This story is chilling. Grand Rapids should know better. The prosecutor’s office, with it’s admonisments about serious consequences, it registered in my mind as, yes, there are serious consequences when you do business in a region that doesn’t understand the business. It would be in Michigan’s best interest to look into this. If Grand Rapids keeps charging people with felonies for using open Wifi hubs, Michigan is going to get a deserved ludditte with a pitchfork reputation.

I’m only pointing this out because I feel it so vicerally. I don’t want to live in beautiful, sunny California, but I often feel naked in my industry when I’m so far away from the cultural center of the industry. Louisiana used to be a strange place to be wired, but since Katrina, there’s a profound appreciation for technology and open information.