Homeless Hotspots

While South by Southwest, is usually known for its continuous live music and film, this year, the festival got its most attention for neither of the two. Instead attendees and participators have geared their attention to the newest wi-fi campaign created for SXSW, “Homeless Hotspots.” Homeless men who agreed to participate were given t-shirts that said their name and that they were a hotspot and then were geared up with technology to provide SXSW guests with a wi-fi connection in the busy crowds where it was hard to find service.  All people had to do was give a small donation to the homeless man and they were given a connection.

Seems fair enough, right? The homeless people are provided with a job, festival attendees are given a wi-fi connection, and the mobile companies don't have to pay high fees to set up stations for employees to work and administer wi-fi. Think again. Critics were distraught by the idea of using homeless people to carry around a wi-fi connection. According to critics, this was using homeless people for a service, and not paying attention to the fact that they lead lives, stories, and have emotions.

So I pose the question….Why is it not okay for a homeless man to get paid to administer this service, but it would have gone completely unnoticed if a service provider’s actual employee was sitting at a station providing guests with a service? Wouldn’t that be using the employee for a service too? Yet out society finds absolutely no problem with that.

I think today critics are trying to find anything to tear down a company and their ingenious ideas. No matter the idea, it is always “looking down on a group of people” or “unethical.” This was a great way for the Austin community to employ those in need to better both the festival and their lives. I’ve worked with the homeless before and I’m pretty sure any opportunity they have to continue leading their normal lives and get paid for it, they would be more than happy to take part in.