Editor's Blog: More wi-fi surprises

Recently I wrote about some of my home wi-fi experiences, ending on how some neighbours have decided to name their networks.

One such unsecured network is simply called 'Private KEEP OUT'. And I hadn't given the idea of network names much more thought since. Perhaps only that they can be really stupid.

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But the past week has seen a report by Russian security champions Kaspersky Lab cross the silicon.com newsdesk. I was pawing through it the other day and saw the makings of a news story in one small section.

It seems that in certain cities access-point owners aren't just naming their networks with a view to staff/customers/friends and family logging on. They are treating the medium as a way to broadcast promotions to people, in a very limited fashion, at a relatively close range.

Clearly I should make sure our publisher's network is renamed. CNET Networks UK, which owns silicon.com and several other fine publications in the UK, should no longer offer visitors 'Public_CNET' as an option. How about 'CNET sites are the best (free wi-fi)'? OK. Goes to show why I'll probably never work in marketing. But you get the idea.

This may not become common but even if five per cent of hotspots in the UK take this approach (even if they then don't even offer internet access, whether free or paid-for), it's something of a phenomenon.

However, after a chat with a lawyer, it seems there is another twist here. If someone wants to use 20 or so characters of a wi-fi network ID to say something, surely there's scope for them to say something they shouldn't, maybe something defamatory.

Expect a follow-up next week where we point out that something as simple as naming a live wi-fi network is the equivalent of publishing. Or, at the very least, getting up on a stage and shouting. Both carry risks.

Ever thought about that? Makes me wonder about some ad hoc networks I've stumbled upon in the past.