Community Gardening?

Jonathan Thaw of Blomberg News reported today in the Seattle Post Intelligencer that FON (a Google/eBay funded company) will be selling routers for $5 to promote Web connection sharing.

"Consumers buying the routers, which usually cost about $60, will need to let others use their Internet connections and in return will be able to connect for free to other wireless hot spots that are part of the network, said Juergen Urbanski, Madrid-based FON's U.S. general manager."

Community Gardens are one thing as is community-funded Wi-Fi. However, to my way of thinking, sharing a connection with computer users with "weak fences" (read firewalls, anti-virus software and security updates) will open up a whole new avenue of infections for the unsuspecting. See the complete story at Google-eBay venture promoting free Wi-Fi with sale of $5 routers.