Or if we could ban guns we might prevent many of the 8-9,000 homicides per year...but then we'd lose the benefit of the 2,000,000 crimes prevented per year in this country by privately owned firearms. Most everything has both risks and benefits to be weighed, even bathtubs, which kill 1200 children a year in the U.S.
> -----Original Message----- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Lee > Barken > Sent: Tuesday, March 22, 2005 11:51 AM > To: John Geraci > Cc: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [nycwireless] the anti-free wifi movement > > > hi John, > Our view at SoCalFreeNet.org is that the benefit outweighs > the risk. > Every tool that can be used for good has the potential to be used in a > negative way. We could ban cars and save 50,000 lives a year-- but we > don't because the automobile has enormous utility... just like the > Internet. So our role as the enabler of the technology is to > implement > guard rails and air bags and take reasonable steps to promote > everybody's > safety. > > Take it easy, > -Lee > President, SoCalFreNet.org > > > On Tue, 22 Mar 2005, John Geraci wrote: > > > I'm curious to hear what others think about the front-page > article in > > the NY Times on Saturday, which equated leaving your wifi > open with > > helping child pornographers and credit card thieves (and > maybe even > > terrorists). It seemed like a bit of yellow journalism to me, and > > reflecting of how much the public has assimilated John > Ashcroft's point > > of view that we should all submit willingly to government > surveillance. > > Still, I think the groups and people that support free > wifi have to > > have a good rebuttal to the argument that was made, and not just > > dismiss it. > > > > I came across a to-do list on this Sony site "lifehacker" just now > > (http://www.lifehacker.com/software/security/todo-secure-your-wireless- > network-036577.php). They recommend that their readers 1. set up WEP > on their router 2. create an access list of what computers can access > the Internet 3. turn off their SSID broadcast. Granted, everyone > should know how to lock down their router, but it seems that the press > is going farther, making it your civic duty to close off your Internet > access. What is the free wifi movement's response? Maybe it's just a > good counter argument. Maybe it's developing new tools that allow > users to easily find some sort of middle ground between fully open wifi > and fully closed wifi. Not sure, but I think there should be some sort > of response. > > -John > > > > > -- > NYCwireless - http://www.nycwireless.net/ > Un/Subscribe: http://lists.nycwireless.net/mailman/listinfo/nycwireless/ > Archives: http://lists.nycwireless.net/pipermail/nycwireless/ > -- NYCwireless - http://www.nycwireless.net/ Un/Subscribe: http://lists.nycwireless.net/mailman/listinfo/nycwireless/ Archives: http://lists.nycwireless.net/pipermail/nycwireless/ -- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.308 / Virus Database: 266.7.4 - Release Date: 3/18/2005 -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Anti-Virus. Version: 7.0.308 / Virus Database: 266.7.4 - Release Date: 3/18/2005 -- NYCwireless - http://www.nycwireless.net/ Un/Subscribe: http://lists.nycwireless.net/mailman/listinfo/nycwireless/ Archives: http://lists.nycwireless.net/pipermail/nycwireless/
