California Passes Wi-Fi Guidance Law

MrNonchalant writes, "California's legislature has passed a law requiring Wi-Fi device manufacturers to include warnings about security. From the article: 'From 1 October 2007, manufacturers must place warning labels on all equipment capable of receiving Wi-Fi signals, according to the new state law. These can take the form of box stickers, special notification in setup software, notification during the router setup, or through automatic securing of the connection. One warning sticker must be positioned so that it must be removed by a consumer before the product can be used.'"

Comments

Considering. . .

[Anonymous Coward]

Considering that most phones, PCs, and PDAs come with some sort of wireless networking, everything must now say "Hey idiot! You just bought a computer! It's networkable! (This DUH statement required by people's republik of kalifornia)

California

[dch24]

California has more warning stickers than just about any other state. WARNING: This post may cause reproductive harm, as it has been used on a website where counter-reproductive agents known to the State of California exist.

Re:California

[sfjoe]

California has more warning stickers than just about any other state.

Not to mention that it has one of the highest GDPs of any state and is the world's 7th largest economy in addition to being a leader in innovation. Too bad the rest of the states can't seem to learn from California's success.

Re:California

[QuasiEvil]

Personally, I can't wait for the day when they find that warning sticker glue is somehow very mildly carcinogenic. Then we'll get warning stickers on warning stickers on warning stickers on...

I advocate we go down to a single warning sticker on everything - "Please know what the fuck you're doing, or else return this product."

Re:California

[soft_guy]

Too bad the rest of the states can't seem to learn from California's success.

Yeah, those idiots in Nevada should get a whole bunch of ocean coastline.

Re:California

[evilviper]

California has more warning stickers than just about any other state.

Don't you hate it when there's a sticker or sign that warns you of life-threatening risks?

I mean, sure, now I know that the wood sold by my local hardware store may cause cancer, but avoiding cancer surely isn't worth having to pull little stickers off of a small percentage of the things you buy.

Re:California

[Bing Tsher E]

Eventually, with any luck, they will.

Freaking California

[h_jurvanen]

I wonder how many trees have been killed in the name of all those idiotic "This item contains substances known by the State of California to..." labels and stickers.

Re:Freaking California

[mctk]

It's a wonder they haven't demanded that each warning sticker come with its own warning sticker.

Moo

[Chacham]

Candidates for the new warnings.

SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Internet Usage Causes Predators, And May Cause Pregnancy.
SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Quitting Internet Usage Now Greatly Reduces Serious Risks to Your Privacy.
SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Internet Usage By Women May Result in Fatal Injury and Unexpected Birth.
SURGEON GENERAL'S WARNING: Internet Usage Contains things Harmful To Minors.

Warning sticker to be posted a WiFi hotspots

[sjonke]

WARNING: If a stranger asks you to plug their USB WiFi adapter into your MacBook, tell them, "no", and immediately contact the authorities, especially if they are saying, "Mac? Fuck! Fuck Mac! Mac Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!"

Sticker ideas...

[Saeger]

Let us count thee ways that a notification sticker MUST be removed before the router can be used:

1. Print a EULA on the sticker that reads: "By removing (or even not removing) this sticker, you agree to provide your neighbors with free wifi because you're a nice person; not because you're stupid."
2. Make the sticker conductive and place it over a waste-of-money-one-time-use-short-circuit.
3. Make it from a faraday cage-type material that's in the shape of a tube and initially installed over the antenna; market it as a security feature for tinfoil hat wearers.
   
4. or... the boring alternative: place it over the DC power input and ethernet ports (if any)

My money's on #1. :)

Re:Is it going to be like the solder warnings?

[sfjoe]

I love California to death, really. I wish to live their someday. But I think it's illegal to be Conservative(R) in public there...

We're going to build a wall and have volunteer Minutemen to keep conservatives out.

Warning: This Router May Contain Peanuts

[CheeseburgerBrown]

This is a good thing. This law is not intended to protect the consumer -- it is intended to arm mild-mannered nerds such has ourselves when confronting people who claim nobody ever told them open meant open.

It is, in short, a reasonable excuse to handle oopsy-daisy! security victims with a socially acceptible level of contempt. "You say you just tore the sticker off without even reading it, ha? Well. Well, well, well."

This empowers geeks. It is a license to be snooty.

Re:Warning: This Router May Contain Peanuts

[Gryle]

This empowers geeks. It is a license to be snooty.

Since when have we needed a licence?

WARNING!!!

[Anonymous Coward]

The State of California advises you that posting on Slashdot is irreversible, and might result in undesirable flames, and posts from people who disagree with you. After clicking SUBMIT it is impossible to revert a post, regardless of how stupid it is. In order to avoid loss of KARMA POINTS as a result of moderation, the State of California advises you to click PREVIEW prior to clicking SUBMIT in order to preview the message, to verify that it will encourage desirable responses. Also, it might be advisable to select the CHECKBOX next to the text Post Anonymously in order to completly disavow the post. It is known to the State of California that posting on Slashdot may cause stress, anger, and loss in productivity.

Re:Ignorance

[truthsearch]

Actually these stickers will be re-peeled.

(Sorry.)

Coming to a milk carton near you...

[epp_b]

Lost: Common Sense.

He has been lost for about three years to date, but a few people are still maintaining hope. Police are continuing to investigate his kidnapping by Clueless Politicians and Thoughtless Laws. He was last seen in captivity in a few various places in the U.S., but has virtually vanished from North America. Some say that his attackers have taken him across the ocean to other continents, but sightings have still been becoming continually scarce.

If you know anything of his whereabouts, please spread the word to neighbors, friends and family. Citizens are asked to contact their political representitives if they have any information on Common Sense's kidnapping.

Best Warning Label Evar

[Baloo Ursidae]

WARNING: California contains people and ideas known to the State of Oregon to cause extreme stupidity, indecisiveness, selfishness and the inability to accept consequences for your own actions. Contact with California and it's inhabitants should be limited or eliminated if at all possible.