Wi-Fi crybabies...

Just a short note on something I heard on Boortz this afternoon. They were discussion the act of ‘piggybacking’ someone’s Wi-Fi signal on a computer. Neal felt that it was right that the Illinois government has outlawed it as it is an invasion of privacy.

While I understand his sentiment, I cannot fully agree and here’s why:

A wireless internet signal is a broadcast signal just like radio, television, and anything else with a transmitter that puts out waves that are receivable with the proper equipment. If I’m sitting on my couch, in my house that I’m paying for, that sits on the property I own, and a signal intrudes into my home and is unprotected by encryption or coding, it becomes mine to use. Every wireless transmitter you can buy on the market allows the owner to encrypt the signal so that those without a password cannot access the signal for use. If a person knowingly broadcasts a signal into my home with no way of controlling it (except for locking it) then he or she should have no control of the signal once it is within the borders of my yard.

The FCC regulates signals of every sort and does so because many signals will effect electronic equipment in unforeseen ways.

For instance: I have a wireless computer on my road bike. It transmits a signal from the piece mounted on the front fork to the computer base which is attached to my handlebars. Total space: about a foot and a quarter. Its total broadcast range is only a bit over 2 feet because the FCC says that wireless cycle computers cannot even be able to broadcast over 3 feet. Why? I have no idea except that the signal might interfere with other electronic equipment.

It’s the same thing with air travel. Talk to any pilot and they’ll tell you, the biggest reason for not allowing the electronic devices to be used below 10,000 feet is because the plane is using several forms of navigation and communication instrumentation during that time. And the funny part is that even the FAA doesn’t know what your Ipod or CD player can do to the radar, radio, GPS, and other instruments of that plane, but they know there’s a chance, and that’s all the reason they need to disallow you from using them.

On the Wi-Fi issue my point is this: Instead of letting our government pass yet another series of laws and spend time talking about it (when they might actually be getting some work done), why don’t we the public take a little personal responsibility on ourselves and either encrypt our networks or shut up about your next door neighbor piggybacking your signal.

This is just another example of the whiny few making it easy for the government to step in and assert its influence and authority where it is not needed.