Wikipedia
A wifipicning, a combination of the words Wi-Fi, picnic, and happening, is a social gathering of people, similar to a flash mob.
Strangers and friends alike gather with their computers, which they connect to a local wireless network within a "wifi bubble" set up by the organizers. With a range of about , this bubble is completely autonomous; it is not connected to the Internet and can therefore be set up easily anywhere. Participants (bubblenauts) are connected to each other inside the bubble via a chat room, where they interact both physically and virtually. Participants are invited to partake in creative actions, discuss theme-based topics, exchange documents, pics and videos, or simply get to know one another.
Specific content, accessible only within the confines of the bubble, is sometimes made available to participants and a collaborative work may then be pursued by participating Bubblenauts opening the way to all kinds of possibilities in the associative and cultural domains and in the field of citizenship.
The aim is to place technology in the service of mankind, human interaction and sharing. As the creators of the concept put it, it is an invitation to 'take a walk on the other side of the screen', the creation of a "micro-network" on a human scale that offers a new kind of conviviality and playful interaction. Their motto is: "Make bubbles, not war."
This concept is uncommon for three reasons: the complete autonomy of the bubble; a voluntary return to geographic proximity — promoting encounters and bonding among participants — a playful simultaneity between virtual and real exchanges. In this way, while Internet has abolished to some extent physical distances, Wifipicning, conversely, is the fusion of the cordless network and the local physical world. The initiators of the project have also spoken to this effect about Web 3.0, which would be the total fusion of Internet with its spatial and social environment, as well as that of individuals with their avatars.