Woman Discovers Her Wireless Internet Is Not Free 62
But she'd been using it for a year and a half.
This discussion has been archived.
No new comments can be posted.
Related Links Top of the: day, week, month.
Software production is assumed to be a line function, but it is run like a staff function. -- Paul Licker
Re:Worthless "Tech Guy" (Score:2, Interesting)
The woman actually seemed like she understood the basics of "stealing" internet service, but certainly didn't have much common sense if she had to call in just to agree with the guy's accusation that she's stealing.
Personally, I'd like to see some changes in the current systems before we go accusing people of theft for hopping on a wireless signal. For one thing, Windows automatically detects networks in the area, and a lot of the time will attempt to connect whether people ask it to or not. For the technologically inept, this method of connection may ensure that they can get on their neighbor's open signal without ever knowing what they're doing. And the basic router setup (Linksys routers appear to be ubiquitous) makes it easy to get online through an insecure network, because most people barely recognize how to use an included antivirus program, let alone a wireless security protocol. What it comes down to is that between the router default settings (broadcast without security) and the windows default settings (attempt to connect to the nearest network), it could be argued that idiot consumers aren't being given the house door and the key to unlock it; they're being given a house with an already-unlocked door, and told that if they want to get the key to lock the door they have to read the instruction manual - and for those people, reading a tech manual is equivalent to reading Latin.