[Coco] thingy finds an unencrypted network

[Andrew]

> Message: 2
> Date: Mon, 16 Jul 2007 12:20:36 -0500
> From: Roger Taylor <operator at coco3.com>
> Subject: Re: [Coco] thingy finds an unencrypted network
> To: CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts <coco at maltedmedia.com>
> Message-ID: <20070716172050.EAF5C7D150 at qs281.pair.com>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed
> 
> At 01:51 AM 7/16/2007, you wrote:

[snip]

> Still, the latest thing just happens to be what you are describing, 
> from "war driving" to tapping into the closest open network you can 
> see, and even a lot of the wireless products on the market include 
> some kind of slogan on the boxes or ads, saying something to the 
> extend, "share your connection with the neighbors" or "create a 
> neighborhood network", etc. which is sort of promoting the idea of an 
> open wireless world.  Ofcourse, this is the cable and DSL provider's 
> worst fears that the neighbors will get a free ride off of somebody's 
> single connection.  The minute I bought my wireless router I secured 

[snip]

I know I am late with this, but what the hey...

Roger:

Personally, I think the provider's worst fear is they know that someday, 
we will find a way to do what they currently do, without needing 
them...period.

Think Wi-Max. Think "wireless mesh networks". Think smartphones with 
Skype (or even better, similar, but free, p2p VOIP - perhaps with 
encryption).

I honestly don't know if such a world will ever come about - I honestly 
think that at best, if such a similar world were to happen, would be 
that the providers would be marginalized to the "edges" - serving us 
with long-haul usage only (and hopefully with Wi-Max, only for passage 
across the ocean or other huge expanses).

This is what they truely fear - another "home-grown" incarnation of the 
internet (call it "Internet3" - since "Internet2" is already taken, and 
we will probably never see speeds like that at home unless we do it 
ourselves).

Carry on...

-- Andrew