arstechnica.com— A Vancouver, WA coffee shop called the cops on a guy who had been mooching their free wireless over a three month period without buying anything. Fair game or foul play?
Jun 22, 2006View in Crawl 4
If you don't want your "free" service to be abused then it's your responsibility to put the proper controls in place to prevent that abused. A daily password is very simple to set in most wireless access points.Would the coffee shop be liable if the guy were doing something illegal with that wide open WIFI connection?
I would really like too see the proof ! Come on where did the storekeeper get 3 months from ?And whats the limit before he finally called ? It's WEP ! To f**kin bad ! Some MAlls have whole parking lots free WEB does that mean i have to buy form ever stinkin shop to feel guilt free to browse what my PC picks up out the air ?Give me a break ! I would have told the cops to go f**k themselves ! See you in COURT BEOTCH !!! Sorry what if he parked 4 blocks down and could receive the signal form the store does that still obligate him to purchase a fucnkin COFFEE ?Sounds to me the store owner is crying over SOUR MILK People ! Literally ! SO you mean to tell me if this guy had purchased stuff form this Store owner nothing would have been said ? .............Sure Whatever The store owner better get a secure system or it's his loose for not keep it protected !Nuff said !
Ok...this one should be fun.....Oh man....where to start..."I would really like too see the proof ! Come on where did the storekeeper get 3 months from ?" Maybe he noticed the same guy, in the same car, outside HIS store, and noted the same computer network ID on the DHCP server, logging on and off when the guy comes and goes for three months. Yeah...maybe. Hell, since it's HIS network he could have even captured all of the guy's network packets and obtained any and all of his information, from name & address to credit-card numbers and the name of his freakin cat. And if he'd maintained those logs and any surveillance showing the guy never even entering the store then he'd have PLENY of evidence."Some MAlls have whole parking lots free WEB" First...Take off your padded helmet, so you can see the garbage you're typing. Second, if you're going to make such claims, you'd better back them up. What malls, I'd like names and locations. Many malls have websites, and if they had such free access they definitely would be advertising it to web-users.So cough up some URLs please. "I would really like too see the proof !""I would have told the cops to go f**k themselves ! See you in COURT BEOTCH !!!" And you would have been immediately and forcefully detained and had resisting arrest added to the charges."parked 4 blocks down and could receive the signal" Not going to happen. It's a coffeehouse; their AP's signal wouldn't be strong enough. If they aren't smart enough to implement some sort of security for paying customers they wouldn't be smart enough to get a signal booster strong enough to transmit that far in the city. And forget using a cantenna or parabolic dish with the buildings in the way. Besides, if you have enough money to buy a cantenna or directional antenna, then you DEFINATELY have a buck to spare for a cup of joe, tightwad."Sounds to me the store owner is crying over SOUR MILK People ! Literally !" ....No. Oh my god that was the stupidest statement ever. No, no a thousand times no. Unless the store owner is some sort of ocular-lactating freak of nature, there's no way he was LITERALLY "crying sour milk"."buy form ever stinkin shop" Assuming you mean "from" and "every"... then no. No mall is going to make such a unreasonable request. At MOST, a mall would request you to come inside. Malls don't care if you shop. It's not their requirement to get people to buy from the stores they rent space to. They only provide a pleasant atmosphere that will draw consumers, which in turn will make merchants WANT to setup shop and rent some mall space."Nuff said !" Oh my god. Thank you. Thank you. It's finally over. Thank you! "TOO MUCH said." Now go back to elementary school and learn that you don't put spaces in front of every...single...punctuation...mark.
That's a great idea! I second that.I'd just like to repeat myself. Would everyone here be saying it's ok if he walked into the store and plugged into their router, just because it wasn't in a locked cabinet?
@Poon007Hey Brian, I'm not wasting my day off to argue with you about what IS and ISN'T possible in the world of wifi or business practices. So rather than throwing hollow stereotypes around how about you, yourself "shut down".But FYI,After high school, I moved out and on to college and received my bachelors. Since then I've been living and working successfully, over 100 miles from my parents. And while I often visit to help my mother and father out in any way I can (like any good son), I DO NO live in their basement.And to be fair, Ok. I missed the word "over" amongst the rest of his gibberish comments. But even so, the store owner wasn't literally crying OVER spilled milk. If he were LITERALLY crying over spilled milk he'd be STANDING OVER A PUDDLE OF MILK, bawling his eyes out. So my point still stands, but you still seemed to miss it. So I'll SPELL IT OUT for you. The only thing the store owner was LITERALLY doing was calling the police to arrest the moocher."you are NOT the smartest guy on here"I never claimed to be the smartest person here. I just enjoy calling the bulls**t when I see it.
DjDoleGood for you and the college community for you getting your BA...if this were a job interview you might not get the job still.Good for you to be the family member you are...the world is a better place. We should all bow.
He WAS warned. Police came and told him to go away, but he later returned, and THEN was arrested."Brewed Awakenings manager Emily Pranger finally tired of his presence and called 911. Police came and told Smith to surf elsewhere. After returning, he was taken into custody and charged with theft of services."
I personally think using wifi from a Coffee shop & not even having the courtesy to buy something is taking the piss. Unless of course the coffee shop is next door & the router isn't secured :PStickhoney | <a class="user" href="http://www.shopau.com.au/">http://www.shopau.com.au/</a>
deanloweJun 22, 2006
If you don't want your "free" service to be abused then it's your responsibility to put the proper controls in place to prevent that abused. A daily password is very simple to set in most wireless access points.Would the coffee shop be liable if the guy were doing something illegal with that wide open WIFI connection?
Closed AccountJun 22, 2006
I would really like too see the proof ! Come on where did the storekeeper get 3 months from ?And whats the limit before he finally called ? It's WEP ! To f**kin bad ! Some MAlls have whole parking lots free WEB does that mean i have to buy form ever stinkin shop to feel guilt free to browse what my PC picks up out the air ?Give me a break ! I would have told the cops to go f**k themselves ! See you in COURT BEOTCH !!! Sorry what if he parked 4 blocks down and could receive the signal form the store does that still obligate him to purchase a fucnkin COFFEE ?Sounds to me the store owner is crying over SOUR MILK People ! Literally ! SO you mean to tell me if this guy had purchased stuff form this Store owner nothing would have been said ? .............Sure Whatever The store owner better get a secure system or it's his loose for not keep it protected !Nuff said !
cbonannoJun 23, 2006
Well, I think 3 months is excessive, but come on, so Is calling the cops over an Internet connection ! Who doesn't jack WiFi these days. . . .
djdoleJun 23, 2006
Ok...this one should be fun.....Oh man....where to start..."I would really like too see the proof ! Come on where did the storekeeper get 3 months from ?" Maybe he noticed the same guy, in the same car, outside HIS store, and noted the same computer network ID on the DHCP server, logging on and off when the guy comes and goes for three months. Yeah...maybe. Hell, since it's HIS network he could have even captured all of the guy's network packets and obtained any and all of his information, from name & address to credit-card numbers and the name of his freakin cat. And if he'd maintained those logs and any surveillance showing the guy never even entering the store then he'd have PLENY of evidence."Some MAlls have whole parking lots free WEB" First...Take off your padded helmet, so you can see the garbage you're typing. Second, if you're going to make such claims, you'd better back them up. What malls, I'd like names and locations. Many malls have websites, and if they had such free access they definitely would be advertising it to web-users.So cough up some URLs please. "I would really like too see the proof !""I would have told the cops to go f**k themselves ! See you in COURT BEOTCH !!!" And you would have been immediately and forcefully detained and had resisting arrest added to the charges."parked 4 blocks down and could receive the signal" Not going to happen. It's a coffeehouse; their AP's signal wouldn't be strong enough. If they aren't smart enough to implement some sort of security for paying customers they wouldn't be smart enough to get a signal booster strong enough to transmit that far in the city. And forget using a cantenna or parabolic dish with the buildings in the way. Besides, if you have enough money to buy a cantenna or directional antenna, then you DEFINATELY have a buck to spare for a cup of joe, tightwad."Sounds to me the store owner is crying over SOUR MILK People ! Literally !" ....No. Oh my god that was the stupidest statement ever. No, no a thousand times no. Unless the store owner is some sort of ocular-lactating freak of nature, there's no way he was LITERALLY "crying sour milk"."buy form ever stinkin shop" Assuming you mean "from" and "every"... then no. No mall is going to make such a unreasonable request. At MOST, a mall would request you to come inside. Malls don't care if you shop. It's not their requirement to get people to buy from the stores they rent space to. They only provide a pleasant atmosphere that will draw consumers, which in turn will make merchants WANT to setup shop and rent some mall space."Nuff said !" Oh my god. Thank you. Thank you. It's finally over. Thank you! "TOO MUCH said." Now go back to elementary school and learn that you don't put spaces in front of every...single...punctuation...mark.
t8y8Jun 23, 2006
That's a great idea! I second that.I'd just like to repeat myself. Would everyone here be saying it's ok if he walked into the store and plugged into their router, just because it wasn't in a locked cabinet?
djdoleJun 23, 2006
@Poon007Hey Brian, I'm not wasting my day off to argue with you about what IS and ISN'T possible in the world of wifi or business practices. So rather than throwing hollow stereotypes around how about you, yourself "shut down".But FYI,After high school, I moved out and on to college and received my bachelors. Since then I've been living and working successfully, over 100 miles from my parents. And while I often visit to help my mother and father out in any way I can (like any good son), I DO NO live in their basement.And to be fair, Ok. I missed the word "over" amongst the rest of his gibberish comments. But even so, the store owner wasn't literally crying OVER spilled milk. If he were LITERALLY crying over spilled milk he'd be STANDING OVER A PUDDLE OF MILK, bawling his eyes out. So my point still stands, but you still seemed to miss it. So I'll SPELL IT OUT for you. The only thing the store owner was LITERALLY doing was calling the police to arrest the moocher."you are NOT the smartest guy on here"I never claimed to be the smartest person here. I just enjoy calling the bulls**t when I see it.
poon007Jun 23, 2006
DjDoleGood for you and the college community for you getting your BA...if this were a job interview you might not get the job still.Good for you to be the family member you are...the world is a better place. We should all bow.
t3hxJun 24, 2006
He WAS warned. Police came and told him to go away, but he later returned, and THEN was arrested."Brewed Awakenings manager Emily Pranger finally tired of his presence and called 911. Police came and told Smith to surf elsewhere. After returning, he was taken into custody and charged with theft of services."
t3hxJun 24, 2006
That's what DID happen. The police warned him to go away, he did, then he returned, and was arrested.
stickyhoneySep 12, 2007
I personally think using wifi from a Coffee shop & not even having the courtesy to buy something is taking the piss. Unless of course the coffee shop is next door & the router isn't secured :PStickhoney | <a class="user" href="http://www.shopau.com.au/">http://www.shopau.com.au/</a>