Homeless 4G hotspot stunt backfires at SXSW

Jenna Wortham for The New York Times:

A marketing agency touched off a wave of criticism and debate when it hired members of the local homeless population to walk around carrying mobile Wi-Fi devices, offering conferencegoers Internet access in exchange for donations.

On one hand it seems exploitative, but clearly the homeless people recruited for the effort don’t mind, and the marketing company that arranged the program worked with a homeless shelter as well. The director of the shelter is surprised at the blowback as well.

I look forward to people asking Jim how they can access his wireless hotspot at the next tech event he’s at. He’ll either punch them in the face or he’ll make some extra money.