Busted @ the library, after hours wifi surfing

mdoneil writes “An Alaskan man has been arrested for using the public library’s wi-fi access from the parking lot after hours.

Get the full scoop from UPI here

Porn not involved at all.”

February 25, 2007 by Blake Uncategorized 9

9 Responses

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leo says:

February 25, 2007 at 10:31 pm

Something of a Joke (Bordering on Abuse)
“Authorities told the Anchorage Daily News Saturday that Brian Tanner, 21, had been chased out of a number of locations around Palmer where he had been latching on to wireless service.”

“Authorities”? Wonder who that was… Sounds like a real suck town to live in. If I were Tanner, I’d move someplace where the adults were in charge.

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Anonymous Patron says:

February 25, 2007 at 10:44 pm

not enough details
That UPI stub doesn’t provide enough details.

http://www.adn.com/news/alaska/story/8667098p-8559 268c.html

I would think he could win this since he has in print the library admitting failure to control their own access point. Normally I hate and distrust all patrons but this is the library failing. Especially if they do not have a policy in place or if there is no notification of the policy to the patron upon using the access point.

The statement installing a timer is amusing. I get the feeling we are talking lamp timer here.

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Fang-Face says:

February 26, 2007 at 2:56 am

Paging Dr. Fraser Crane; stat!
A 21 year old living at home with his parents who don’t let him surf after 21:00?

Smells like a good case for Dr. Phil if you ask me.

As for the library, the electronic transmissions of that public institution were being emitted into the public airwaves where they could have been used by any member of the public. Even if the perp is not a member of the library I don’t think they have a case unless the parking lot was marked with No Parking after hours signs. The idea of theft in this case, however, seems bogus to me. He wasn’t removing anything from the library, it was being sent outside by the library equipment, and his computer transmissions into it caused no damage; or at least none was reported.

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Anonymous Patron says:

February 26, 2007 at 4:54 am

Palmer, Alaska
Population roughly 4,000 people. More info here. If you click on the link you will see this is a happening Alaska town that has a Ford dealership, a Lowes, McDonalds and a Subway.

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rochelle says:

February 26, 2007 at 7:18 pm

Re:not enough details

Normally I hate and distrust all patrons

Please, please, please tell me that you do not work in a library, or with people, anywhere.

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John says:

February 26, 2007 at 9:45 pm

It’s happened before
Just a few years ago, funny how the general consensus then was that the cops were just being jerks, and in this case it’s the police that can go on record saying “Well gee whiz, come on.”

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Anonymous Patron says:

February 27, 2007 at 12:31 am

Re:not enough details
I am a library director. Does that make the feeling worse or better?

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mdoneil says:

February 27, 2007 at 7:52 am

Re:not enough details
I don’t work in a library anymore 🙂

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rochelle says:

February 28, 2007 at 1:35 am

Re:not enough details
Seriously—why are you working in a field where you hate the very reason for your existence? That’s sad for you and disastrous for staff and patrons. Talk to us, anon director! Burned out? Misanthropy in general? Spurned by a patron? Predilection for hyperbole? I’m no Pollyanna, but life’s too short to perpetuate that much misery.

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