maemo.org - Talk - View Single Post - Man arrested for stealing (wifi) broadband

	promethh	2007-08-23 , 13:56
	Posts: 211 \| Thanked: 61 times \| Joined on Aug 2007 @ Washington, DC	#5

Originally Posted by Rebski

Our collective moral compass is all over the place. For example some people seem to feel that theft is ok if the door is left open. I like the analogy of reading by the light from someone elses window.

We can argue over the morality and ethics of it but the law is clear.

The analogy of "reading by your neighbor's light" or "eating apples from your neighbor's tree from branches that overhang yours" are both apropos. In the absence of a common moral compass, I don't think the law (at least, in the US) is too clear. In Florida, Ben Smith (ST. PETERSBURG) was arrested for WiFi theft from a residence. In the US, the Sparta, Michigan case was well publicized because it was a gentleman using a cafe's WiFi without buying anything, and WITHOUT the proprietor pressing charges.

The clearest choice might be not to use any WiFi, unsecure or no, unless given express permission? I just don't think too many of us would live by such a stringent code of ethics.