Coyote Blog

13 Comments

1. Doug:

   I don't see how this abortion could ever survive First Amendment scrutiny. Then again, since McCain-Feingold was declared constitutional, nothing's certain anymore.

   December 6, 2007, 1:53 pm

2. Doug:

   I don't see how this abortion could ever survive First Amendment scrutiny. Then again, since McCain-Feingold was declared constitutional, nothing's certain anymore.

   December 6, 2007, 1:54 pm

3. Rob (another Rob):

   Yeah, that was my take on it when I saw the news on it.

   It is like gun control. Blame the tool or the tool seller, not the operator or the tool.

   Unworkable and likely to catch only innocent bystanders.

   December 6, 2007, 1:55 pm

4. Rob (another Rob):

   er.. "operator OF the tool"

   December 6, 2007, 1:56 pm

5. Bearster:

   It's always permitted to just give up, stop offering a product or service, and ultimately, to go out of business.

   What's not permitted is to offer a product without compliance! Never forget that you slav... er, for the good of the consumer!

   December 6, 2007, 2:12 pm

6. mith:

   I will happily keep my wireless access point and accessible to anyone within range to use it, legislation be damned.

   December 6, 2007, 3:19 pm

7. Alan Grey:

   If Glenn correctly characterised the law, all you need to do is put password security on the connection, and supply the password to your campers. The wifi connection is no longer open then....(unless of course they defined 'open' in the legislation, otherwise, the standard technical definition would apply)

   December 6, 2007, 3:35 pm

8. Jim Collins:

   Looks like a Win, Win situation.............for lawyers that is. If this is passed I wonder how long it will take for the first violation of privacy lawsuit. Think about it. The only way you have to comply with this law is to monitor the usage of anybody using your system. I wonder if the City sponsered WiFi systems will have to comply with this legislation. As far as Congress not having knowledge about these systems, I have to ask "Since when has not knowing what they are talking about ever stopped Congress?".

   December 7, 2007, 5:59 am

9. Jeffrey Ellis:

   This has got to be unconstitutional.

   Not that that would ever give Congress a reason to pause.

   I wonder what the motivation is behind this? Surely it's to "protect the consumer?"

   Jeff

   December 7, 2007, 6:39 am

10. Rob:

    Jeffrey,

    This has to be about "protecting the children" or a huge attack on individualism.
    Whatever happened to "Buyer beware" and good parenting? No laws required, just personal responsibility

    -Rob

    December 7, 2007, 8:13 am

11. Jim Collins:

    Good parenting and common sense doesn't get Congresscritters mugs in front of TV cameras. See all of this is self perpetuating. See a problem, pass a law, get the publicity, law creates problem, see a problem, pass a law, get the............etc, etc.

    December 7, 2007, 8:32 am

12. CT_Yankee:

    So your fancy $6/cup coffee shop now records all WiFi traffic, and somewhere in that data are all the passwords from customers accessing bank accounts or stock brokers. This will be handy if you ever forget your access codes. It will be like chain drug stores where you can get your prescription renewed at any other location. Just step into the closest StarBust and tell them "I logged into my Beatem&Cheatem account last Tuesday at your Eastside Mall branch." Tell the clerk about what time, and you can be logging in again before your coffee is cold. It's a good thing that your part time high-school waitresses and busboys have too much self restraint to abuse the data.

    December 7, 2007, 9:00 am

13. TC:

    "Looks like a Win, Win situation.............for lawyers that is."

    Which group of so called professionals do you think came up with such? Lawyers!

    December 8, 2007, 1:08 am