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And the Lord Said, 'Let There Be Free Wi-Fi' (gizmodo.com)

Posted by msmash on from the affinity-for-free-internet dept.

Germany doesn't have free wi-fi at most places, especially because a German law holds the network provider accountable for any illegal activity on their network. But moving forward, the country is getting free wi-fi called "Godspots" at 3,000 churches and other religious places. From an article on Quartz: The service was launched in advance of the 500th anniversary of theologian Martin Luther's infamous protest of corrupt practices by the Catholic clergy, which ultimately led to the Protestant Reformation. The event will be commemorated across Germany next year. The wifi service is also a strategic move to draw young people back into Germany's glorious, but mostly underutilized, churches and cathedrals. Church Berlin-Brandenburg-Silesian Oberlausitz's IT manager Fabian Blatner says Godspot aligns with the church's mission to foster community. "People are no less spiritual than before," Blatner believes, "but the places of communication have shifted. Much takes place in digital social networks and communities. With Godspot we want to build a Protestant Church [that serves as] a safe and familiar abode in the digital world." EKBO says Godspot's connections will be secure and it will not be collecting any information about users or bombarding them with ads. Well, except for a landing page featuring "topics of faith and life."

70 comments

  1. evangelical Protestant churches by turkeydance · · Score: 1

    that's where God is i guess

    1. Re:evangelical Protestant churches by TheGratefulNet · · Score: 1

      "bless me, father, for I have...'

      dammit. didn't click focus first. do I have to start over?

      --

      --
      "It is now safe to switch off your computer."
    2. Re:evangelical Protestant churches by jratcliffe · · Score: 3, Informative

      As a heads-up, Evangelical in Germany doesn't mean the same thing as in the US. Evangelical is a literal translation of the German name for the Lutherans.

    3. Re:evangelical Protestant churches by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Are you trying to make a point or do you just need to relieve some of the pressure from that shithole under your nose?

      Seriously sick of you moaning cunts.

    4. Re:evangelical Protestant churches by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In addition, the evangelical movement from the 19th century specifically has it roots in the Pietism Christian revival movement from within the 17th century German Lutheran Church.

    5. Re:evangelical Protestant churches by ShakaUVM · · Score: 1

      Lutherans don't do Confession like Catholics.

      Confession of sins and forgiveness is done en masse in a service.

    6. Re:evangelical Protestant churches by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This more accurate definition should be shouted from the rooftops, advertised on the street, and promoted with educational pamphlets which may be handed to surprised homeowners. Reinforce the key differences between the original meaning of the word and the American expression. If the audience shows disinterest, threaten them with the ghost of Webster.

  2. Better protection by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Interesting

    For Catholic priests to view child porn, provides plausible deniability.

    1. Re:Better protection by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You must have a shitty born loser life and a hate filled family to paint all the "Catholic priests" with slander, due to actions of a few in direct violation to Church teaching?

    2. Re:Better protection by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "actions of a few "

      More like the group culture if historical protection of paedophiles that seems to summarize the Catholic Church.

    3. Re:Better protection by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In written form it's libel not slander.

    4. Re:Better protection by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      So a few abuse children. And if that was it, nobody would complain. You are not your brother's shepherd, and you cannot be blamed for his actions. Guilt by association, it seems, but that's not it.

      What makes the rest of the bunch accomplices is to cover for them. Cardinals moving priests that abuse kids about so they get to abuse more kids instead of handing them over to the police. And eventually a pope that basically blamed the victims instead of finally doing something about the problem.

      The blame on the RCC isn't guilt by association. It's guilt by complicity.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    5. Re:Better protection by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The Pope himself says 1 in 50 priests are pedophiles, hardly just "a few". And if the Pope admits to 1 in 50, the reality is probably higher.

  3. but but but by dejitaru · · Score: 3, Funny

    What about "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbors wifi?"

    1. Re:but but but by Calydor · · Score: 1

      That is exactly why the church now provides free wifi services to all those who are in need. .

      --
      -=This sig has nothing to do with my comment. Move along now=-
    2. Re:but but but by TheGratefulNet · · Score: 0

      no, that was a typo or mistranslation.

      it did not say 'thou shalt not covet wifi'; it said 'thou shalt not CONVERT wifi'.

      so, wired ethernet is a sin. work of the devil and all that.

      stay wireless and sin no more!

      --

      --
      "It is now safe to switch off your computer."
  4. Invisible by 110010001000 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Wifi waves are invisible, just like the Lord. Praise Jesus!

    1. Re:Invisible by Locke2005 · · Score: 4, Funny

      Jesus... is he a wave, or a particle?

      --
      I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
    2. Re:Invisible by chipschap · · Score: 1

      Jesus... is he a wave, or a particle?

      I don't know, but I heard that he saves, although no one seems to be able to tell me what interest rate he's getting.

    3. Re:Invisible by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      certainly not the crooked jew banker rates.

    4. Re:Invisible by AF_Cheddar_Head · · Score: 1

      Jesus saves, but Esposito scores on the rebound.

    5. Re:Invisible by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Wifi waves are invisible, just like the Lord. Praise Jesus!

      May be phone can be used as a form of prayer. Much more interesting than sermon and lets you search for Jesus much faster (Logarithmic time. Thanks Jesus).

    6. Re:Invisible by Opportunist · · Score: 2

      If he's under water does he get wet?

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    7. Re:Invisible by the_other_chewey · · Score: 1

      Jesus... is he a wave, or a particle?

      I don't know, but I heard that he saves, although no one seems to be able to tell me what interest rate he's getting.

      I always assumed that to mean backup, not deposit.

    8. Re:Invisible by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yeah but some people can get a rash from wifi's blinking lights and or antennas.
      Jesus never gave any one a rash (though I do find I have an aversion to Jesus.)

    9. Re:Invisible by allo · · Score: 1

      That's why the church didn't want wifi for a long time. Who wants to compete with an invisible force, which actually works?

    10. Re:Invisible by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It means he only takes half damage from the fireball that the magic-user just cast.

    11. Re:Invisible by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      We are particles, Gods are waves, the universe is the good vibrations. Wait, what was in that pill again?

    12. Re:Invisible by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Light is a duality, wave and particle.

      Jesus is a trinity.

  5. People that go to those churches should be put... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    in prison if they allow illegal activity. It sucks that the rulers of Germany say that people just because they believe in invisible men in the sky can get away with child pornography. That is stupid. They need to be put in prison.

  6. Re: People that go to those churches should be put by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1

    xians constantly rape children.

  7. Corrupt practices of the Catholic clergy by smooth+wombat · · Score: -1, Offtopic

    Such as molesting and raping boys, a practice which has been going on for over a thousand years.

    Siphoning of tithes for their own personal use (such as buying young boys to molest and rape).

    This doesn't include the abuse and sexual degradation against girls by nuns, a practice condoned by the priests.

    --
    We will bankrupt ourselves in the vain search for absolute security. -- Dwight D. Eisenhower
    1. Re:Corrupt practices of the Catholic clergy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      what the fuck does this have to do with *protestant* churches offering free internet access to their visitors? are priests from nearby parishes going to use this to recruit new altar boys?

    2. Re:Corrupt practices of the Catholic clergy by William+Baric · · Score: 1

      I'm an atheist, I'd even say I'm somewhat anti-religion, but your rhetoric is just ridiculous. Yes, there were a few priests who join the church to hide their deviant sexual behavior, but the majority were good men and women. Yes, the church did some horrible things throughout history, but it also did a lot of good things.

      So please, cut the crap.

    3. Re:Corrupt practices of the Catholic clergy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You must have a shitty born loser life, and a hate filled family, causing and caused by your own idiocy and willful ignorance, to slander all the "Catholic clergy" with falsehoods, due to actions of a few in direct violation to Church teaching.

      By same absurd logic as yours, because few humans are pedophiles all humans are, including you.

      In any case, your obsessive exaggerations and imaginary fabrications about of child molestation and rape clearly indicate that you,smooth wombat, have pedophile obsessions.
      -
      If anyone know him in real life, they should report to authorities about smooth wombat's excessive obsessions with pedophilia and rape, and his exaggerations and even purely imaginary fabrications on such crimes. You may save lives!

    4. Re:Corrupt practices of the Catholic clergy by smooth+wombat · · Score: 2

      Yes, the church did some horrible things throughout history,

      They still are:

      One case, and another, and a few more, and a few more, just for good measure. Even down under boys aren't safe. Nor are dogs.

      Even the UN called out the Vatican for its systemic adoption of policies allowing priests to rape and sexually abuse tens of thousands of children.

      But as always, these are just isolated cases.

      --
      We will bankrupt ourselves in the vain search for absolute security. -- Dwight D. Eisenhower
    5. Re:Corrupt practices of the Catholic clergy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      That is a different church though... You are thinking of catholic church, while this is the protestant church. You know where priests can marry, have a family and even be women (gasp!).

  8. Germany+Church+Free Wi-Fi = Divide by Zero by zenlessyank · · Score: 2

    I keep getting divide by zero error on my calculator. I need some quantum bits lending a hand.

    1. Re: Germany+Church+Free Wi-Fi = Divide by Zero by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Without a divide?

      Weak, weak "joke".

  9. How pathetic by Rosco+P.+Coltrane · · Score: 1

    The church tries to attract people by offering free wifi? What next? Free parking and 15% off every item at any store on the local high street if they attend service regularly?

    Looks like faith is cheap these days...

    --
    "A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash
    1. Re:How pathetic by PopeRatzo · · Score: 1

      The church tries to attract people by offering free wifi? What next?

      Hot nuns on stripper poles, and I'm there. Instead of a collection plate, you could just drop a twenty and see if Sister Tawney can pick it up.

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
    2. Re:How pathetic by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What next?

      That's what she said.

      Or rather, will say.

    3. Re:How pathetic by quenda · · Score: 1

      The church tries to attract people by offering free wifi? What next?

      If offering free bread and booze every Sunday did not work, I don't know what will.

    4. Re:How pathetic by dunkelfalke · · Score: 1

      Free parking is actually quite common for German churches. Here is an example - about 500m away from where I live:

      --
      "It's such a fine line between stupid and clever" -- David St. Hubbins, Spinal Tap
    5. Re:How pathetic by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      And for a low low price I'll let you come and see
      Just exit through the gift shop as you go to leave
      We accept all credit cards if you've no cash today
      Put a couple pope bobble-heads on lay-away
      Buy as much as you want
      Buy as much as you're able
      Just don't let Jesus in
      Cause he'll start flipping tables

      --Trevor Moore, The Pope Rap

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    6. Re:How pathetic by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      If it's a Catholic Church, it's more likely going to be the altar boys on the poles.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
  10. Let me get this straight... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I can now go to church and download kiddy porn? Even my favorite, altar-boy porn? Awesome!

  11. So if you're old enough by 93+Escort+Wagon · · Score: 0

    I remember the Emily Litella (Gilda Radner) bit about "endangered feces". I used to think they should've done a second one where she complained about Martin Luther nailing "95 feces" to the Wittenburg Door.

    --
    #DeleteChrome
  12. Law workaround? by manu0601 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    How are they going to work around the law that hold them accountable for user's offenses done using Godspot?

    Do churches benefit some king of immunity in Germany?

    1. Re:Law workaround? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I would guess that they would employ the same blocking technology as my library, or even just whitelisting certain sites.

    2. Re:Law workaround? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      That law is about to change. The modification, which is supposed to grant open Wifi operators the same exemption that applies to ISPs, passed the legislative process and will be signed into effect by September. There are different expectations about the modification: The politicians who supported it intend and expect it to put an end to "Störerhaftung" for operators of free Wifi. Critics see a loophole in the law that allows the practice to continue where a civil complaint about an infraction causes prohibitive costs for the operator and is in effect punitive.

    3. Re:Law workaround? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Critics see a loophole in the law that allows the practice to continue where a civil complaint about an infraction causes prohibitive costs for the operator and is in effect punitive.

      I doubt anyone has balls big enough to sue clergy. Especially when 3000 churches are involved.

    4. Re:Law workaround? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      How are they going to work around the law that hold them accountable for user's offenses done using Godspot?

      Do churches benefit some king of immunity in Germany?

      By making it encrypted by writing the password on the wall somewhere, that is how all the cafés does it. You are only liable if you don't encrypt your WiFi...

    5. Re:Law workaround? by zAPPzAPP · · Score: 1

      They aren't really using any workarounds.

      They simply have the resources available to fight off the bullshit lawyers that try to milk the law by sending out tenthousands of copyright notices demanding fees.
      Something the normal citizen can't be expected to put up with.

      And of course, them being an organization, the risk is much lower if there was an actual crime commited over the network. Can't send the church to prison.

    6. Re:Law workaround? by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      You don't sue the churches in Germany. Trust me. You don't.

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    7. Re:Law workaround? by allo · · Score: 1

      The article is just wrong.

      The law is only a problem for normal persons, not for organisations. Every kind of ISP doesn't have the problem, and for example Freifunk is just registered as ISP and has no such problem. The problem is only, that a private person can get a written warning (Abmahnung) (with cost note for the lawyer sending the warning), because they act as "troublemaker" (Störer).
      Nobody needs to react on this, you can just wait and settle this in court. Paying may be the easier way, on the other hand most Abmahn-Lawyers do not go to court to avoid a precedence case, which may be against this practice.
      There are a lot of other options that the law does not apply, for example parents which told their children not to pirate anything (they need to tell, but they do not need to control it) are no "Störer" and if nobody admits any guilt the court settles it as "nobody can be proven to be the pirate" and there is little room left for the lawyer to prove who did it (how, if he only has an ip?).

      So its mostly FUD with added letters from lawyers offering to settle it for a fee from 200 to 2000 eur. The most common way to react is a counter notice, which tells "i will not pirate your content, but this does not mean i ever pirated your content", which still contains a contract penalty for the case you will pirate this content. This has the advantage, that going to court is then inefficient, as the sentence will be very low after the person already gave this counter notice with penalty for doing it (again).

      You get it, the law is rather complicated and the FUD around it helps shady advocates to extort money from you, if you are uninformed.

  13. Plausible deniability by thisisauniqueid · · Score: 1

    This is presumably to create a shield of plausible deniability for priests that want to download and view illegal content. "It must have been some random member of the public sitting outside using their laptop in their car!".

    1. Re:Plausible deniability by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Lutherans don't have priests, and issues such as this are precisely why Martin Luther insisted the Catholic leadership was "completely unjustified in forbidding marriage and in burdening the priesthood with the demand of continual celibacy".

      But this is an issue of theological contention. You just want pointless snark. Don't worry, eventually a full review will be done, including you.

    2. Re:Plausible deniability by Opportunist · · Score: 1

      "That wasn't us protestants, it must have been that catholic priest next door, honest!"

      --
      We used to have a Bill of Rights. Now, with the rights gone, all we have left is the bill.
    3. Re:Plausible deniability by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "It wasn't us atheists, it must have been..."

  14. Twittering Church Goers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    OMG, the priest said what!? #almostblasphemy

  15. Why? by JThundley · · Score: 1

    Why give churches a special pass? Hold them to the same laws as everyone else that offers public wifi. Just because what they're selling isn't material (or real) is no excuse to treat them different from any other business.

    1. Re:Why? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There is nothing in the article suggesting they get a "special pass" or won't be held to the same laws.

      A lot of effort there to work in your Bare Assertion fallacy of "or real", wasn't it?

      Speaking of which, I'm not sure your "freedom" to post is real. Where do I point my scientific instruments to verify it materially exists?

  16. Wow, by bleugh · · Score: 1

    For the first time a religious entity that has an invisible omniscient power that actually does work

    1. Re:Wow, by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Since you'd have to be omniscient to know that every instance where other people experienced it working was false, are you forming a religion based on yourself and these psychic powers of yours?

      Because there's no other way for your claim to be even marginally logically valid.

    2. Re:Wow, by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      Well, it is "The Promised LAN"...

  17. Manna evolution by Bristol_92 · · Score: 1

    We think that religion is a tale of past. And the idea of providing free Wi-Fi is regarded as an effort to retain some power. Yes, church wants to attract more people, increase spiritual level. But I see only good intention. No one is obliged to use Godspot. I describe this move as goodwill gesture.

  18. The Word of God by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    and behold, the Lord created a holy WiFi service to speak his word from the Ether untarnished by the sinful ramblings heard on other networks.

  19. Cue the massive deluge of porn watching by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Those confessional booths are great for fapping privacy.

  20. trolololo by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    redtube available with religious adds?