Spokane7
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March 23, 2010 in City
‘Hey Google’ effort to hold rally Wednesday in Spokane
An effort to promote Spokane as one of two Google test sites for upgraded, high-speed Web communications wants the public’s help. A group called Hey Google, Pick Spokane is staging a rally Wednesday at the Clocktower Meadow in Riverfront Park at 5:30 p.m.
The Hey Google group is trying to call attention to Spokane’s campaign to become a test site for Google’s Fiber for Communities project.
The testing would offer Web speeds up to 100 times faster than what most Americans now have.
“This is an opportunity for the city of Spokane to gain its place in the state of Washington as a hot spot for technology and information,” according to a press release from the group.
People are asked to gather at the Clocktower Meadow for a video and photo shoot.
The organization has a Web site, heygooglepickspokane.com, and a Facebook page where more information on the effort can be found.
You can also email event organizers Nicole Hensley and Mark Simonds.
The city of Spokane is participating in the promotion.
Returning farmland to a state of nature 
wcpeabody on March 23 at 2:27 p.m.
You have a type in the email address listed. You have goodle instead of google.
Loudin on March 23 at 2:46 p.m.
Totally Awesome! I’m usually down around that way at 5:30…I’m the guy in the solar suit running across the Monroe Street Bridge. Anyway, I’m there (maybe I’ll bring Carla too).
My only concern is that there is usually a pack of ancient people with Teabagger protest signs around there. As I don’t want to be associated with a bunch of crackpot racists, maybe I’ll feed the swans for a while and wait for them to dissipate on their Medicare-funded scooters and walkers. Let me reiterate: If I see a bunch of angry Abe Simpson-types loitering beneath the clock tower, shaking their fists at condensation trails, I’m bookin’ out of there.
Take care,
Louden
PS: Brian Shute is a wuss.
addyh on March 23 at 3:03 p.m.
Thanks B.P., it’s fixed.
Not_woriking on March 23 at 3:30 p.m.
Where were they last week for the Otto Zehm Rally?
We need this so all the borons can just spout their b.s. on the web faster.
crossfire on March 23 at 8:13 p.m.
While speeds 100x faster than what we have in Spokane is enticing. Currently there is really no need for it. I agree that in the future it will be needed but why don’t we give more support to our local technology firms. With the FCC’s new broadband act being initiated they will be better funded to implement faster speeds to our community. Why bring in another competitor to divide consumers? We don’t need more competition here for internet services. Some people are scared of losing their jobs as it is because of how thin the margins are.
edmitch on March 23 at 8:33 p.m.
Considering that broadband did not even become available in our neighborhood until 2005, this is not exactly a cutting edge city. The old AT&T Cable took five years to upgrade just 25% of their cable network - Comcast then came in and completed the job in about 90 days. Qwest twiddled their fingers for years, coming late with DSL.
A low wage city without a major research university presence, especially not in tech, is probably not going to be Google’s ideal test case.
I’m just being realistic. Sorry. We do wish otherwise, but I don’t see the business case being ideal for Google.
(And Loudin, branding all tea partiers as “racist” is itself a racist/group-ist type thought as you are concluding that if one or n were racist then they all must be. Branding an entire group as identical is the same kind of thinking that that leads to racism, sexism, ageism and a few more -isms. And it is just as wrong. And what it has to do with Google’s broad band initiative is beyond me.)
Not_woriking on March 23 at 9:57 p.m.
All that high speed web will do is to allow our politicians and bureucrats to download their porn faster and now everyone will have to buy faster processors.
Sorta like having a 150 mile per hour Ferrari on a 55 mile an hour road.
299 792 458 meters per second…its not only the limit.. ITS THE LAW.
twobit on March 23 at 10:16 p.m.
liberty lake would be a better choice then spokane for google to go to their are companys that would use that speed
SPOKANITE on March 23 at 10:43 p.m.
Personally, I think Cheney would be ideal. State archives, WA State Patrol Crime Lab, university, experience installing their own fiber network, large student population, and their own municipal power company.