Open Thread: Do You Use Other's Wi-Fi?

Jason Harris — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 22:00:55 +0000

We’ve all been tempted to do it. Here’s the familiar situation: having a few spare minutes, you open up your laptop to do some work, then you’d like to get online. So you look at the list of available Wi-Fi hotspots and you see an open one think, “I wonder if I could just quickly send this email off?”

Using other’s Wi-Fi is a common occurrence, according to the Register. Some Internet enthusiasts feel you’re doing humanity a favor by leaving your home wireless connection open for passers-by to use. However security experts and opponents of this practice warn against subjecting yourself to legal troubles if a stranger uses your Internet connection for illicit activity. In some instances, people have been arrested for utilizing Wi-Fi that wasn’t theirs.

What are your thoughts? Is it ethical to steal Wi-Fi? Do you leave your wireless connection unlocked for anyone to use?

(photo credit: Flickr user dana~2)

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Open Thread: Do You Use Other's Wi-Fi?