I'm at another moral crossroads...

[EZ]

Ira,

You are right; the idea that I am taking one of your posts seriously is my fault. However I work with people that have kids about those ages that have PC's in their bedrooms connected to high speed access and think that it is just fine, "what harm can it do". These are computer professionals not some ignorant hackers.

My appologies for chastising you on this one. However I admit that it is tough sometimes to get your point. Maybe you have plane tickets to the Crocodile Hunters memorial service for all I know.....



Ed

[Joseph]

If you or Joseph ever decide to run for office as a republican, I'm in trouble.

Believe me, I have no intention of running for office as a Republican or anything else, for that matter. I'd have to perform unnatural acts with dead goats on live TV for a least five years afterwards just to get my self-respect back...

Joseph

[Ira]

Steve, I stopped reading it when they brought up the "terrorist threat" at the end of the first page.

I'm just a cheap Jew trying to save a few bucks without hurting anyone.

[asianflava]

If you do get caught leaching someone else's connection, it is a FELONY. No Misdemeanor, it goes right to a Felony charge.

To be honest, we've all done it but not on a regular basis from the same person. After we unloaded the U-haul trailer at my sister-in-law's. While we were still out in the parking lot, I whipped out the laptop to see where we could return the trailer. I got a faint signal but it was enough for me to get the address.

[Joseph]

To be honest, we've all done it...

Have we? I may be a piriate, but I'm not THAT kind of pirate!

Besides, I don't even HAVE WI-FI...

Joseph

[Ira]

If you do get caught leaching someone else's connection, it is a FELONY.

That's the thing:

According to the info listed in the above links, it's NOT a felony.

Just some AT&T guy who said, "There are Federal and state laws covering this 'kind' of thing."

Granted, I'm paraphrasing, but you can tell the guy was just bs'ing because it might affect his 401K.

[Joseph]

Granted, I'm paraphrasing, but you can tell the guy was just bs'ing because it might affect his 401K.

I think he's probably more concerned with his present bottom line.

Joseph

[asianflava]

If you do get caught leaching someone else's connection, it is a FELONY.

That's the thing:

According to the info listed in the above links, it's NOT a felony.

Just some AT&T guy who said, "There are Federal and state laws covering this 'kind' of thing."

Granted, I'm paraphrasing, but you can tell the guy was just bs'ing because it might affect his 401K.

Ask this guy in St Pete if it is.

Smith, who police said admitted to using Dinon's Wi-Fi, has been charged with unauthorized access to a computer network, a third-degree felony. A pretrial hearing is set for July 11.

Theft of services without their knowledge may "just" be a 3rd degree felony, but it is a felony. The other articles talk about sharing services which is a different matter.

Here's the whole article.
http://www.sptimes.com/2005/07/04/State/Wi_Fi_cloaks_a_new_br.shtml

[cracker39]

Ira, here's my suggestion. As the article (to me that is) didn't seem to make sharing a serious legal issue, unless the provider states in it's rules of acceptance that sharing is verboten, try this: See if you can find the neighbor with the WIFI service. Talk to him/her about sharing the service and cost, making sure that both of you follow through with putting the options in place to protect that service from authorized access as mentioned in the article. You can both block other PCs on the network from accessing your own files, and the owner can set it up so that only those persons with his/her permission can use the network. I haven't tried WIFI, but, I'm sure in the future I might. Especially if I ever follow through on my potential plans to change from house to travel trailer as my main residencen and travel a lot.

BUT, check out all potential legal issues before proceding with my ideas.

[Jiminsav]

it's not a felony or a misdemener or even a civil ticket type thing to use any bandwidth you find on the open airwaves as long as you don't use anything like a wire tap or anything of that nature to obtain it..in fact, I can drive downtown and if any idiot SCAD student has a open wi-fi router, well then, it's his/her fault if I suck up all their bandwidth.
oh..the reason this is, is because the person with the router pays their bill for the service, and they are the end user, so what they do with it is their business.

[doug hodder]

Ira...the bigger picture might just be the example you are setting for your kids...there are so many people that try to get something for nothing that it just bogs down the system...here in Calif...people trying to scam for section 8 housing...food stamps, bogus assistance, you name it......someone, somewhere is going to have to pay for it...and would you really want to dump more money into the hands of lawyers...I'd be willing to bet your kids will remember this....hey...I'm a Scotsman, and we're cheap also...that's how wire got invented....2 Scots fighting over a penny....and me for one, has no desire to ever experience the trials and tribulations of the legal system...felony or not...Doug

[Nitetimes]

Ira...the bigger picture might just be the example you are setting for your kids...there are so many people that try to get something for nothing that it just bogs down the system...here in Calif...people trying to scam for section 8 housing...food stamps, bogus assistance, you name it......someone, somewhere is going to have to pay for it...Doug

Hit that nail right on the head... and people wonder why I don't discuss the welfare system, seems like CA and PA have a lot in common.

[Miriam C.]

Good answers one and all but:

What if the guy is doing something wrong (like kiddie porn) and blames it on your kids or you.

If he stiffs you, you can't complain because you might have committed a crime.

thirdly:::When Jimmy Carter was running for president, his wife was in trouble for using a CB radio to campain without the licence. The supreme court ruled the airwaves belong to the American people. There are bands since that are restricted use but in general they are MINE> I wonder if that holds true with the new technology.

Joseph
That is the unforunate reality of our political system so we vote for the person who tells the best lie.

[Elumia]

and are are the copies of software on your PC legitimate licensed copies?

Mark

[doug hodder]

Rich...it ain't just Ca....and Pa...add another 48 states into the equation...Doug