So what's the point?

[Eyecannon]

What you claim to be interested in, making maps showing concentrations of wireless technology, can be done without displaying all the information available in the Query section.

The "don't use this info for illegal use" disclaimer is about as laughable as the warnings in a psychedelic head shop. Be honest with me..... what percentage of people who visit this site do you believe illegally log onto one of the networks displayed?

Uh, even if someone wanted to use a network illegally, it's not like they'd have to log on here to find one... MOST networks are not secured, you could find a usable one probably alot faster than you could perform a query on here. All of us have our own internet access, there's really no reason to use someone else's without their permission.

[SlowJon(guest)]

saying you can use WiGLE to hack wireless nets is like saying you can use the telephone book's business pages to rob jewelry stores; just 'cause it's listed doesn't mean anything!

This is the strongest argument here. You know, most places generally have their street number posted on them. That is much easier to use and no special equipment -GPS- needed to find it. Your local phone book lists the address from most of the phone listings they have. So, the phone company is saying at XX Anytown St. they have an active phone line. That info could be used by phone preakers to sneak up to your house and make free calls from the box outside. BUT, noone really worried about it much or didn't even know until I just mentioned it. Big whooptie-doo you think, noone ever tries to make free calls by sneaking up to my house! Apply the same logic to the 1 million+ points on WiGLE, and it's a whooptie-doo about if people randomly choosing your AP from all the local ones in your area, getting close enough for a good signal, breaking all the security (you do have decent security?) and THEN hoping you don't notice the added traffic on your network. Metered traffic should be a part of any GOOD wifi setup...

<hypothetical>
Would you really win if you tried to sue the phone company if a criminal used their listing to commit crimes? Does it really change anything if a listing is on WiGLE or not if it requires getting a close physical proximity to even verify, let alone USE an AP? If they want to go crack an AP it stands to good reason that they could have randomly found your AP by doing their own WarDriving anyway, WiGLE or not.
</hypothetical>

Far more damaging to a person than having an AP cracked is the fact that by using only an address and public records, a person can really mess up your life, ie ID theft. And none of us worry too much about having our address w/ the phone listings.

[Apollyon]

...Your local phone book lists the address from most of the phone listings they have. So, the phone company is saying at XX Anytown St. they have an active phone line. That info could be used by phone preakers to sneak up to your house and make free calls from the box outside...

<hypothetical>
Would you really win if you tried to sue the phone company if a criminal used their listing to commit crimes?...
</hypothetical>

Let's not get unreal here in the name of justifying wardriving maps. The phone company can justify the phone book as a reference for people to find how to call a listed person or business. That is why the book exists, period. WiGLE exists for no justifiable purpose for the general public, in my book. I use it, other wardrivers use it, maybe some people analyzing wireless use use it, but just for wardriving and for tracking progress and the way the wireless world is, currently. This doesn't make the existence of it illegal or bad.

Try this analogy to back it: it's like Radio Shack's Police Call series of books and others like them. They list all public domain radio freq's. I can look in it and see what freq my local PD uses, so I can listen to it on a scanner. Many can argue (and have) that the info there has no legally justifiable use, yet publishing it isn't illegal. Using it for illegal purposes is illegal. Focus on the perp, not the info he uses. I can scan for and listen in on unlisted radio freq's (except a few, such as cell phone). I can publish those freq's on the web. Someone can use that info to use that repeater to talk to a friend. I'm not committing a crime, the person willingly transmitting on the freq is.

Another analogy: the local newspaper that prints a story telling of a local Quickie-Mart. The story tells that the business has a policy of not allowing the clerk to stop a robber, but just give him the money. A robbery is committed a week later. Would the newspaper be liable? As much as I don't agree with telling the public things that they may not need to know, the newspaper is not at fault. The robber is.

As was said, in the US, the info needed to commit a crime is usually easily available. It's the person actually choosing to commit the crime who is the criminal. WiGLE, etc. are offering a legal service to those of use who want to use it for legal purposes. If someone chooses to use it for illegal purposes, he is the criminal. Thus is the way in the US.

...And none of us worry too much about having our address w/ the phone listings.

I disagree. Check the phone book again. On a brief look I see about 4 out of 5 have chosen to not have their address listed. Not so much to avoid phone tapping, but to discourage other types of crime. As was also mentioned, WiGLE will remove AP's when requested. Far more responsive than your local phone book and pretty unlikely at all for Police Call.

Apollyon