[Cialug] _nomap for wireless networks

[Barry Von Ahsen]

On 11/15/2011 01:25 PM, Zachary Kotlarek wrote:
>
> On Nov 15, 2011, at 10:30 AM, Barry Von Ahsen wrote:
>
>> I'd come from the other direction and ask why they need it
>
>
> They thought of some service they could offer by collecting it, and decided that service would be either directly or indirectly profitable. I don't understand why that's even a question.

trimmed and reordered.  I've been thinking about this a bit this 
afternoon.  what follows is me playing devil's advocate both with you 
and with myself :)

> Consider a role reversal -- if Google created a website that they intended for use only by family and friends, but then broadcast it's address in public channels and didn't do anything to prevent unauthorized access, would you consider it "bordering on evil" to collect that address?


that is pretty much their business model - collecting and indexing 
people's public broadcasts (that and selling ads), so it's not such a 
stretch :)


 > I can sit across the street in my living room and stare at your house 
all day, and it's up to you to put up a fence/curtains/etc. if you don't 
like it.


true, but presumably you don't have an army of spies, and aren't selling 
the results.  I think there are some interesting ideas here about 
economies of scale.  one death is a tragedy, a million is a statistic - 
each of us is doing what google is doing when we open our wireless 
connection widgets, just on a tiny scale.  but when does it become a 
tragedy?  when 10,000 of us do it?  when 10,000 strategically placed 
individuals do it?  an individual facebook status update is okay, but 
pleaserobme.com is bad?

another strained analogy: I'm annoyed the DOT won't give me people's 
addresses and license plates (something about a warrant, I don't know). 
  so I'm going to wander around at night taking pictures of people's 
cars in their driveways, and in parking garages/lots during the day.  I 
personally can't do much (unless I'm realllllly determined), but what if 
I crowd source it?  what if I co-opt a delivery company to do it for me?



 > Frankly I think the onerous should be on those broadcasting to ensure 
their data isn't sent to places they don't want it --


I guess I disagree - the broadcast nature makes it a little hazy, but it 
still seems a little tresspass-y to me.  in my example, is the onus on 
me to hide my car from the street?  the SCotUS seems to think so WRT GPS 
tracking :)


-barry