[Kylekramer]

I really don't get this idea that Google owes people something cause they gave it away from free. Google never said it was staying around for any amount of time. The API wasn't even public. This "responsibility" is an entirely made up concept. At no point did Google say "Come one and all, build on our backend!".

If someone was leeching off my unsecured wifi and came to depend it, I'd laugh in their face if they complained when I put a password on it. I could understand people getting mad if they jacked prices after shutting out competition, but saying they have to maintain a product at their own cost for third parties who gave them nothing but more work?

[Samuel_Michon]

"If someone was leeching off my unsecured wifi and came to depend it, I'd laugh in their face if they complained when I put a password on it."

If you knew that your entire town had switched from dialup to using your unsecured wifi, and they installed dozens of extenders all over town at their own expense, and you knew about that but allowed it for years, and then you suddenly pull the plug, then yes, that'd be a dick move.

"I could understand people getting mad if they jacked prices after shutting out competition"

I would've been absolutely fine with that and I think many GR users would've been happy to pay.

[jiggy2011]

It might be more like putting hotspots with big "free wifi" signs up all around your city, waiting for the local ISPs to discontinue service and then turning your wifi off.