Caught my neighbor stealing cable, should I turn him in?

[LOL_Wut_Axel]

The study of economics includes the concept of intangible losses.

The point---------------------------->you

The only thing they lost is a potential customer.

 

[Nebor]

How can I trust them not to however?

You can't. That's the point. If they find out you make more the $XXX a year, they'll decide it's ok to shaft you too.

 

[Nebor]

The point---------------------------->you

The only thing they lost is a potential customer.

Please refrain from quoting people who have no business posting in OT to begin with.

 

[sixone]

The point---------------------------->you

The only thing they lost is a potential customer.

And that potential customer's monthly fee. Which suddenly became a tangible loss.

 

[SparkyJJO]

The point---------------------------->you

The only thing they lost is a potential customer.

Unless the guy was a customer, then "quit" so he could then steal it from them instead.

You probably think there is absolutely nothing wrong with piracy either 🙄

You can't. That's the point. If they find out you make more the $XXX a year, they'll decide it's ok to shaft you too.

OK misunderstood you.

 

[ultimatebob]

As a typical holier than thou ATOT poster, I expect you to turn him for stealing cable, and then go back to pirating movies off of Bittorrent.

Best of all, the irony of this will be completely lost on you.

 

[LOL_Wut_Axel]

And that potential customer's monthly fee. Which suddenly became a tangible loss.

LOL...? Pretty sure you forgot the part about him putting the cable line to not pay them. He wasn't gonna be a customer in the first place. Are you really this dumb?

Also, I suggest some of you here read what "stealing" actually means. Nothing has been taken away from no one.

 

[sixone]

LOL...? Pretty sure you forgot the part about him putting the cable line to not pay them. He wasn't gonna be a customer in the first place. Are you really this dumb?

Also, I suggest some of you here read what "stealing" actually means. Nothing has been taken away from no one.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/steal

1
a : to take or appropriate without right or leave and with intent to keep or make use of wrongfully <stole a car> b : to take away by force or unjust means <they've stolen our liberty> c : to take surreptitiously or without permission <steal a kiss> d : to appropriate to oneself or beyond one's proper share : make oneself the focus of <steal the show>
2
a : to move, convey, or introduce secretly : smuggle b : to accomplish in a concealed or unobserved manner <steal a visit>
3
a : to seize, gain, or win by trickery, skill, or daring <a basketball player adept at stealing the ball> <stole the election> b of a base runner : to reach (a base) safely solely by running and usually catching the opposing team off guard

Don't see anything about "tangible" in there. Do you?

 

[SparkyJJO]

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/steal



Don't see anything about "tangible" in there. Do you?

He's just trying to justify his own thievery, I'm sure.

 

[sixone]

He's just trying to justify his own thievery, I'm sure.

Does that mean I can't have any fun? 🙁

 

[LOL_Wut_Axel]

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/steal



Don't see anything about "tangible" in there. Do you?

Yes, I do. Everywhere. Stealing is taking away a property or a good. Nothing has been taken away, moron. Maybe you need to read what you linked.

He's just trying to justify his own thievery, I'm sure.

Hurr hurr. I don't have any actual argument, so I'll make a stupid one-liner. BTW, I've bought most of what I have, including software (cheaper for college students :awe🙂. Movies, most. Music, some. Since almost none of the music sales money goes to the artists most of the time, I go to concerts and support them that way instead.

Also, you may want to learn what a "thief" is.

 

[sixone]

Yes, I do. Everywhere. Stealing is taking away a property or a good. Nothing has been taken away, moron. Maybe you need to read what you linked.

Hurr hurr. I don't have any actual argument, so I'll make a stupid one-liner. BTW, I've bought most of what I have, including software (cheaper for college students :awe🙂. Movies, most. Music, some Since almost none of the music goes to the artists most of the time, I go to concerts and support them that way instead.

Also, you may want to learn what a "thief" is.

I'm not sure which part of that was supposed to be the one-liner, but your characterization is spot on.

 

[Patrick Wolf]

Stealing from some rip-off cable company. Nuff said.

OTOH, if you reported him and they offered you a month of free service or something then maybe...

 

[KingGheedora]

Well, I pay $60 a month for what they get for free.

You will still be paying $60 a month for it if you rat on him, so that still doesn't answer the question.

 

[KingGheedora]

I pay $700+ a year for my cable. If somebody stole a $700 television from a Best Buy, I bet you guys wouldn't be saying the same thing.

Yes but a lot of people don't have the same qualms about "stealing" intangible goods like cable tv vs stealing physical ones like a TV from Best Buy. The cable company isn't out anything from your neighbor stealing, he likely won't start subscribing if he gets snitched on.

Cable companies use their hedgemonic leverage to force you to pay inordinately large fees for a package of channels that you don't want. Then they charge you a monthly fee for DVR, "HD", remote, DVR. The cable company doesn't care about you. The entire world from their perspective is "What's the absolute max amount of money that customers can bear to part with? Let's charge them that."

 

[KingGheedora]

You should tell Time Warner, OP. Imagine if some guy that knew we were being fed bad information about Iraq had told someone: we wouldn't have invaded Iraq. Imagine if you saw a little girl getting into a car that matched the description from an Amber alert.

The people saying "don't snitch" are the people that stood by and did nothing while the holocaust took place in Europe. Remember, all that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.

I hope this is sarcasm, because taken literally it is wrong. The OP's attitude is one of obeying the letter of the law, and obeying something just because it is lawful. THAT is what allowed the holocaust to happen. Actually, that argument is simplistic as Nebor stated it, as well as my correction, but you guys get the point.

 

[pcgeek11]

I would report it myself, and I applaud Leros and several other here. Most of the posters would obviously steal if given the chance. Theft of services is theft even if you don't agree. It doesn't have to be tangible to be theft.

If you don't like the way the cable company runs their business then don't subscribe. That doesn't give you a license to steal.

 

[tommo123]

He's not stealing. He's not taking away anything tangible.

It doesn't affect anyone else using the service, so why bother? If he he gets caught, he gets caught.

it can do, it can put noise back on the network screwing up other peoples service.

edit
--

just to say, i don't agree it's stealing either (same as with piracy). it's a potential loss, not an actual one with no real way of knowing if he would have taken the service out or not.

still, i wouldn't snitch as it's a cable company affected - UNLESS - i was a customer in which case this could affect my service in which case F my neighbour

 

[pcgeek11]

it can do, it can put noise back on the network screwing up other peoples service.

edit
--

just to say, i don't agree it's stealing either (same as with piracy). it's a potential loss, not an actual one with no real way of knowing if he would have taken the service out or not.

still, i wouldn't snitch as it's a cable company affected - UNLESS - i was a customer in which case this could affect my service in which case F my neighbour

So, It is OK to steal as long as it doesn't directly effect you. Hmmm

Theft of services = Software piracy = ???? anyway to justify whatever you want. It's only a cable company. The cable company pays millions of dollars for infrastucture, maintenance, service calls etc... That is what paying customers pay for along with the content. If you tap it for free that is stealing just like software piracy is stealing... No wonder our society is going down the shitter. Anyone that condones this is a turd. Yes not reporting is condoning.

 

[tommo123]

it's not my place or my responsibility to interfere with this. it's not like cable companies are charities and do good. no one has love for them

if i saw someone being mugged i'd like to think i would interfere as the person may not be a bad guy (victim i mean). but in so far as cable companies go? they're companies. they do evil overall, not good

oh and ps? it's not stealing. stealing deprives someone of something and going down this road takes you on the same pointless path as saying piracy is stealing. you won't win - whatever side you're on

 

[guyver01]

oh and ps? it's not stealing. stealing deprives someone of something and going down this road takes you on the same pointless path as saying piracy is stealing. you won't win - whatever side you're on

Its THEFT OF SERVICE.

Nearly all jurisdictions define THEFT OF SERVICE as:

THEFT OF SERVICE. (a) A person commits theft of service if, with intent to avoid payment for service that he knows is provided only for compensation:

(a) having control over the disposition of services of another to which he is not entitled, he intentionally or knowingly diverts the other's services to his own benefit or to the benefit of another not entitled to them;

if i saw someone being mugged i'd like to think i would interfere as the person may not be a bad guy (victim i mean). but in so far as cable companies go? they're companies. they do evil overall, not good

by your comment, i find you as a bad guy... so under your definition, if someone takes something from you, it's not theft or stealing, as you do evil overall.

🙄

 

[pcgeek11]

it's not my place or my responsibility to interfere with this. it's not like cable companies are charities and do good. no one has love for them

if i saw someone being mugged i'd like to think i would interfere as the person may not be a bad guy (victim i mean). but in so far as cable companies go? they're companies. they do evil overall, not good

oh and ps? it's not stealing. stealing deprives someone of something and going down this road takes you on the same pointless path as saying piracy is stealing. you won't win - whatever side you're on

Yep! Turd.

 

[LOL_Wut_Axel]

it can do, it can put noise back on the network screwing up other peoples service.

edit
--

just to say, i don't agree it's stealing either (same as with piracy). it's a potential loss, not an actual one with no real way of knowing if he would have taken the service out or not.

still, i wouldn't snitch as it's a cable company affected - UNLESS - i was a customer in which case this could affect my service in which case F my neighbour

The bandwidth he's using is already being sent out from the cable company to the box. If we were to use this argument we'd be saying if a "technician" from the cable company makes a new line to a new house then that'd be introducing "noise" as well. So, in reality, no. It doesn't affect the neighbors' service. It's the first time I hear about it introducing "noise" to the network, TBH.

 

[LOL_Wut_Axel]

Its THEFT OF SERVICE.

Nearly all jurisdictions define THEFT OF SERVICE as:





by your comment, i find you as a bad guy... so under your definition, if someone takes something from you, it's not theft or stealing, as you do evil overall.

🙄

Sorry to inform you, that's not stealing.

 

[guyver01]

It's the first time I hear about it introducing "noise" to the network, TBH.

If the connector at the back of the box isn't crimped properly, it CAN throw ingress back into the network return path.

I was out on an ingress sweep with one of our signal security techs once. We had gotten alot of poor signal complaints in one area.. We eventually found a LOUD barker at one house. Knocked on the door... and sure enough, the guy threw a splitter on the line the tech installed, and ran some shoddy RG6 to another tv. didn't crimp the end with a connector, just stuck the raw cable into the TV.

Well.. the open line was enough to throw noise into the return path to cause issues with their neighbors reception.

So yes, it CAN introduce noise into the network.