In mid-March, South by Southwest (SXSW) Interactive hosted its five day conference on emerging technology. The event convenes top thought leaders in the industry to touch on “creative solutions for a better tomorrow.” Yet, the “solution” that grabbed all of the headlines didn’t spring from a keynote speech, a panel presentation or an interactive workshop. The big story this year came from the homeless individuals strolling throughout the event, selling Wi-Fi access. The backlash to news of these “human hotspots” was quick and widespread.
Critics denounced the program as dehumanizing, even though some still thought the effort was well-intentioned. Though the program sprouted from BBH, an advertising agency, we can still examine the underlying mission for the program. Let’s posit a simple mission: To help the homeless community earn a short-term income in a manner that respects their dignity.
If this is their aim, did the homeless hotspots go off mission? When we think of “human hotspots,” our gut reaction is likely disapproval. The idea of privileged, tech-savvy men and women using homeless people so that they can have fast, wireless coverage on their smart phones leaves a distasteful impression. Yet, moving beyond the fact that the program sounds like it is practically begging for criticism, was it really a blunder?
Considering the lack of opportunities for the homeless, this gave them an option to make above minimum-wage for a few days of work. Should the” human hotspots” have been high school students looking for a quick buck, there would have been no story here. Homeless people, who the general population often pretends not to see, were interacting with the festival’s attendees. Additionally, the program had the unintended effect of sparking a national dialogue on the homeless.
What do you think? Was the program a success or a failure?
Read the response from BBH, a strong criticism from Wired’s Tim Carmody or a defense from Good Business.
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