While I agree that it's a small thing to be arrested for, I think it is very rude to steal somebody else's internet by sitting outside their house. If they are *cough* your stupid next door neighbour who has an unsecured network that interferes with yours, it's different. At least you're not taking up their parking space!
I'm not sure the internet should be free. Running an ISP is not free.
Because local government runs libraries, because they are local. They can't run the internet. But if national government did, I think the internet and accessing it would be different. It would take several weeks to process any broken internet connection and whoever fixed it would be incompetent and charge the government enormous amounts of money more than they should. There's also a problem with funding it; I don't object much to paying taxes so that offensive teenage chavs who take cocaine and jump off bridges can have their broken legs stuck back together and get taught to read, but paying for them to be on the internet is a thing I and the rest of the internet would strongly like to not do. The question of censorship is another one; would it be able to work in the same way as with ISPs at the moment, where you agree to terms and conditions that include not using your internet connection for child porn and incitement of violence, and can be kicked off and reported to the police if you break it? Would the process of arresting people for such crimes be as transparent if central government was responsible for providing internet, or would it be open to abuses, if for example a party was elected of whose membership 70% thought homosexuality was immoral? I don't know.
I realise that the practicalities of making books or internet access free or public access are many and complex, but still I feel strongly that they should not become facilities only available to those who have the money to pay for them.
We haven't worked out the 'how' yet because we are silly, and because the problems are not trivial. I mean, really, we haven't worked out public libraries properly yet and they've been around for quite some time...
Indeed, and the models for using them are ones that prevent (a certain amount of) abuse.
I realise that the practicalities of making books or internet access free or public access are many and complex, but still I feel strongly that they should not become facilities only available to those who have the money to pay for them.
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timeasmymeasure
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Date: 2007-08-22 05:43 pm (UTC)I'm not sure the internet should be free. Running an ISP is not free.
no subject
Date: 2007-08-22 06:35 pm (UTC)Do you think libraries should be free?
Why is the internet different?
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Date: 2007-08-22 06:58 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-08-23 08:50 am (UTC)We haven't worked out the 'how' yet because we are silly, and because the problems are not trivial. I mean, really, we haven't worked out public libraries properly yet and they've been around for quite some time...
no subject
Date: 2007-08-23 08:40 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-08-23 08:46 am (UTC)I realise that the practicalities of making books or internet access free or public access are many and complex, but still I feel strongly that they should not become facilities only available to those who have the money to pay for them.