CrowdNet NYC

CrowdNet NYC is a crowdsourced / open data sourced where users can view/post WiFi spots that are free near them. Aimed to alleviate stress of lower income people and to fix the digital divide!

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Inspiration

In sociology class we learned about social stratification and how NYC is a very stratified place, where there are the richest people next to the poorest people. With this income inequality and inequity there is a vast amount of gap between the rich and the poor. The poor are increasingly having a harder time to move up the social ladder. This program aims to provide free internet hotspots to people around NYC so that people can have access to the internet which is vital to the modern 21st century.

What it does

It allows users to check out different spots in NYC that has free wifi (libraries, train stations, etc), it also allows generous users to double click on spots where they find free wifi and they can post about it for all to see. They can also give their own WiFi credentials in order to alleivate stress that lower income people may face. Ironically you do need internet to access this website, so we added a print feature in! This is so users can print out the nearest wifi spots to locations they might go, all they need is access to a library, college, etc (ALL FREE!). Or take screenshots on their phone to access for later without internet.

How we built it

This program is built with Flask, Flask-SQL Alchemy, JavaScript, HTML/CSS. This program uses the Google MapsAPI for geo-location, placing the map, putting down markers etc. The data is stored in Flask-SQL Alchemy and is then parsed through and send to the JavaScript file (using the FETCH API) in where the data can be placed as markers. Also used the pandas library in Python and took data from the NYC Open Data internet access csv library (https://data.cityofnewyork.us/Social-Services/internet-connection-nyc/k9p3-ztqv). Parsed through that data to create a new CSV file containing the latitude, longitude, ssid and type. This data was then sent to the JavaScript file through a get method and recieved in JavaScript through the fetch API. Using the google maps marker feature it placed down the markers based on the latitude and longitude data.

Challenges we ran into

Having to organize the CSV files, asynchronous information at the end as the if statements were not properly formated, thus resulting in messed up WiFi passwords/username for each marker. Also time complexity issues as it was very slow to load the file at first. Also dealing with sending prompt answers to the python file as at first they were not showing on the python backend.

Accomplishments that we're proud of

Creating this project in a short time, addressing the asych. bug we had as this would of destroyed our program entirely. We also had only around an hour left so we had to address this bug fast and I am very proud of working under pressure liek that.

What we learned

We learned how to use the google maps API more and mapping CSV data + creating new csv files from other csv files.

What's next for CrowdNet NYC

CrowdNet NYC is committed to expanding its reach beyond New York City. Our vision includes bringing this resource to more states and cities, ensuring that digital inclusion becomes a reality for people across the nation. We aim to introduce reward benefits for individuals who contribute by sharing accurate Wi-Fi hotspot information, incentivizing their participation in this project. Additionally, we're excited to offer volunteering opportunities to high school and college students willing to make a difference. They can play a vital role in verifying and updating the Wi-Fi information, helping us create a more accurate and comprehensive resource. In the near future, CrowdNet NYC also aspires to establish our very own Wi-Fi spots, contributing to the growing network of accessible internet locations for all. We will also publish data and help researchers if they want wifi data!

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