# Unsecured wireless printer fun.
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsecured-wireless-printer-fun/762860
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [August 15, 2016, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsecured-wireless-printer-fun/762860 "2016-08-15T01:31:37Z")
**Posts on this page:** 15
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)
#### Post date: [August 15, 2016, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsecured-wireless-printer-fun/762860/21 "2016-08-15T16:14:23Z")
For great fun, go around the neighborhood trying the doors and windows of people who appear to be away from home. Once you get in, leave a sarcastic note on the kitchen counter.
That’ll teach 'em to be more careful about locking up. 🙂
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### Author:  [@Projammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Projammer)
#### Post date: [August 15, 2016, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsecured-wireless-printer-fun/762860/22 "2016-08-15T17:30:21Z")
Print [this (pdf)](https://isotropic.org/papers/chicken.pdf) to it.
Or maybe [this slightly longer (pdf)](https://www.improbable.com/airchives/paperair/volume12/v12i5/chicken-12-5.pdf) version.
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### Author:  [@Intergalactic\_Gladiator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intergalactic_Gladiator)
#### Post date: [August 15, 2016, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsecured-wireless-printer-fun/762860/23 "2016-08-15T17:37:37Z")
> [@lost4life](#):
>
> You could print out the sign up page for Ashley Madison, or take a picture of the front of their house and print that out. We’re talking barrels of fun here.
>
> Or, just print a sheet of paper that says I Am Alive, but do it at like 3 AM.
“I’m alive but trapped in the Wi-Fi.”
“We are sending you a message from the future…”
“…###//… $%###NSA##$$$… @$%%%%%…”
“Don’t forget to drink your Ovaltine.”
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### Author:  [@BlankSlate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlankSlate)
#### Post date: [August 15, 2016, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsecured-wireless-printer-fun/762860/24 "2016-08-15T18:55:47Z")
Type out “I’M A PRINTER” in large, bold type, and set it to print 100 copies.
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### Author:  [@Bumbershoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bumbershoot)
#### Post date: [August 15, 2016, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsecured-wireless-printer-fun/762860/25 "2016-08-15T19:23:48Z")
“Pass the word along. Tell the men it’s time to Shoot the Moon!”
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### Author:  [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)
#### Post date: [August 15, 2016, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsecured-wireless-printer-fun/762860/26 "2016-08-15T19:36:49Z")
Hi, I’m from the local Assembly of Jehovah’s Witnesses. We would like to know if you are happy with your religion and with this printer. We have been thinking about buying one like it to print out The Watchtower.
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### Author:  [@filmore](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/filmore)
#### Post date: [August 15, 2016, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsecured-wireless-printer-fun/762860/27 "2016-08-15T20:07:46Z")
If you want to be a good neighbor, print the page of the instruction manual which describes how to set a wifi password.
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### Author:  [@The\_Great\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Great_Unwashed)
#### Post date: [August 15, 2016, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsecured-wireless-printer-fun/762860/28 "2016-08-15T21:50:07Z")
Please visit[size=6]
[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=19556640](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=19556640)
kthxbye[/size]
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### Author:  [@leftfield6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leftfield6)
#### Post date: [August 15, 2016, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsecured-wireless-printer-fun/762860/29 "2016-08-15T22:14:18Z")
Not only does one of my neighbors have an unsecured printer, she also has an unsecured wifi. A wifi named her street address. Which is so naive it is scary.
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### Author:  [@jasnooks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasnooks)
#### Post date: [August 15, 2016, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsecured-wireless-printer-fun/762860/30 "2016-08-15T23:03:22Z")
> [@Doctor\_Jackson](#):
>
> Hi, I’m from the local Assembly of Jehovah’s Witnesses. We would like to know if you are happy with your religion and with this printer. We have been thinking about buying one like it to print out The Watchtower.
Lol. I like this one
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### Author:  [@leftfield6](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leftfield6)
#### Post date: [August 15, 2016, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsecured-wireless-printer-fun/762860/31 "2016-08-15T23:09:38Z")
I think you should go for the long game. Today a one pager that just says HI. Tomorrow, a “Hi, just checking in” Next day, “Why are you not responding? Is something wrong?” Etc, etc. Could go on for weeks.
To make it extra creepy, you could add some detail about the neighborhood. Like “Hey. what’s with the guy with the red shutters leaving his garbage can out for days? Trash pickup is on Wednesday, pal.”
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### Author:  [@snfaulkner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snfaulkner)
#### Post date: [August 15, 2016, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsecured-wireless-printer-fun/762860/32 "2016-08-15T23:54:11Z")
“I can see you”
“I know what you are doing”
“You should be ashamed of yourself”
“I’m going to the police”
etc…
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### Author:  [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2016, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsecured-wireless-printer-fun/762860/33 "2016-08-16T00:18:28Z")
> [@BlankSlate](#):
>
> Type out “I’M A PRINTER” in large, bold type, and set it to print 100 copies.
Print a dating site bio:
Single black printer ISO stainless steel toaster / white microwave / black modem. I like printing pictures of flowers & picnic baskets, etc.
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### Author:  [@Channing\_Idaho\_Banks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Channing_Idaho_Banks)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2016, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsecured-wireless-printer-fun/762860/34 "2016-08-16T00:20:31Z")
This is getting better.
How come you can’t access the network thru the printer?
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### Author:  [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)
#### Post date: [August 16, 2016, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/unsecured-wireless-printer-fun/762860/35 "2016-08-16T00:52:12Z")
**Moderator Action**
(Note - this isn’t my forum to moderate but I’m guest modding here by request due to the technical issues involved)
The laws are admittedly a bit murky on this subject, and there are 50 different states and 50 different sets of laws which vary greatly. Unauthorized access of wireless networks is generally prohibited in most states, with some treating it as a criminal matter and others specifying monetary damages only.
Either way, accessing someone else’s network also often violates the terms of service of their Internet Service Provider, which usually has a clause against sharing the connection with neighbors or anyone else who is not in the residence.
A lot of these laws and regulations are admittedly vague (many don’t actually define what exactly “unauthorized access” is, for example), but here on the SDMB we prefer to err on the side of caution. This thread therefore falls afoul of our rule prohibiting illegal activities.
This thread is therefore closed.
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