Internet Cafe... On Mount Everest?

[Janak Parekh]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://wireservice.wired.com/wired/story.asp?section=Technology&storyId=669752' target='_blank'>http://wireservice.wired.com/wired/...&storyId=669752</a><br /><br /></div>Did you think the Internet wasn't everywhere? Think again.<br /><br />"It could be the most challenging Internet cafe project going. Fifty years after two men conquered Mount Everest, a native Sherpa is determined to set up a cybercafe at the 17,400-foot-high base camp of the world's highest mountain. Besides freezing temperatures and storms, there is no electricity or plumbing at the site. There aren't any permanent buildings, either."

[Iznot Gold]

Damn...I'm cancelling the trip....as there's no mention of Wifi hotspot! :lol:

[ricksfiona]

Did you think the Internet wasn't everywhere? Think again.

"It could be the most challenging Internet cafe project going. Fifty years after two men conquered Mount Everest, a native Sherpa is determined to set up a cybercafe at the 17,400-foot-high base camp of the world's highest mountain. Besides freezing temperatures and storms, there is no electricity or plumbing at the site. There aren't any permanent buildings, either."
Talk about misplaced priorities.

[JvanEkris]

Couldn't they just place on one top. Would be a nice slogan: "Top of the world internet cafe: you can't get much higher". You can mail all your friends, use the webcam to wave at them :)

Jaap

[Skoobouy]

...right before they pass out and are never heard from again.

[JvanEkris]

Hell of a way to go :)

[Rirath]

It's the worst freaking idea I've heard in ages... but God bless that man for doing it anyway! :D *tear*
...He will be missed. :wink:

[Pony99CA]

"It could be the most challenging Internet cafe project going. Fifty years after two men conquered Mount Everest, a native Sherpa is determined to set up a cybercafe at the 17,400-foot-high base camp of the world's highest mountain. Besides freezing temperatures and storms, there is no electricity or plumbing at the site. There aren't any permanent buildings, either."
Geez, that's not near the top of Mt. Everest. :-) According to the 2003 Team Everest site (http://www.teameverest03.org/everest_info/), the official height is 29,029 feet, although National Geographic says it's six feet taller.

Steve

[felixdd]

Who d'you suppose his customer base is?

[bdegroodt]

It's the worst freaking idea I've heard in ages... but God bless that man for doing it anyway! :D *tear*
...He will be missed. :wink:

Couldn't agree more that it's the worst idea I have heard in a while (Probably worse than delivering dog food by the internet).

While I'm sure most of us would think of this as a big deal to accomplish, the Sherpa's make regular climbs up the mountain with relative ease. Have a look at this Nova documentary on the PBS site. (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/everest/history/sherpason.html) If you ever get to catch the Everest Imax, they are in there as well and it's well worth the price of admission to watch these guys in action.

[Janak Parekh]

Geez, that's not near the top of Mt. Everest. :-)
Fine...fixed. Happy? :D ;)

--janak

[Will T Smith]

Who d'you suppose his customer base is?

Who are the customers????

All the rich fools who pay mega-bucks for the opportunity to TRY to summit the worlds highest peak.

His biggest problem is electricity. I'd suggest solar panels however the winds up their would probably tear them right of the surface of the mountain. Perhaps they could create some aerodynamic enclosures for solar panels that are bolted into the barren wind-swept rocks. After all, they are a LOT closer to the sun at that altitude. Climbers report virtually BROILING conditions on the Kumbu Ice falls where they effectively have to strip down in order to keep from baking.

The alternative is to hall the Sherpa's primary fuel source up the mountain, Yak dung. I don't think that's going to happen.

Regarding a dwelling place, constructing a permanent building shouldn't be an issue. Though it would probably have to be dug (more likely BLASTED) DOWN under the surface in order to keep it from blowing over.

[felixdd]

I don't think rich fools scale the mountain that often do they? And if they do -- won't they be rich enough to afford their own satellite equipment?
&lt;shrug>

[disconnected]

Ok, I'll be the minority; I think it's a good idea. The article says they get 19,000 to 50,000 trekkers a year, so maybe they could actually make some money. I read another article that said that Nepal was a poor country, and that they bore most of the burden of cleaning up after all the tourists who leave trash all over the mountain. If this can generate some money to help with the cleanup or any other needed services, then I think it's a good thing.

[Cracknell]

While they are at it why not build a 5star hotel, razed the top of the mountain for a heli pad, and build a discoteque too....

whatta frecking polution!

[Peter Foot]

Ok, I'll be the minority; I think it's a good idea. The article says they get 19,000 to 50,000 trekkers a year, so maybe they could actually make some money. I read another article that said that Nepal was a poor country, and that they bore most of the burden of cleaning up after all the tourists who leave trash all over the mountain. If this can generate some money to help with the cleanup or any other needed services, then I think it's a good thing.

Maybe then rather than a cyber-cafe they just need a couple of litter bins :wink: :lol: :lol:

[Gerard]

I figure within my lifetime there'll be a Starbucks at the summit, so this is just another foot in the door. The 'gutters' all around Everest are already strewn with rich white dude garbage, despite huge volunteer cleanup campaigns. Last I heard there was over a ton of new, empty oxygen cannisters added every season. Nice. Kinda like everywhere else tourists go, isn't it? Humans are too uneducated to have access to every place. I think we need a lot more investment in making rich people smarter. Then, perhaps, a Reagonomics of a different kind might happen, when a munch of enlightened wealthy people get annoyed enough with how poorer folks are messing things up, the wisdom might 'trickle down'. Nah, probably wouldn't work. (note to self: next time you have money, invest in Starbucks)

[bdegroodt]

His biggest problem is electricity. I'd suggest solar panels however the winds up their would probably tear them right of the surface of the mountain. Perhaps they could create some aerodynamic enclosures for solar panels that are bolted into the barren wind-swept rocks. After all, they are a LOT closer to the sun at that altitude.

Wind can be used to generate electricity.

[dean_shan]

This seems like W?BIC to the extream.

[Weyoun6]

I dont think this is as bad idea as people are making it out to be. This can provide live updates of hiking teams, or provide a connection to the world for the locals. Although there would be problems figuring out how to make it all work, if it does, I think its a good idea. It could even help people broadcast their concerns about the environment on the mountain.

[Steven Cedrone]

Wind can be used to generate electricity.

Also, one person and a hand operated crank...

Steve