[ NNSquad ] Re: Google asks FCC to appoint it a "white space" database admin

["Bob Frankston" <Bob19-0501@bobf.frankston.com>]

I've got to take exception as I wrote in http://rmf.vc/?n=WhiteSpacePolicy.

Trying to administer a database of whitespace is government at its worst. It
tries to manage the police state we already have to wireless.

Far better is to just create a path through the current access points (AKA
wired<=>wireless routers) and moot the whole thing. This the pragmatic face
of Ambient Connectivity.

     [ Bob, what possible incentive would ordinary folks have to open
       up their wireless (or wired) access points to all comers, given
       the obvious potential for abuse and legal sanctions that can be
       brought down on access point owners when that abuse occurs?
       Years have been spent teaching people to turn on at least basic
       Wi-Fi crypto and establish that as a default condition.  What's
       in it for Joe Blow Internet user that will convince him to
       share his Internet access with anyone who drives by, given the
       risk of RIAA/MPAA or c-porn investigators banging on his door
       when drive-by abuse occurs?

       It's one thing to run public Wi-Fi when you're an established
       firm or municipality with an on-staff legal team.  But for
       individuals who are easy targets of overzealous prosecutions?

         -- Lauren Weinstein
            NNSquad Moderator ]
       

 - - -

-----Original Message-----
From: nnsquad-bounces+nnsquad=bobf.frankston.com@nnsquad.org
[mailto:nnsquad-bounces+nnsquad=bobf.frankston.com@nnsquad.org] On Behalf Of
Lauren Weinstein
Sent: Wednesday, January 06, 2010 17:44
To: nnsquad@nnsquad.org
Subject: [ NNSquad ] Google asks FCC to appoint it a "white space" database
admin


Google asks FCC to appoint it a "white space" database admin

http://bit.ly/5vzwtS  (Urgent Communications)

I've been and continue to be a big supporter of the "white space"
concept.  I'll also admit that the devil will be in the details, and
there are various ways that white space usage could go right -- or
wrong.  One particularly disconcerting meme I've heard floating around
has been the idea that hacked firmware for white space devices will
quickly emerge that "steamrolls over" the official rules and illicitly
blows past those devices that are "playing by the rules."  If this kind
of scenario comes to pass and is common, white space could descend
into useless chaos.

That would be a serious loss worth trying to prevent.

--Lauren--
NNSquad Moderator