Date:         Tue, 17 Feb 2004 13:36:52 -0500
Reply-To:     David Brodbeck <gull@GULL.US>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         David Brodbeck <gull@GULL.US>
Subject:      Re: NVC - Wireless Internet Report
Comments: To: John Runberg <jrunberg@MAC.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <5581678.1077041946545.JavaMail.jrunberg@mac.com>
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII

On Tue, 17 Feb 2004, John Runberg wrote:

> BTW, many ISPs restrict customers from giving away access onto the
> customers node through WiFi or other means. Cox for awhile even tried to
> prevent people from setting up a router so that mulitple computers could
> access from home. Stupid, but true.

Some ISPs also expressly allow this.  I see no moral issue in using an
open access point *if* it's deliberately open.  Someone is still paying
for the bandwidth (the person providing the open node.)  It's up to them
to sort out the legality of it with their ISP -- presumably they have a
copy of the subscriber agreement they signed that states whether or not
they have a right to do what they're doing.

I don't think it's morally right to take advantage of someone who is
unknowingly providing an open node, though, any more than it's morally
right to make phone calls on a neighbor's insecure cordless telephone.


David Brodbeck, N8SRE
'82 Volkswagen Diesel Westfalia
'86 Volvo 240DL wagon