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servus_Mariae
Guest
I’m guessing that it is a venial sin to use free Wireless LAN that some house that didn’t lock their access.
Am I right?
Am I right?
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bbentrup
Guest
The do unto others test by asking yourself if you were the Internet Service Provider trying to run a legitimate business does seem to indicate there is some kind of theft involved here. It’s amount is debatable, but probably not really close what it takes to amount to grave matter. Without grave matter it can’t be a mortal sin, but it does seem to be a venial one.
Here’s the hidden sucker punch though. Now that your conscience is informed, if there is not an important reason for doing so, accessing the ISP again in that way, amounts to more than just theft - it is rebellion against the moral law, saying that somehow it’s ok to commit this venial sin or it will not affect you. That inherent rebellion in doing it again is much more serious than the actual stealing.
So, in short, the past theft is probably venial, future theft seems very risky on the moral order - I wouldn’t do it. I hope this helps. All glory be to Jesus! Amen!
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Catholic90
Guest
If your neighbor left his front door unlocked, would you feel OK walking into the house and helping yourself to his things, rationalizing that if he really wanted his things, he would have locked the front door?
If you think it would be wrong to walk into his unlocked house and help yourself to his TV, DVD player, and silver chest, then the same applies to his internet.
In fact, you would be doing him a service by letting him know his door was unlocked, and that his wireless network was also unlocked, so he can fix that.
If you think it would be wrong to walk into his unlocked house and help yourself to his TV, DVD player, and silver chest, then the same applies to his internet.
In fact, you would be doing him a service by letting him know his door was unlocked, and that his wireless network was also unlocked, so he can fix that.
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Pray4Life
Guest
Also, you’d be using up the poor guy’s bandwidth. (Not sure if that is the right term, I’m not very techie, hee hee) but I know with our service, we have a certain amount we can download in a month. Otherwise we get nasty overage charges for using more than our plan allows. Even if a person doesn’t download files, visiting graphics-intensive websites or viewing video online (hello, YouTube!) could be ratcheting up the neighbor’s bill. If they decide to indulge a world of warcraft habit or something, they might very well be able to put the numbers up in “grave matter” territory. Just something else to think about. Wireless internet isn’t “all you can use for one flat rate!” for many people.
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m134e5
Guest
As long as you aren’t using up their downloading limit or anything (some have unlimited downloading), it’s fine. If they really don’t want anyone other than them to use their connection, they should encript it. I don’t think it’s a sin at all.
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bbentrup
Guest
If you were an ISP provider trying to start a business in the community, how would you feel if people did this to you?
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TLM08
Guest
Suppose your neighbor is playing his brand new CD on his outdoor patio speakers and you can hear it from your backyard hammock and find yourself enjoying it too. Using your logic, it is a sin to continue to listen to it. The “helping yourself to your neighbor’s TV/DVD” isn’t a good analogy either for a lot of reasons.
However, you are absolutely right that he should tell his neighbor about the discovery or the unsecured network. Hackers regularly drive down residential streets looking to pick up unsecured networks to tap into. Your average neighborhood has dozens of unsecured connections that once discovered can be used to watch every thing you do online, steal your credit card numbers, download illegal content such as child porn, and hack into other systems. All on YOUR IP address!
If you have a home network or wireless router… Lock it up.
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Jennifer_J
Guest
How about this, the neighbor left his house unlocked and his computer accessible and you go in to his house and use it w/out permission, that’s the same thing, and it’s WRONG. Internet access was paid for by the person, to use it is to steal from the person AND from the internet provider. If someone needs the internet and can’t afford it, they can go to the library, or even McDonalds in some places. There are choices to not steal.Suppose your neighbor is playing his brand new CD on his outdoor patio speakers and you can hear it from your backyard hammock and find yourself enjoying it too. Using your logic, it is a sin to continue to listen to it. The “helping yourself to your neighbor’s TV/DVD” isn’t a good analogy either for a lot of reasons.
However, you are absolutely right that he should tell his neighbor about the discovery or the unsecured network. Hackers regularly drive down residential streets looking to pick up unsecured networks to tap into. Your average neighborhood has dozens of unsecured connections that once discovered can be used to watch every thing you do online, steal your credit card numbers, download illegal content such as child porn, and hack into other systems. All on YOUR IP address!
If you have a home network or wireless router… Lock it up.
And by all means, inform your neighbors that they are not secured!!
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Tosk
Guest
I actually leave my wireless open so that my neighbors can use it. I know I should lock it up but I am never home to worry about it and I at least want somebody to get some use out of it. As long as you are not using up all their bandwidth I don’t see a problem with it. I mean, if they didn’t want anyone to use it they would lock it up.
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Mrs_Sally
Guest
It may perhaps be that they are unaware. And how will you know if they have limited or unlimited access? And finally, the company providing the service expects that all users will be paying for it. This is exactly the same as the folks that used to tap into cable service. It is theft. As a PP said, now that the OP has had this discussion, doing it again will be more serious. I truly hope you rethink your position that this is not at all sinful.
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Mrs_Sally
Guest
Do your neighbors know they can use it?If so, why not just give them the password. It may be that the only person using it is someone trying to get some access to hack. Or if you are really not around to use it (ie travelling for work or living part time in another area), perhaps you should consider turning the service off or putting it on hold while you are away.
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Aesq
Guest
Just another thought here. In many, in fact most, jurisdictions accessing a network without the permission of the owner of the network is the crime of unlawful computer intrusion. This is generally a misdemeanor. However, if you inadvertently cause the owner of the network damages it can even be a felony. Keep that in mind as well.
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TLM08
Guest
Do people who own DVR’s sin by skipping television commercials? By your standard, they are stealing! Those advertisers paid good money to sponsor those shows we enjoy so much. What about you? Are you a commercial skipper?
I’m not justifying using someone elses internet without their knowledge but checking the weather forecast or the news isn’t the sin.
The sin is allowing your neighbor to remain ignorant of his exposure and potential liability of an unsecured connection.
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cerad
Guest
If I was an ISP provider I would attempt to educate my customers. The real villain is the makers of wireless routers who ship them with an option to disable security. But hey, at least we should have plenty of customer support people in hell.
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Jennifer_J
Guest
I don’t have regular tv, I buy the dvd’s and skip commercials that wayDo people who own DVR’s sin by skipping television commercials? By your standard, they are stealing! Those advertisers paid good money to sponsor those shows we enjoy so much. What about you? Are you a commercial skipper?
I’m not justifying using someone elses internet without their knowledge but checking the weather forecast or the news isn’t the sin.
The sin is allowing your neighbor to remain ignorant of his exposure and potential liability of an unsecured connection.
. It is not morally OR legally a problem to skip commericals, after all I can walk out of the room during commercials or turn off my tv–that’s actually the risk that tv advertisers take. I’m also not morally or legally required to BUY their advertisements.If there were a legal or moral issue, then there would be no option to not view commercials (ie walking out of the room). This really is not a good comparison at all.A person has purchased the wireless service. A person that uses their service is stealing.
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