Free Wi-Fi is Gone Forever

[Commentary] I've been fascinated by the lack of open Wi-Fi connections, not only in my neighborhood but pretty much anywhere I go. Ten years ago, it was so easy to latch on to free Wi-Fi that anyone traveling or in need of an emergency connection always had it at their disposal, despite the sketchy legality. These days, you are lucky to find one in 100 Wi-Fi connections that are not protected by passwords of some sort. The reason for the change is simple: the router manufacturers decided to make users employ security with the set-up software. As people upgraded to newer, faster routers, the wide-open Wi-Fi golden era came to an end. I see no way to reverse this trend of protected Internet since people see everything as a way to make a buck. I'm reminded of the era when pay toilets were ubiquitous, as onerous as that seems. I haven't seen a pay toilet for well over a decade, though, so it must have cost more to maintain than it was worth. I don't see that sort of thing happening with Wi-Fi. Secure Internet is here to stay. The golden age of free is done.