Re: [MLUG] Looking 4 mad cheap PCI wireless cards

[Mikhail Kovalenko <EMAIL:PROTECTED>]

Christian M. Cepel wrote:

> [...]
> Now... They are stupid (or ignorant) for not protecting themselves from 
> thieves out there with your criminal attitude, yes, but it's not their 
> responsibility to prevent you from doing what is in your devious 
> nature... It's yours, to overcome that nature.
> 
> This HEDONISTIC Rubbish really chaps my hide.
> 
> Mike Miller wrote:
> 
>>   The owner of the wifi access point is fully culpable for leaving it 
>> wide open.
> 

Wow. I guess I'm gonna have to incur the wrath of the list here by 
saying that I agree with Mike here. I don't think that theft or malice 
is the issue here. It's the way things work and interoperate in the 
wireless world. If you don't want people to use your wireless resources, 
protect them. If you don't, my computer will be showered with your 
packets and will respond to them without any action on my part and will 
invite me in if the resource is seen as open to the public. Don't you 
think it's part of the design? If you don't know how the technology 
works, don't go around accusing people that take advantage of it whether 
you invite them or not. And people will. If you water your neighbour's 
lawn every morning, he surely will not complain.

Actually, I know a few business people that were using someone else's 
APs without a slightest idea that they weren't connecting to their own 
AP. All they knew is that they had wireless, and they went ahead and 
used it. Can you blame them? They had no idea what they were doing, all 
they knew was that it was working. Don't tell me now that it's the 
user's responsibility to make sure they're using the right resource. Why 
shouldn't it be the owner's responsibility to take reasonable measures 
to protect his own? Let's not be naive.

(And no, I don't mean you, Christian, personally by saying "you" here :)

--
MK
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