Is using a strangers wi-fi stealing?

[roosta]

I just moved into a new place and havn't got a connection set up yet, so i've jumped on a randomers open connection.

He/She hasn't passworded it, so I figure its fair game..I wont download anything, just browse so as to not fuck up their usage.

What thinks you people? Fair enough? Or wrong?

[paul jones]

no porn

[Deep_Sea_Rain]

I used to do this shit all the time. Your good man, no crime.

[Rock]

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080103-the-ethics-of-stealing-a-wifi-connection.html


I'm guilty of it...or was.

[funk63]

i say its all good. (y)

[Rock]

i mean, is it really that hard to make your connection password protected???

then again, if i was walking by someones car and the windows were open and i saw something inside of it that i wanted, i wouldn't take it.

i dunno. whatever. you're only in the wrong if you get caught.

[TurdBerglar]

it's not stealing if no one is loosing anything

[na§tee]

beebeecee (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/6960304.stm).
i say as long as it's not going to interfere with their usage, go for it. it's so easy to password protect your wireless, there really is no excuse.

what town in the uk is getting wireless rolled out across board for everyone to use as a trial? i think in a few years we'll have reached that stage. blanket wireless. also, we will all have multiple heads.

[The Notorious LOL]

if I had wi-fi I would leave the connection open. Its been an airtight defense in RIAA subpoenas thus far to get the case thrown out :D

[alien autopsy]

i used to do that all the time:) do it up, no harm.

[taquitos]

i used to leave my connection open and wonder why anyone possibly would care enough not to,
but my router kept getting all confused and the settings would go screwy. i password protected it and have had no trouble since

[Waus]

If it were me I might be annoyed if someone else were sapping my bandwidth. I'd say 80% of the time no one would ever notice - it's only an issue if you're downloading crazy torrents or streaming video all the time.

The real thing is whether or not they'd be indignant over you getting free internet while they pay far out the ass for it.

[Yetra Flam]

unsecured wireless connections are fair game.

[hitmonlee]

yes dude, its stealing. just like someone leaving their car window open and you reaching in and taking it.

i'm not saying that either of these things are wrong though.

[alien autopsy]

heh. *going outside to make sure car is locked

[Waus]

yes dude, its stealing. just like someone leaving their car window open and you reaching in and taking it.


I'd say it's more like someone leaving their car stereo on and you leaning on the car and listening to it.

I mean, they might still be annoyed because you didn't buy the awesome speakers or CDs... and you have to keep the window rolled down or you can't hear it.

[hitmonlee]

I'd say it's more like someone leaving their car stereo on and you leaning on the car and listening to it.

I mean, they might still be annoyed because you didn't buy the awesome speakers or CDs... and you have to keep the window rolled down or you can't hear it.

no it would be more like someone removing your washing from a paid washing machine at a laundromat, and putting their washing in the machine and using it...

no it would be more like if you could only listen to your car radio on a pre-paid system, and someone reached in and listened to some music, leaving you with less pre-paid radio time (ie. stealing your money).

at $70 for a fucking 12gig plan, NOONE is stealing our fucking internet. you have any idea how hard it is to keep 4 people under 12 gig/month?

[TurdBerglar]

australian internet is just plain horrible

[abcdefz]

I just moved into a new place and havn't got a connection set up yet, so i've jumped on a randomers open connection.

He/She hasn't passworded it, so I figure its fair game..I wont download anything, just browse so as to not fuck up their usage.

What thinks you people? Fair enough? Or wrong?


I'd say: "What can you pay for that your neighbors can use for free, uninvited?"

Maybe you can put in a pool or something.

[NoFenders]

I'd show up at their door with a case of good beer or a bottle of somethin. Just knock and run. Leave a note. Or don't.

Give back though, it's the human thing to do.

:cool:

[roosta]

Lots of interesting viewpoints here.

I guess its not wrong. They are pumping the signal into my home, unguarded. My equipment can pick it up. If they dont want me to use it they should lock it up.

Incidentally I don't buy the analogy with the car with the window open. Its just not the same.

I would never abuse it though (downloading etc.) im even not using YouTube while on it, just so i Don't bust their usage limit.

[NoFenders]

Yeah, the car with the window deal was way off imo.

:cool:

[Waus]

at $70 for a fucking 12gig plan, NOONE is stealing our fucking internet. you have any idea how hard it is to keep 4 people under 12 gig/month?

Oh yeah - I forget other countries have bandwidth plans like that. Here I just have unlimited bandwidth for about $50 a month.

Yeah, if I had limited bandwidth I could see that making me more mad.

[camo]

I did a thread about this a few months back.

I've been ok piggybacking from someone else.

COD4 everynight! (y)

[hitmonlee]

Oh yeah - I forget other countries have bandwidth plans like that. Here I just have unlimited bandwidth for about $50 a month.

Yeah, if I had limited bandwidth I could see that making me more mad.

ps. that is 12 gig downloads and uploads. that's like $5 for someone to d/l a movie and seed it for a bit.

[Waus]

ps. that is 12 gig downloads and uploads. that's like $5 for someone to d/l a movie and seed it for a bit.

Yeah, sorry. If it were my wireless it'd just be a nuisance, not taking away a limited resource that I pay for.

[mikizee]

ps. that is 12 gig downloads and uploads. that's like $5 for someone to d/l a movie and seed it for a bit.

you get charged for uploads??

you're getting ripped off, almost no ISPS in australia do that any more

[hitmonlee]

you get charged for uploads??

you're getting ripped off, almost no ISPS in australia do that any more

the only provider that will provide to our house is telstra bigpond.

telstra bigpond do whatever they want.

[mikizee]

telstra bigpond can lick my penis

[TAL]

telstra bigpond can lick my penis

True, but you'd have to pay for it.