Digital wireless communities have existed since the days of
amateur packet radio (ham radio), in three well-defined categories:
<ol>
  <li><strong>Fixed</strong>:
      (also known as ``base stations''):
      fixed devices on or in buildings, homes, offices,
      or other ``fixtures'' such as a ham shack, post,
      outpost, or attached to a tree, or other fixture;
  <li><strong>Mobile</strong>: Vehicular or ship-based systems,
      wireless systems in trucks, vans, cars, boats, or
      motorcycles.  A wireless station on a bicycle such as
      N4RVE's ``behemoth'' would also be categorized as ``Mobile''.
      People who use mobiles are often called
      <a href=http://users.rio.com/kg7fu/mobile.html>mobileers</a>;
  <li><strong>Portable</strong>: Handheld or wearable systems.
      Systems borne by (e.g. worn or carried upon) the human body.
      An implantable system such as a wirless communicator injected
      beneath the skin would also fall under the
      ``Portable'' category.
</ol>
Chronologically, these happened in the order presented: first there were
the fixed ham shacks, then the mobileers, and finally the cyborgs
(portables, wearables, implantables, etc.).
<p>
These three categories are well established, and well known in the
ham radio (amateur radio) digital wireless communities.
Of particular interest are the latter two
categories (Mobile and Portable) because they have been made possible
by miniaturization of components.
<p>
Category 2 (Mobile) is described in
<a href=http://www.qsl.net/ka6wke/hfmobile.html>KA6WKE's web site</a>
which describes how to deal with the less than optimal antennas
and grounding systems of mobile units
(within a 1992 Ford Escort station wagon, being a small car, that
presents many such challenges).
<p>
Good examples of mobile wireless digital radios include
the
<a href=http://www.qsl.net/k4mg/Radios/FT-100/FT-100.htm>HF Mobile Rig - FT-100</a>
and <a href=http://www.732.com/adiamateur.htm>various two meter mobile rigs</a>.
<p>
Portable (worn or carried) rigs are described in N1NLF's sites,
<a href=http://wearcam.org>http://wearcam.org</a> and
<a href=http://eyetap.org>http://eyetap.org</a>.
<p>
Portable rigs are often known as ``handie talkies'', and, together with
a Terminal Node Controller (TNC) provide portable wireless data connectivity.
More recently, various other devices provide similar connectivity, without
the need for a radio license.  Such systems include cellular phones, 
pagers, and digital cameras with wireless communications.  These systems
fall under category 3 (Portable), thanks to modern miniaturization.
With a 12 volt cigarrette lighter adapter, they may be operated in
Category 2 (Mobile), and often come with a wall plug adapter for
operation in Categoery 1 (Fixed).  Most digital cameras have a standard
``1/4, 20'' threaded hole, to accept a tripod mount, so that they can
operate in Category 1 (Fixed) mode.
<p>
The recent explosion of license-free low power radio systems makes possible
a new form of community across all three categories.  Fixed
or Mobile ports on homes, and cars, can also serve as gateways for
a community of portable logging systems.  With no central authority
able to ``pull the plug'', such systems may give us that which the
Internet promised but failed to deliver: truly decentralized communities.