O my em'lies, O my henries!
If you have been submurged in a torrent of talking asses (because that's where their heads are... get it? *sigh*), the WiFi hotspot known as Niue (known informally by webmonkeys as "Lesser Technonesia" & by others as "that big-ass atoll about one & a half times the size of Washington DC we usta call Savage Island") is having hard times.
On 5 January 2004, cyclone Heta, a category 5 cyclone with winds travelling at 300km/h, ripped through the island, destroying everything in its path, including the hospital, hotels, the island's telecommunications antenna and numerous homes. All electricity and communications links were cut and fuel storage tanks were destroyed, leaving Niueans with no communication capabilities with the rest of the world until last weekend. (Geekzone, Mobile Forum 2164)
The same Geekzone article, however, is the first to point to encouraging signs that the island will not be abandoned wholesale & left as a true desert isle - first, the WiFi hotspots are all up (even though NZ & Niue Telecom have not gotten a good proportion of the phones working), which was one of the major perks of living there: free WiFi internet everywhere on the island. Second, help is pouring into the island, although they are also canvassing for more money & help.
There has also been talk of immigration from nearby islands to prevent the loss of self-sovreignty: over the years, many natives fled to New Zealand & this drain has left only half of the population.
Eek!
No comments:
Post a Comment