FON, the experiment in shared wireless internet access that allows members to use each others' connections and nonmembers to pay for access, has announced a key software adaptation that responds to users' concerns about security.  The company just announced on its blog that its next release will include two different environments using the same router, one public and one private.  By using two separate SSIDs, or service set identifiers, FON appears to be making a technical response to widespread member concerns about sharing internet access with strangers.  I can imagine this will make the system much easier to promote to prospective new members.  Apparently non-anonymity of FON community members and assurances that hosts wouldn't be held liable for activities through their connection weren't assurance enough.  I'm not surprised.

Though funded by some heavy hitters like Google and eBay/Skype, FON seems to be acting like a good Web 2.0 company should - agile, responsive and with frequent updates to its service.  The hardware end of the social web acting just like the software sector Web 2.0 evangelists say should be the modus operandi.  Yet this development demonstrates that it's not all a happy picnic of sharing and love.  Some technical means of user control are still needed at the same time all this sharing is going on.  That's what this looks like to me.