Information commons

[ewt]

I wasn't very clear what I meant in this post.

So:

The practicalities of making internet access (or books, for that matter) free for a certain amount of public access are many and complex, however this does not mean that they should become facilities available only to those who have the money to pay for them.

Discuss.

Comments

[sci.livejournal.com]

Set up software on the router/modem (Linksys are open source) that gives priority to hard-wired or non-anonymous wifi connections. Encourage anyone who is not bandwidth capped to install it and name their access point "FreeToUse - whatevernameyoulike", giving people permission.

[ewtikins.livejournal.com]

That's the 'how'.

I'm interested in the 'should'.

[561.livejournal.com]

How does one deal with the legal problems? If a crime is committed utilising your internet connection you have a problem.

How do the courts tell the difference between a well executed crime that appears have been committed by a person with open wireless and a well executed crime that has been committed by a person with open wireless who is using the fact that the wireless was open as part of their defence?

Throw in the fact that most contracts with ISPs forbid certain types of behaviour - to safeguard not only their own interests but those of the stability of the network. How do you pass on the contract obligations to an anonymous third party standing outside your house? Some ISP contracts forbid allowing open access (you might argue this is for commercial reasons but I think some of the legal issues are enough to make this a sensible plan). So now you are breaking a contract anyway. Even without a contract it seems likely that you are giving access to a resource that you do not own and in such a way that you cannot police it adequately.

I'd say there is a lot more how to sort out yet.