wheew - hot topic.
(do I dare add something...)
                here goes
When I had dsl and lived in town, I had an open AP - feeling that I am
not using all that bandwidth, let it not go to waste. My ISP had no
issue with me sharing my connection.
ATT and other cable owners see it the same as cable theft.
I host and give away free access at my coffee house (with the consent
of my ISP) as a reason to stay and buy more coffee (more power,
scotty). Also many ISP (at least, cruzio) are putting up there own free
hot spots as ways to win more customers - I recall verizon was adding
AP to their payphones in NY city (though I bet those nice people charge
$ for them)
Attorney General Ashcroft says - "If you run an open network you are
helping the terrorists." But he says that about lots of things.

Whoa - I think i am stuck in santa cruz
steve volk