It's not often that you see examples of this, but in many areas it is considered a crime to connect to unsecured wireless (or even wired) networks. I'm not certain about the specifics of the laws, but in the US I believe it may be "unauthorized access to computer networks" and in Canada it is "theft of communications." I believe that it may be a felony in the United States. If I'm recalling correctly, the US law was made in a way that covers unauthorized access whether or not the computer or network being accessed is secure.

Connecting to unsecured wireless networks, without permission and without knowing who is operating the network, could actually pose another risk to you. It is entirely possible to setup a network in a way that eavesdrops on those who connect through the network. There are people out there that purposely setup unsecured / open wireless networks so that they can run password sniffers (and the like) to steal your login info to various services. Or, for example, what if there is a virus that runs a network password sniffer and the unsecured network that is connected to has a computer connected that is infected with the virus I described (not sure if a virus like that actually exists... yet).

Leaving your wireless network unsecured is also a bad idea. Someone could connect to your wireless network and run a password sniffer to steal your login info off of your own network. Also, those who operate networks are generally legally responsible for use of the network. When left unsecured, other people can use your network and cause damage/harm to others or use your Internet connection for other illegal purposes. In some (or maybe all?) cases the victims can actually sue the people (usually homeowner insurance) for damages, because of negligence.

Anyhow, I don't mean to rain on this thread. Just came across it and read some of the posts about connecting to unsecured networks... figured I would post this info as I understand it to be. Leaving your own network is obviously a bad idea and connecting to unsecured networks is also a bad idea, not only because of laws but also because those networks may be insecure in other ways.