Is it stealing?

[ChrizJen]

What do you think about people who live in close proximity to one another (like two people who live in two separate apartments/dorm rooms) sharing services?
In other words, they live in and pay for separate rooms/apartments, but share the cost of wi-fi or cable/satellite?
Do you think this is cheating/stealing? Or do you think that as long as they're OK with sharing, that it's perfectly acceptable?

Inquiring minds want to know...


ETA...OK, so I screwed it all up and now I'm not able to edit the poll...LOL
So YES = It's OK. NO = It's stealing.

Sorry for the confusion!

 

[DawnM]

Your poll is a bit confusing....you ask "Is this stealing" but then at the end of your post you ask, "Is this ok?"

Sorry, I voted yes, but I meant YES, it is stealing.

Dawn

 

[Big Cuddly Bear]

I know the service provider wouldn't be happy, but I don't call it stealing if both people who share it agree.

 

[pyrxtc]

you need to edit your post, voting yes or no in this poll means it is stealing.

 

[perdidochas]

What do you think about people who live in close proximity to one another (like two people who live in two separate apartments/dorm rooms) sharing services?
In other words, they live in and pay for separate rooms/apartments, but share the cost of wi-fi or cable/satellite?
Do you think this is cheating/stealing? Or do you think that as long as they're OK with sharing, that it's perfectly acceptable?

Inquiring minds want to know...

Wifi not stealing. Cable/satellite--depends on how the contract is written, and if multiple outlets are allowed.

 

[Tink888]

What do you think about people who live in close proximity to one another (like two people who live in two separate apartments/dorm rooms) sharing services?
In other words, they live in and pay for separate rooms/apartments, but share the cost of wi-fi or cable/satellite?
Do you think this is cheating/stealing? Or do you think that as long as they're OK with sharing, that it's perfectly acceptable?

Inquiring minds want to know...

IMO if you have two separate residences with two separate addresses sharing services, then yes, it is stealing.

Now if you have a large house (one address) for example and rent out rooms to boarders and you provide a cable line for each room with each boarder chipping in each month for the cable bill, then in that situation I don't think it's stealing.

Best bet would be to contact the cable company and see how they would classify it.

 

[Big Cuddly Bear]

IMO if you have two separate residences with two separate addresses sharing services, then yes, it is stealing.

Now if you have a large house (one address) for example and rent out rooms to boarders and you provide a cable line for each room with each boarder chipping in each month for the cable bill, then in that situation I don't think it's stealing.

Best bet would be to contact the cable company and see how they would classify it.

They would charge you for every room in the house if they could....

 

[MrsJackSparrow4Life]

Separate apartments in an apartment building? Stealing IMO.

Roommates living in the same apartment/house with separate bedrooms? Perfectly Okay IMO.

 

[disneyfreakk]

Just because you can, doesn't mean you should!

Yes, this is stealing.

 

[DisneyNutMary]

I misunderstood the poll, and voted yes- I should have gone on my instinct and voted Other. Based on how the post is worded, I took it as is it ok to do if neighbors/dorm mates are sharing the bill. My mother and sister live in a two family home, utilities are wired separately. They are neighbors or landlord/tenant... but they share the cable bill, and are wired to one cable connection- all done legally by the cable company, they share wi-fi through cable... so do I think they are stealing? No, I think it's ok. But if my mother were tapping into my sisters wi-fi signal, without my sister's knowledge, that I would consider stealing.

 

[Handbag Lady]

Since they agree, it isn't stealing from each other. Maybe they have an agreement that says, I pay the cable and you pay for the internet.

It might be stealing from the provider companies, though. I'd have to check their rules and regulations.

 

[Mrs. Darcy]

I voted "other" because I think it's stealing but I did it anyway when I was in college! Sorry!

 

[FireDancer]

Yes, it is stealing but I could really care less if you want to share services, especially something that can be shared wirelessly. I'm not going to shed any tears for the ISPs or utilities.

 

[ChrizJen]

Whoops! I posted the poll then walked away...
Sorry! I'll edit it.

 

[LilyWDW]

If there are two separate residences or separate addresses, then yes it is stealing. If both places SHOULD be paying for services, but are instead working off of a single person's, then it could be considered theft by the service provider.

If it is multiple rooms within an apartment (like many college students do) but a single address, then it is not theft. Each room would not have a separate bill if there was only a single family there instead of 2 college students (for example).

 

[scrapquitler]

If the sharing is mutually agreed upon, I don't think it counts as stealing. My Mom lives in an inlaw apartment in the barn next to her friends house. My Mom pays the cable bill, and the friend pays the internet access bill, and they share both services. The cable company ran the wire to the inlaw apartment, so they clearly know about it and don't have a problem with it. The internt is thru the phone company, and is by means of wi-fi....my mom uses the password. THe phone company set up the wifi, and knows that there is one of those little blue receiver boxes in my mom's apartment, because they put it there.

For those that say it is stealing, does that make using the free wifi access at Panera stealing?

 

[Barbossa]

If I had my neighbor's permission to connect to his/her wireless LAN, would it be stealing? I've had friends, family, and babysitters log on to my wireless network while they're at my house, I don't see a big difference between that and letting my neighbor log on. Discuss amongst yourselves.

 

[SookieStackhouse]

Yep it sounds like stealing to me.

 

[ChrizJen]

...

 

[ChrizJen]

I actually think that both of them are dishonest.

But I think that the Wi-fi situation is less offensive as long as both parties agree. It requires no re-wiring or special connections to access. As long as both parties have the passcode, then the connection is automatic. The only stealing involved here in my opinion would be if the wi-fi was unsecured and a neighbor was getting it without permission. But even then it would be stealing from the paying neighbor, not necessarily stealing from the provider.

Now cable/satellite, on the other hand...you actually have to wire up new connections in order to share....I've known people who've done it, but I think that goes slightly beyond dishonest and into theft.

That's just my opinion of course...