Photographing LinkNYC Users Has Become a Niche Fascination

Photographing LinkNYC Users
Photographing LinkNYC Users

I turned on 1010 WINS this morning and heard an announcer begin: “NYPD is cracking down on the growing epidemic of…” I thought he was going to say “LinkNYC users forming encampments…” Hah. Instead the announcer described the problem of heroin use at Washington Square Park. The problem of families forming homes around LinkNYC decives is not that big a problem. Not yet, at least.

LinkNYC users have become a niche fascination for passing photographers and social media denizens who seem to regard the growing phenomenon as anything between adorable and scary. Should the LinkNYC program fully crash and burn these pictures would make for an interesting museum exhibit.

It would be unfortunate if arrests and financial penalties become the solution to these LinkNYC loiterers clogging the sidewalks and forming outdoor living rooms around the devices. The number of arrests could become an ancillary statistic to the success of the program. I imagine board meetings where product development analysts report on amount of bandwidth served, number of sessions per device, and the number of Links-related arrests and summonses issued. With that the board of directors erupts in applause. A standing ovation for a product that not only supports the world-weary tourist without a data plan, but which also helps keep vagrants OFF THE STREETS! Thunderous applause, bravos, and shoe-shined foot stomping.

That as yet hypothetical scenario of rounding up Links users and issuing misdemeanor summonses or even throwing them into jail would be extremely depressing. If the encampments and families living at Links demonstrate anything it is that there is a hunger for connectivity, and for the economically displaced to have equal access to the magical resource so many of us take for granted. Seeing these folks glued to YouTube for hours upon hours reminds me of how it felt when I found the Internet back in 1993. It felt like I had discovered something no one else knew about. There were obviously people behind the screen but they couldn’t see me, and they didn’t know what I was doing — not like they do now, that is. I would see similar reactions among others to whom I introduced Usenet, NCSA Mosaic, and even IRC. People took one look at those screens and seemed to think some very specific magic awaited them in there.

You can blame Mayor de Blasio but these Links are really a vestige of the Bloomberg administration. In many ways the rollout of LinkNYC echoes the imperiousness of other initiatives from that administration, and the utter futility of public feedback (which was never solicited by CityBridge, the consortium of companies responsible for these digital beasts). You don’t want too many bike lanes? Shut up, you’re getting them anyway, and watch your back I might need to bike on your sidewalk. You don’t want too many trees? Shutup, you’ll get so many trees you won’t be able to see across the street. You don’t want a mayor’s third term? Shutup, if you don’t like it don’t vote.

You don’t want an army of Links invading your streets? You don’t want ceaselessly blinking eyesores polluting your field of vision? Sorry, Charlie. We’re making money here.



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