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If there's a wifi or wireless connection nearby is it moral to tap in and use it?


Just wondering what people's position is on this.
If you have a wireless or wifi internet connection in range
of your laptop or desktop machine and you tap in to use it
is it OK?
I would prolly try it for a bit then quickly log off and never
use it again because to me it would feel wrong to use it.
Reply to
John
Loading thread data ...
No
You have scruples .
Reply to
atec
forget morals, it's illegal
Reply to
cantseeme
In most places it is unlawful and seen as theft unless it is an open connection system where general access approval has been given - like some of those community access sites.
Reply to
Deadly Ernest
Well i wouldn't do it. On the other hand if the owner is dumb enough to leave their wifi connection unsecured then they deserve to have their bandwidth stolen.
Reply to
DalienX
more likely, like most home users, they have no idea how to apply basic, let alone decent, security to the wireless network. Yeah you can buy good and easy to use software, but few home users know that or have enough knowledge to do more than stick the CD in and let it run itself; thus they even have problems getting the software properly installed and set up.
Reply to
Deadly Ernest
John wrote
Its theft, pure and simple.
Nope.
Its just as wrong to try it, just like it is to enter someone's house that happens to be left unlocked.
Reply to
Rod Speed
Not sure about the legalities but IMHO I don't believe it's ethical, unless it's an obvious invitation (eg, my AP is actually named "CONNECT2ME" because I plan to offer limited net services for free)
Of course with many routers never changed from the default settings it might even be possible that a neighbour is unknowingly locking onto your AP, rather than his!
Reply to
rowan194
Just like if they leave their car unlocked for whatever reason, they deserve to have it stolen.
Try that defence in court and see how long you get as someones butt-boy
Reply to
Colin ®
Wrong , when caught you are going to pay as its theft , with all that implies.
Reply to
atec
Just be careful; could be a "honeypot" to load you up with a trojan.
Reply to
Dogfar
That being said, most insurance companies won't pay out if they find out that you left your car unlocked when it was stolen. It happened to me, they found the car burnt out, the door unlocked and no immobiliser. 
--

Wing.
Reply to
Wing Wong
Sure but neither action is illegal - unless you left your keys in it which I think is illegal.
?? how can they prove the lock was not opened by "skilled hands".
Reply to
Colin ®
Serve him bloody right if he got zapped.
Reply to
Colin ®
I disagree, to steal a car, even an unlocked one would require me to enter the persons car, hotwire said car, and drive off with it Knowing fully well that i was stealing a car.
If a computer has a wireless network card i can quite easily imagine the computer taking advantage of having a neighbor with unsecured network without the user even knowing it. A computer illiterate person would not question where internet access was comming from, he/she might just assume they dialed up in the normal way.
Reply to
DalienX
You have not read the trespass act rod. If you leave your house unlocked and someone comes in thats not illigal just immoral. They are not breaking any laws unless you tell them to leave and they dont. Then its trespass.
Reply to
DalienX
DalienX wrote
Wrong, as always.
And there is no such animal in any state anyway.
Wrong, as always.
Wrong, as always.
Reply to
Rod Speed
The old "dog ate my homework" defence.
We are not talking about accidents or ignorance - it has been said here that use of an unprotected gateway would be tried.
There is no defence for that.
Reply to
Colin ®
Oh nice, you deny not having read it but claim it doesnt exsist...
formatting link
$FILE/Rept026.pdf
rod speed = wrong.
Reply to
DalienX
IF SOMEONE ELSE IS HAVING A GREAT COFFEE, IS IT WRONG TO ENJOY THE SMELL?
-Andrew M
Reply to
Andrew M

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