ELECTRONIC IDENTITY Robert Parson HEIDI Hardly a month goes by in which I don't read, hear or see a story that indicates BBS operators or users are nefarious evil- doers. The list of crimes we are accused of ranges from Software Piracy to Pornography. The most recent example I've seen was on AMERICA'S MOST WANTED on the FOX Network. This story left the impression that BBSs and networks are used extensively by Pedophiles, or child pornographers, to distribute their disgusting, and illegal, pictures. We all know that there are some BBSs that trade in illegal ventures. But the Mainstream Media (of which I am a part) tends to showcase these types of BBSs and paint a sordid picture of the entire BBS community. Occasionally though, something crosses my desk or pops up on my computer screen that proves to me once again that BBSs are performing a vital public service. A Bulletin Board in my area recently started carrying GIFs of missing children. GIFs, for those who may not know, are pictures that can be viewed on computer screens. These GIFs are distributed by Heidi Search in San Antonio, Texas, headed up by Marv Cotton. Over 200 BBSs carry the GIFs, which are distributed at least once a month by the non-profit group. Cotton says, though, that the service had tragic beginnings. Cotton told me that Heidi Seeman of San Antonio was reported missing in August 1990. In addition to the normal avenues of passing out pictures of Heidi, he and a few sysops in San Antonio thought they'd produce a GIF of her and try distributing the picture and information about Heidi nationally. They then discovered the MISSING Echo on Fidonet. A few weeks later, another San Antonio girl was reported missing. Many of the same people who were in the search for Heidi started helping with the search for Erica Botello. They began distributed a GIF of Erica as well. Unfortunately, both girls were found dead. Three suspects in Erica's death were released on an apparent technicality and a suspect in Heidi's death was released without being charged. Out of these deaths, though, 55 of the people involved in the searches for the girls met to create Heidi Search. Discussions with other BBS Sysops on the MISSING Echo eventually led to an electronic arm for Heidi Search. "We distributed our first packet of GIFs in November 1990. We've distributed 685 so far, of which some 500 of the children are still missing." Cotton says he produces the GIFs, then sends them to about five other Bulletin Boards in the country, which in turn distributes them through various networks and other means to get to over 200 BBSs. "I have 200 node addresses that have sent in request forms, but I know there are many others that get the GIFs that haven't sent in a form." According to Cotton, the GIFS are accessible from the FileBone, which is a File Distribution Network. "We're on Fidonet, Rimenet, Familynet, GTnet and Internet." The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children is the chief source of pictures that Cotton creates GIFs, although he does also get some from the Texas Department of Public Safety Missing Child/Missing Person Clearing House. "When a child is found, hopefully alive, I create a text file with the information on when, where and whether the child was found alive. That file can replace the GIF." In addition, the text files CHILD.MIS and CHILD.FND are continually updated. "Sysops and other people call my board all the time requesting the GIFS and other information. Some law enforcement agencies, and even private investigators carry the echo and the GIFs on BBSs they run." Occasionally, he says, a Sysop will call the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children looking for GIFs or anything else they might be able to use. Usually, they are referred to him. Cotton notes that some of the GIFs are put to unusual uses. "Some people print them out and take them to the local police department. I've also heard that some have been made into a computer slideshow and run at computer stores." Despite all his work, Cotton doesn't know if any children have been found as a result of the distribution of the GIFs. He sees this as just one portion of Heidi Search. "We help other groups set up searches for missing children and also help look for children. We also do child identification programs." In fact, he says a child identification program set for November in one Texas city is expected to fingerprint 16 thousand boys and girls. It's pretty easy for a sysop to start picking up the GIFs of missing children. A FREQ (File Request) to Fidonet node 387/622 for REQUEST.ZIP will result in the application. Or they can be retrieved off the FileBone on the various networks mentioned earlier in the column. But Cotton says if someone sends him disks, he'll be happy to put the pictures on the disks and return them. "We have over Nine megabytes of GIFs and information about missing children." Here's the address: Marv Cotton c/o Heidi Search 2402 Pat Booker Road Universal City, TX 78148 The phone number (voice) for Heidi Search is 210 659 0338. ----- Various and Sundry things that have crossed my desk this past month: Time-Warner, TCI and Microsoft are keeping their cards close to their breasts. They are apparently getting ready to launch a new program called "Cablesoft" which could act as a replacement for newspapers, magazines, catalogues and movies. But, as I sit here writing, they haven't made a formal announcement and they are refusing to talk about it for the time being. Stay tuned.... In what looks like trouble to me, an anti-trust attorney has been nominated to head the Federal Communications Commission. Now that TV, phone and computer companies are looking at ways to merge their expertise, the FCC is becoming more and more concerned with problems involving possible antitrust violations. Reed Hunt is expected to sail through confirmation hearings. Speaking of anti-trust, the Federal Trade Commission has closed investigation into Intel Corporation. The FTC was looking at allegations the company refused to sell chips to distributors after they began marketing competing chips, and that Intel forced customers to buy one product in order to get another. The investigation came to a close with no action being taken. In a series of raids, U.S. Marshals seized more than nine and a half million dollars worth of pirated copies of MS-DOS 5 and WINDOWS 3.1. One of the alleged pirates had more than 125 thousand illegal copies of the programs. This just for grins from the Associated Press: "Billy Idol says he wanted his next album to be something 'raw and nasty.' The result is 'Cyberpunk.' Idol explains the term cyberpunk as a rebel science that allows individuals to freely interact with others via computer technology. It can also be used to create. The hard driving music of 'Cyberpunk' was recorded on Idol's home studio equipment, which is controlled by a Macintosh computer. Idol says a song like 'Shock to the System' is one of the 'roughest punk tracks' he's done since his days with Generation X. He says recordings like 'Rebel Yell' were, in his words, too 'properly recorded.'" Whatever. (c) 1993 Robert Parson