Roderick Stewart <rjfs@escapetime.nospam.plus.com> writes:

> I thought we were talking about the *taking* of something belonging
> to somebody else. I simply offered the thought that we should not
> automatically assume that somebody else's property is on free offer
> unless otherwise indicated. In fact, it has been customary in the
> past to assume the reverse, i.e. leave alone unless otherwise
> indicated, so why should it be any different just because it's an
> electronic service and not a physical object?

It is not different. Consider how wireless networking must work. It
must work in one of 2 ways. Either the 'base station' periodically
broadcasts a message "I am here and available for connection" and when
systems wish to connect they contact a base station and politely ask
"May I connect to you, please?" then (possibly after further
negotiation) the base station either grants or refuses the request. Or
the system wishing to connect 'shouts' "I wish to connect, is anyone
willing to offer me a connection" and any base stations willing to
offer connection respond "You may connect to me"

In either case, the system wishing to connect has to seek permission
from the base station before it can connect and use its facilities,
and the base station (and hence the owner of the network) is
advertising its availability for use.