Ethical Dilemma
Disney charges $9.95 per day for wireless Internet access at its resorts. This access only covers the lobby and convention center areas, Internet access in one's room is another $9.95 per day.Next door to the Youth Worker Summit I'm attending is a conference hosted by Toro Irrigation Solutions. Toro has arranged to have free wireless in its meeting halls. So when I open up my MacBook in the Youth Worker Summit reception hall, it asks me if I would like to join the "Toro" network. What should I do?
On the one hand, I'm attending an event that has not paid for wireless services and for which Internet access is not required. Since almost everything I need to do on the Internet is unrelated to the Summit, rules dictate that I should pay for wireless access just like any other guest. On the other hand, Toro's wireless network is free and practically invites me to join. Is taking advantage of location and joining the Toro network ethical?
posted by Tinley | 4:51 PM
4 Comments:
Wow. Confession: I wouldn't give hopping on to their network a second thought.
You could do it, but Jesus would know.
Josh,
Here are some things to consider:
1. My rule of thumb regarding personal property, whether that property is physical, intellectual, electronic, or whatever, is:
If it does not belong to me, then I have no right taking it.
If I'd like to borrow something that belongs to someone else, then I am free to ask the owner's permission.
2. When someone "piggybacks" on another person's open WiFi network, the surfer exposes the network owner to some liability, it seems to me (I'm no lawyer, understand).
I don't know you at all, and I'm sure you'd never view child porn or do anything stupid like that, but any IP address traces would come back not to you, the would-be bandwidth-thief, but to the network owner. Many of the folks who blithely steal other peoples' network connections use the excuses of (a) their own ignorance; and/or (b) the ignorance of the Wifi network owner to excuse the behavior.
Just my two cents.
Tim
Can't google it now, but the NY Times magazine "ethicist" had a column on this very topic. He concluded that the Internet works because we all pay to access it -- if you pay somewhere, then you can borrow a little bandwidth elsewhere. If you don't pay for access anywhere (except, perhaps in places like the library or other spots where it is clearly designated "free" and open to the public), then you're a low-life.
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