4 ms·

Sounds more like "Rainbows End" by Vernor Vinge (iirc it was initially published online - I used to have a printout of the book, but I've since given it away):

• e12e 4y ago
  Or maybe not: https://slashdot.org/story/05/07/13/236203/doctorow-and-stross-release-latest-novels-for-free https://slashdot.org/story/05/07/13/236203/doctorow-and-stro... > Two prominent science fiction authors have recently released their newest novels as free downloads to coincide with their in-store releases. The first is Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town, by Cory Doctorow. This is an unconventional story about an entrepreneur (who happens to be the child of a mountain and a washing machine) who gets involved in a scheme to blanket Toronto with free wireless mesh network, among other things. The second is Accelerando, by Charles Stross, which tells the tale of three generations of the Macx family (beginning with perptually-slashdotted venture altruist Manfred Macx) in the years leading up to and beyond a technological singularity