Posts by ScottSTL

Googlegate: Mapping a scandal of global proportions

expectations

If you choose to implement your wireless network without security you can't honestly have any expectations on privacy, security or legality. You may think your being nice by allowing your neighbors to use your network if theirs is "down" but you are also allowing any criminal who needs a network to use your connection to commit or facilitate a crime.

You probably think of downloading music as a crime but I would be more concerned about real criminals who do nasty things. The odds of getting one are slim but if you do life gets very complicated rather quickly.

There is a difference between being nice and being apathetic.

Just my 2 cents.

Where did accountability go?

There used to be a thing called personal accountability. If you set up a wifi network the first thing you are accountable for is reading the manual and doing the research. Ignorance should not be an excuse as there is plenty of information available to anyone setting up a wifi network.

These people did not secure their network, there wasn't a password or encryption set up. They did nothing to protect their data. This is 2010. If you don't know about viruses, malware, identity theft and data theft by now you shouldn't be allowed to have a wifi network. You shouldn't be allowed to have a pc for that matter.

Who is truly responsible for securing a citizen's wifi security? Who is at fault if they do not take the time to add a password to their network even an easily cracked password? These people left their networks wide open for anyone to use, record, and/or commit illegal acts on. They did nothing, absolutely nothing to secure their network for themselves and the general public.

Google may be at fault for immorally capturing private data but they should not be legally at fault. If having an wide open network is a crime then the router companies should be at fault for allowing a network to be open. The firmware should make it mandatory that there is a password.

This is how countries and states who can't balance their budgets find extra capital. Who is being immoral now?