computer network in space, consisting of a set of network nodes which can communicate with each other. Communication would be greatly delayed by the great interplanetary distances, so the IPN needs a new set of protocols and technology that are tolerant...
- could implement Wizzy Digital Courier practices for internet access over a link that is interrupted for long periods of time