Reading by porchlight declared illegal
AKMA writes a must-read post about the police preventing him from using the public library’s free wifi while sitting outside the library:
I closed the computer in order not to constitute a threat to established order, but engaged this peace officer in a discussion of the complexities of the topic. “I did notice several other open signals in the area — am I allowed to connect to them?”
“Maybe if you had permission it would be all right, but it’s a new law, sir; ‘theft of signal.’ It would be like if you stole someone’s cable TV connection.”
I responded, “But this is a radio signal thing — it’s not like a cable connection, it’s like someone has a porch light on and I’m sitting on the bench, reading a book by their light. I’m not stealing their light.”
Needless to say, AKMA lost the argument.
Categories: Uncategorized dw
But of course he should lose the argument. Someone’s paying for that connection, and he’s using it for free. It’s a fine distinction, to be sure, especially when he’s using a library’s connection, which I’d assume he would be free to use if he were only inside the building, but nevertheless, the distinction is clear and quite correct.
The interesting question is how long does this state of affairs last? I give it another 5-10 years at least before we reasonably accept that access to the internet should be a free part of the infrastructure (much like that guy who’s always saying “IT is dead”).
yup, it doesn’t make much philosophical sense that you cannot capture the waves that run right through your own brain, but an aquaintance of mine had a similar altercation about satellite, and was very heavily fined.
Episcopal Priest Steals Wi-fi
Never has blogging been so subversive. Secretly sitting next to a public library and accessing the internet through the public library’s wireless network, Rev. AKMA was confronted by the local police. It seems he was using the public library’s wi-fi ne…
In China, many children know well about the story of Afanti, who was a legend hero that helps poors. He ever hoaxed one richman who wantd to charge a poor sitting outside his restaurant to smell. Afanti shaked his money bag to the richman, “Did you hear the sound of coins?”, “Yes”, “Then paid”, haha.
This is nothing to do with Wifi. It’s to do with a policeman hassling somebody who has a laptop open while sitting on a park bench.
Much longer rant in the comments on AKMA’s site. The gist is “You’re living in a police state. Why are you surprised?”.
Isaac and Julian are both right–dialectically! That’s exactly why I love this blog. It’s quite nifty.
Couple of points. First, if an establishment is charging for it’s wireless service then such a guy might be considered “freeloading” and in legitimate trouble. Second, and on the other hand, if the service is spilling out into public areas then isn’t it really their fault and not his? Third, it’s all moot because this is a public library and presumably not charging anyone for wireless. I mean the guy could use the service “legitimately” if he only walked in the door? Then what’s the freakin’ huge deal? The library should be like “wow, cool, I didn’t know our signal went that far! We’re providing even better public service than we thought!”
Am I missing something?
And then there’s de Waag in Amsterdam … the large building in Nieuwmarkt that houses a restaurant/cafe, and publicly-funded study centre, which proudly announces and offers free wireless access, emanating from its building to as far as it can reach throughout the market square.
Here is a link to the library in Helsingborg (south of Sweden). It has a map to show you how far the signal reaches in the park outside. It also tells you that if you show your library card at the local computer store, you get a discount on the wi-fi card.
http://biblioteket.helsingborg.se/stadsbiblioteket/index.asp?sida=hotspot.htm
It doesn’t matter whether the person is paying for the Internet connection. They could easily secure their signal and chose not to. If they did secure it and you broke in anyway then that would be theft.
i am an idiot and i am lead by richard simmons