[Ham-Computers] Wi-Fi Access Can Be Illegal - at least in Michigan

[WA5CAB at cs.com]

I don't (and won't) use wireless networking.  Just one more security breech 
waiting to happen.  But a friend of mine does and every now and then when he 
drops by we fire up his laptop and check how many machines we can detect and get 
into on my block.  There are usually at least two.  If the average age on 
this block weren't older than me (I'm 63) it would probably be higher.  I'm 
pretty sure I know who three of the systems belong to, but I'm not going to tell 
them.  They might accuse me of something.

In a message dated 5/31/2007 11:10:57 PM Central Daylight Time, 
ad5pe at sbcglobal.net writes: 
> Stupid.  If you kick in my garage door and steal my lawnmower, that's
> breaking and entering, plus burglary.  If I leave my garage door unlocked
> and you open the door and steal my lawnmower,  then it's trespassing and
> burglary.  If I leave the door unlocked and you come in, but don't take the
> mower, it's just trespassing.  But if I leave the mower out in the front
> yard (at least in my neighborhood) then I might as well put a "take me - I'm
> free" sign on it.  Not a crime, just stupidity on my part.
> 
> An unsecured wireless network is stupid.  Using one is at most
> "trespassing".  Sure, you're "stealing" their bandwidth, but the cost is so
> low that you wouldn't hit the felony threshold dollar amount for weeks.
> 
> Simple way to enforce this - put the password on a chalk board behind the
> counter.  Change it every day.  Show it to the customers when they buy
> something.
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: ham-computers-bounces at mailman.qth.net
> [mailto:ham-computers-bounces at mailman.qth.net] On Behalf Of kd4e
> Sent: Thursday, May 31, 2007 21:47
> To: ham-linux at mailman.qth.net; ham-computers at mailman.qth.net
> Subject: [Ham-Computers] Wi-Fi Access Can Be Illegal - at least in Michigan
> 
> Now here is a scary story - both of the failure of a police officer and a
> prosecutor to exercise their responsibility to exercise reasonable
> discretion and the less-than-wise legislators in writing such sloppy law.
> 
> In any case it suggests that we need to know the local laws and regs before
> accessing what appear to be "open"
> or "public" Wi-Fi networks.
> 

Robert & Susan Downs - Houston
<http://www.wa5cab.com> (Web Store)
MVPA 9480
<wa5cab at cs.com> (Primary email)
<wa5cab at houston.rr.com> (Backup email)