Would you share your Internet with a stranger?

[Cinisajoy]

I read about this on another forum. It is a food forum. So I thought I would ask the people here.
One person thought it would be ok to share her wireless with a new neighbor because he couldn't get his own. And also her husband said "we can see what he is doing".

So question to those smarter than me, if they can see what he is doing wouldn't it be feasible that he could see what they were doing?

My personal thought is no way.
Oh and reasons why or why not would be nice.
My reasoning is I don't know what the person will do on the internet.

[wodin]

NO!

[conan50]

Would be crazy. It's your ISP address, so anything they torrent would come back to bite you.

[eschwartz]

I take it none of you have ever heard of https://openwireless.org https://eff.org/issues/open-wireless



And you know you can always do the smart thing (like OpenWireless suggests) and use a guest network to provide access to strangers.

You can also restrict what they can do. The router is yours -- you can proxy it, filter it, etc.
You could run the Upside-down-ternet if you're feeling prankish.


Might I add that not all ISPs scan your bittorrent traffic.
And OpenWireless claims you should have DMCA Safe Harbor rights anyway -- though I admit I have no idea whether that can actually be relied on in the absence of zealous idealism.

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

I take it none of you have ever heard of https://openwireless.org https://eff.org/issues/open-wireless



And you know you can always do the smart thing (like OpenWireless suggests) and use a guest network to provide access to strangers.

You can also restrict what they can do. The router is yours -- you can proxy it, filter it, etc.
You could run the Upside-down-ternet if you're feeling prankish.


Might I add that not all ISPs scan your bittorrent traffic.
And OpenWireless claims you should have DMCA Safe Harbor rights anyway -- though I admit I have no idea whether that can actually be relied on in the absence of zealous idealism.

Not 100% what a torrent is.
My concern would be what if that stranger was an uncaught pedophile. Or one that had been caught but would lie to your face. I don't want that crap anywhere near my house.

If I never speak to the Feds again, it is too soon for me.
Note, it didn't involve my internet but it did concern someone I know.

[eschwartz]

Then you can operate a guest network that does filtering.

Some people would argue you should have pornography filters regardless...
What about your kids' browsing?

...

Also, what is "Not 100% what a torrent is."
Are you saying "bittorrent" isn't 100% what a torrent is?

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

Then you can operate a guest network that does filtering.

Some people would argue you should have pornography filters regardless...
What about your kids' browsing?

...

Also, what is "Not 100% what a torrent is."
Are you saying "bittorrent" isn't 100% what a torrent is?

Eschwartz as to my kids browsing, the oldest one spent 6 years in the navy, the next one is a bartender and the baby should have got her bachelor's degree 3 years ago.
So I think I am safe there. They are 31, 30 and 25.

Now if a child is on my computer, safe search is on and they are constantly monitored. That is a house rule.

I was saying I don't know what a torrent is. Care to explain.

[eschwartz]

It is the rhetorical "you".
Not "you, Cinisajoy".


As for torrent, it is a peer-to-peer file sharing protocol. Special software connects you to other people running the software, and allows you to download bits and pieces of a specified file from their computer.

Very efficient way of spreading large files, like gigabyte-sizes linux installers, the LibreOffice installer, oh, and Microsoft incorporated it into Windows 10 for faster Windows Updates.
Also a very good way to share pirated content in a difficult-to-track way.

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

It is the rhetorical "you".
Not "you, Cinisajoy".


As for torrent, it is a peer-to-peer file sharing protocol. Special software connects you to other people running the software, and allows you to download bits and pieces of a specified file from their computer.

Very efficient way of spreading large files, like gigabyte-sizes linux installers, the LibreOffice installer, oh, and Microsoft incorporated it into Windows 10 for faster Windows Updates.
Also a very good way to share pirated content in a difficult-to-track way.

Oh kind of like I think it was Lime Wire on steroids.

I figured you were being rhetorical but I couldn't resist.
Oh and my very personal opinion on filters for kid browsing is a knowledgeable adult supervising. And safe search on due to the adult princess images.

Oh and contrary to some adult thinking an iPad with Internet is NOT safer than a computer.
Yes I heard that one too.

[eschwartz]

Originally Posted by Cinisajoy

Oh kind of like I think it was Lime Wire on steroids.

Similar concept.
I don't know whether you could describe bittorrent as LimeWire on steroids.
Bittorrent is a communication protocol, like HTTP and FTP.
LimeWire is a program. Like qBittorrent, uTorrent, Transmission, etc.

IIRC LimeWire used gnutella for communications and downloaded over HTTP.


Now, I think it is fair to say bittorrent as a protocol has specific advantages over gnutella.

I figured you were being rhetorical but I couldn't resist.
Oh and my very personal opinion on filters for kid browsing is a knowledgeable adult supervising. And safe search on due to the adult princess images.

Oh and contrary to some adult thinking an iPad with Internet is NOT safer than a computer.
Yes I heard that one too.

Let's be fair.

Overly restrictive filters are stupid.
But it is possible to limit a filter to only blocking known unarguably bad sites.
porn, pedophilia come to mind.

It certainly doesn't HURT.


You can understand where parents might be coming from.

[Cinisajoy]

Originally Posted by eschwartz

Similar concept.
I don't know whether you could describe bittorrent as LimeWire on steroids.
Bittorrent is a communication protocol, like HTTP and FTP.
LimeWire is a program. Like qBittorrent, uTorrent, Transmission, etc.

IIRC LimeWire used gnutella for communications and downloaded over HTTP.


Now, I think it is fair to say bittorrent as a protocol has specific advantages over gnutella.



Let's be fair.

Overly restrictive filters are stupid.
But it is possible to limit a filter to only blocking known unarguably bad sites.
porn, pedophilia come to mind.

It certainly doesn't HURT.


You can understand where parents might be coming from.

I can understand filtering out the WTF and makes sense. Kids or no kids on that one.
Now to be fair, the kids I was referring to would be from about age 2 to about 9.
Two reasons, one they might accidentally click something and mess up a computer.
The other, that nice bright shiny buy or download button. Last time I looked and mind you it has been about 7 years but Nickelodeon and Nick Jr. had a ton of those bright buttons.

Hopefully by age 9, the children have learned some computer skills.