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- Computer underground Digest Sun Sep 13, 1992 Volume 4 : Issue 43
-
- Editors: Jim Thomas and Gordon Meyer (TK0JUT2@NIU.BITNET)
- Archivist: Brendan Kehoe
- Shadow-Archivist: Dan Carosone
- Copy Editor: Etaion Shrdlu, Srr.
-
- CONTENTS, #4.43 (Sep 13, 1992)
- File 1--Moderators' Corner (More FAQs)
- File 2--Re: Piracy/Social Context (#4.42)
- File 3--Re: Piracy/Social Context (#4.42)
- File 4--PD-related IFAC symposium, 9/23, Madison
- File 5--Cliff Figallo Online (From EFFector Online, # 3.04)
- File 6--Bill Clinton on Electronic Technology (From EFFector 3.04)
- File 7--Call for Cu-Related Papers for MSS
-
- Cu-Digest is a weekly electronic journal/newsletter. Subscriptions are
- available at no cost from tk0jut2@mvs.cso.niu.edu. The editors may be
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- Jim Thomas, Department of Sociology, NIU, DeKalb, IL 60115.
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-
- ----------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- Date: Sun, 13 Sep 92 11:21:01 CDT
- From: Moderators <tk0jut2@mvs.cso.niu.edu>
- Subject: File 1--Moderators' Corner (More FAQs)
-
- Some more Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs), incuding some not exactly
- asked but thought we'd respond anyway:
-
- 1. WHY DOES CuD REPRINT STUFF THAT'S ALREADY APPEARED ON USENET OR
- FROM EFFector WHEN MANY READERS HAVE PROBABLY ALREADY SEEN THESE
- POSTS?
-
- We estimate that about one-third of our readers do not have
- conventional net access and read CuD from BBSs, public access systems
- without net-connections, or from other sources where they wouldn't see
- valuable information (such as the EFF posting below). Therefore, we
- try to provide a variety of material that would interest an incredibly
- diverse readership.
-
- 2. WHY DO THE MODERATORS SAY SOMETHING IS COMING OUT IN ISSUE #4.xx
- AND IT DOESN'T APPEAR UNTIL SEVERAL ISSUES LATER?
-
- Sometimes our own personal schedules prevent us from writing up our
- own material or following up on items. Usually, however, it's because
- of practical concerns, such as keeping issues to about 40 K (which
- means that two 20K posts intended for a single issue must be split if
- we have several 5-10K posts to include) or trying to keep thematic
- issues in sequence (such as the SPA issue which will most likely be
- two or three sequential issues), or--as is the case this week--because
- of a long post that comprises most of an issue, which moves everything
- forward. Hence, #4.44 will be The Cuckoo's Egg issue, and the
- following two will be SPA issues.
-
- WHEN DO YOU KEEP REMINDING PEOPLE THAT CuD WILL NO LONGER BE AVAILABLE
- AS AN ALT GROUP ON USENET?
-
- Because we are still receiving occasional posts inquiring why the
- comp.society.cu-digest version is not available on a given site. We
- are trying to be politely subtle in reminding sysads TO SWITCH OVER
- because the ALT version is about to disappear!
-
- NOBODY ASKED, BUT WHEN RESPONDING TO PREVIOUS ARTICLES:
-
- *PLEASE TRY* to keep cited material to a minimum. Generally, it is far
- better to summarize a post and make sure your own response is
- sufficiently clear that it addresses that post in a way that allows
- others to understand what the issues are. Good writing need not
- depend on long cites unless, of course, those cites are critical to
- the response.
-
- WHY DON'T THE MODERATORS ACKNOWLEDGE RECEIPT OF ARTICLES?
-
- We try to acknowledge *all* of them. Our system has no auto-reply, and
- everything is read by humanpholk. Sometimes things slip through the
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-
- HOW DO I KNOW IF SOMETHING I'VE WRITTEN IS APPROPRIATE FOR CuD?
-
- If it addresses some issue of cyberculture, raises issues, provides
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- NOBODY ASKED, BUT WHEN SENDING CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENTS:
-
- It helps to send stuff *prior* to the conference rather than a day or
- before it's to occur. Two-three weeks or more should be the minimum.
-
- ------------------------------
-
- Date: Fri, 11 Sep 92 15:16:56 JST
- From: "Robert J. Woodhead" <trebor@FORETUNE.CO.JP>
- Subject: File 2--Re: Piracy/Social Context (#4.42)
-
- With regards the following article, I have some comments.
-
- >Date--Tue, 1 Sep 1992 10:22:44 -0700
- >From--James I. Davis <jdav@WELL.SF.CA.US>
- >Subject--Software Piracy--The Social Context
-
- In CUD 4.42, James I. Davis argues that property rights in information
- are a bad idea. I would like to argue the opposite.
-
- First of all, I believe we can take it as a given that information has
- value. Ask any stockbroker, bookie or 5-star General if you don't
- believe me. Whenever commodities of value exist, so does the
- possibility of trade; buying and selling. In a free-market economy,
- prices are set based on supply and demand, with sellers attempting to
- maximize the equation of (# of copies sold)*(profit per copy).
-
- The fundamental difference between the sale of information and the
- sale of breakfast cereal (or any other physical commodity) is that
- when information is sold, nothing physical is transferred. Once you
- have a bit of information, you can sell it zillions of times, and
- what's more, anyone you sell it to can do likewise, if they were so
- inclined.
-
- Wherein lies the problem - if everyone can sell every bit of
- information they buy from another, the value of information, and thus
- the incentive to create it, plummets. Which is why it is only very
- rarely that information is actually sold - what you buy is the right
- to USE the information for your own benefit.
-
- Information industries have always been with us - book publication for
- example. There have been many analogies made between book and
- soft-ware publishers, but there is a fundamental difference; whereas
- it costs more to Xerox a book than to buy an original, the digital
- nature of software reverses the relationship. Why buy an original
- when you can get an identical copy much cheaper?
-
- My answer to the above is that when you make a copy, you are stealing
- from two groups of people : the people who create and distribute the
- software, and the people who legitimately buy it. In the first case,
- you are showing a lack of respect for the creative efforts of other
- people; in the second, you are forcing the legitimate customers to
- shoulder a larger share of the development expenses than they would
- otherwise have to. Mr. Davis totally misunderstands this
- relation-ship, as he demonstrates in his final paragraphs where he
- attempts to show that even with "24 billion" in piracy the software
- industry is still profitable. Most of that 24 billion came out of the
- pockets of legitimate users.
-
- Mr. Davis also misunderstands the meaning of the "Fair Use Doctrine,"
- which applies to how information that has legally been acquired may be
- redisseminated. FUD has little or nothing to do with the concept of
- software piracy. What FUD does say is what the purchaser or recipient
- of information (eg: a computer game or a TV program) can do with the
- information - for example, it says you can make as many backup copies
- as you want, but not give them away.
-
- He then goes on to state that the enforcement of property rights in
- information would require a police state. Nonsense. What it requires
- is the proper application of contract law, something we have hundreds
- of years experience with. When you buy the right to use some
- infor-mation, you agree to abide by the restrictions placed upon you
- by the seller. If you don't like the restrictions, don't buy. If you
- decide to say "Screw You!" to the seller and steal it, expect to get
- censured it.
-
- He further argues that enforcing property rights impedes the proper
- dissemination of the storehouse of knowledge. I would argue the
- opposite. By placing value on particular types of information, such
- property rights guide the employment of human ingenuity in the
- direction of providing the most valuable and needed information, and
- the rewards given to those who create, or who have the wisdom to cause
- to be created, the most valuable information, encourage others. He
- bemoans the problems of schools and software, yet in fact the major
- reason why tons of wonderful software isn't available cheaply is due
- to the fact that schools are notorious for buying 1 copy for the
- entire school system (I speak from personal experience here). Very
- few companies specialize in educational software for schools for this
- reason. And his textbook example (sorry) is specious because it has
- nothing to do with software and everything to do with the cost of
- printing books.
-
- Lastly, Mr. Davis, after arguing that property rights = police state,
- advocates that we entrust to the government the duty of deciding who
- is to be paid for creating what information. Anyone who has actually
- seen how much time and money is wasted due to infighting about grants
- from the NSF would never make such a suggestion. He also brings up
- the red herring of "it isn't the creators who get the money, but the
- entrepreneurs." Hell, they risked the money to pay the creators, they
- deserve the rewards. Having been on all sides of the equation, I can
- tell you, in general everyone gets what they deserve. If a creator is
- truly that, and not just a hack programmer who can code a module, he
- can negotiate a % of the profits - just like in the movies. (except
- computer firms usually aren't as sneaky accounting-wise)
-
- Finally, he argues that property rights aren't needed to ensure
- software production. My answer is, yes and no. While many people
- create for the heck of it (me included), the fact is, there needs to
- be a way for people to protect the fruits of their labors if they
- choose to protect them. If the GNU approach is better than
- Micro-softs, then the marketplace will decide. The fundamental
- difference between myself and Mr. Davis (and the GNU folks) is that
- they feel that the government should make everyone do things the way
- they want, and I think that contract law and private agreements are
- all that are needed.
-
- I'll quote his last paragraph:
-
- >(4) But but but, how will software get written, who will finance it?
- >Knowledge is a _social_ treasury, and should be funded socially.
- >Public competitions, grants, a social fund supported by users,
- >whatever. We >have som>e models already: the university and federal
- >research model; the arts funding model; the GNU experiment; the
- >freeware and public domain experience. We're a creative and energetic
- >group -- we can figure it out.
-
- Welfare for Hackers. What a wonderful idea. (heavy sarcasm) Any
- hacker worthy of the name would spurn it.
-
- ------------------------------
-
- Date: Thu, 10 Sep 92 09:14:49 EDT
- From: morgan@ENGR.UKY.EDU(Wes Morgan)
- Subject: File 3--Re: Piracy/Social Context (#4.42)
-
- >From-- James I. Davis <jdav@WELL.SF.CA.US>
- >Subject-- Software Piracy--The Social Context
- >
- >Anne Branscomb, a strong advocate of property rights in information --
- >admits that there is nothing "natural" about property rights (see her
- >essay "Property Rights in Information"). Property rights are social
- >conventions that are struggled over. And we shouldn't give up that
- >fight to the SPA.
-
- I disagree with several arguments used against said rights.
-
- >Re: software "piracy" in schools, perhaps we should see an extension
- >of "Fair Use Doctrine" to software use in schools. A bit of recent
- >history -- broadcast TV shows were not intended to be copied and
- >viewed at leisure at home. But to have stuck to that point, the courts
- >would have criminalized a substantial number of adults who were
- >time-shifting with their VCRs to watch soaps or football games or
- >whatever.
-
- Whoa! That wasn't the deciding factor at ALL! The decision was based
- on the notion of "personal use". As I understand it, the courts decided
- that individuals could record programs for later viewing. The court af-
- firmed the copyright of the broadcasters when they disallowed rescreening
- and/or rebroadcasting for profit. Even though you can tape "Days of Our Lives"
- for yourself, you CANNOT charge people to view, nor can you rebroadcast the
- program on your local Public Access channel.
-
- What's the difference between taping/rebroadcasting a TV show and
- copying/redistributing software? In each case, the initial step
- (taping or copying, respectively) is legal FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY;
- the second step (rebroadcasting/redistributing) is a violation of
- copyright.
-
- You'll notice that most software licenses allow you to make a backup
- copy FOR PERSONAL USE ONLY.
-
- >So "fair use", originally intended to allow book reviewers
- >to quote from works, was de jure extended to a de facto reality --
- >people "stole" TV shows, and enjoyed them. I understand that fair use
- >extends to school use as well.
-
- Here's a relevant quote:
-
- "Section 107 of the Copyright Act establishes four basic factors to be
- examined in determining whether a use constitutes a "fair use" under
- the copyright law. These factors are:
-
- a) The purpose and character of the use, including whether
- such use is of a commercial nature or is for nonprofit
- educational use;
-
- b) The nature of the copyrighted work;
-
- c) The amount and substantiality of the portion of the work used
- in relation to the copyrighted work as a whole; and
-
- d) The effect of the use in question upon the potential market for
- or value of the copyrighted work.
-
- No one factor is determinative of a person's right to use a copyrighted
- work without permission. (EDUCATIONAL USE ALONE IS NOT SUFFICIENT TO
- MAKE A USE IN QUESTION A FAIR ONE.)"
-
- [Source: "Questions and Answers on Copyright for the Campus Community", the
- Association of American Publishers and the National Association of College
- Stores, Inc., 1991]
-
- We may agree that copying software meets criterion (a); the others are
- more difficult to justify. The crux of this particular problem lies in
- criterion (d). Copying software DEFINITELY affects the "potential market"
- for that software; if I can copy it, I don't have to buy it!
-
- >Why don't people just see that loaning disks, copying programs, etc.
- >is wrong? Because it's not obvious, and it certainly isn't "naturally"
- >wrong.
-
- I disagree. I find it painfully obvious that I should not take someone
- else's property and redistribute it injudiciously.
-
- >The SPA has to cultivate a mindset that isn't there.
-
- Most of the license agreements I've read are explicit "right to use" licenses,
- as opposed to a "transfer of ownership". If you purchase a copy of the
- software, you agree to abide by the terms of the agreement. You can argue
- the propriety of that agreement until you're blue in the face, but you still
- have a legal obligation to abide by its terms.
-
- The same notion applies to the terms of an apartment lease, a car rental con-
- tract, or the deed to one's home. Each of these contract contains several
- clauses which bind the parties to certain limitations.
-
- >You give
- >me knowledge, you still have use of it; now I can use it too.
-
- Computer software is not "knowledge".
-
- I can certainly share knowledge with you; I can teach you everything there
- is to know about Quattro Pro, WordPerfect, or Microsoft Windows. However,
- "sharing knowledge" does not include giving you something (the software it-
- self) for which I do not possess redistribution rights.
-
- >It's not like I stole your silverware or pinched your car. A
- >rather noble attribute, sharing, is turned into a crime!
-
- Sharing, while noble, only applies to those things which are yours.
- As I mentioned earlier, the computer software you purchase is not
- usually your property.
-
- Would you make a copy of Webster's Dictionary and give it to a friend?
- I don't believe that you would; most people would intuitively classify
- such copying as "wrong". The 'intangible' nature of computer software
- (some say "It's just bits on a floppy disk") does not negate this "common
- sense" approach.
-
- >And we are
- >all to be enlisted in this SPA scheme for policing property rights of
- >software companies. No thanks.
-
- Gee, why don't you just Xerox (tm) your entire printed library for me?
- I guess that would be just fine, right?
-
- >Property rights and information just don't go together:
-
- If we accept this notion, why do we have patents? After all, patented works
- are just a tangible expression of a particular piece of knowledge. Copy-
- righted works are a tangible expression of another kind; why should they be
- treated differently?
-
- >(1) The enforcement of property rights in information requires a
- >police state. The SPA encourages people to squeal on each other by
- >calling an 800 number.
-
- So? Most major companies have a "graft and corruption" number.
- Many government agencies (IRS, BATF) have similar facilities. Even
- local governments get into the act; do you have "CrimeStoppers" broad-
- casts on your local TV stations?
-
- >If the laws were enforced, I would bet that
- >_most_ computer users would be guilty.
-
- So? This is starting to sound like "everybody does it, so it must be
- allowed"......and that's a load of poppycock.
-
- >Hence, the population is
- >criminalized, and subject to police and court control.
-
- It has been estimated that over 70% of US taxpayers attempt to mislead
- the IRS on their yearly tax returns. [Source: US News and World Report]
- The IRS cannot audit every return, but they usually detect (and punish)
- the worst offenders. Does that "incomplete enforcement" somehow justify
- the illegal actions of the unpunished offenders? Hardly.
-
- The SPA (or the Copyright Office, or whoever) will never have the resources
- to police *everyone*. I suspect that the 'software police' will eventually
- follow the same principle as the IRS -- get the worst offenders. In fact,
- SPA's current actions reflect this trend. They (the SPA) aren't going after
- Joe Shmo and his Commodore 64; they're targeting the big corporations and
- universities.
-
- >Just because
- >the laws aren't enforced in totality doesn't mean that they can't be
- >used.
-
- Are you trying to create a distinction between "a bootleg copy of Turbo C
- on my son's PC" and "copying Turbo C for everyone in my office"? I don't
- believe that you can make this work; in each case, the action is improper.
- The fact that "my office" is more likely to be caught/punished than my son
- is irrelevant; both cases are improper.
-
- >(2) Enforcing property rights in information prevents the "storehouse
- >of knowledge" from being used optimally.
-
- I do not accept the equivalence of computer software and information,
- but I'll address a few of these points anyway.......
-
- >Hence society and civilization is held back.
-
- With the growing number of "public access" computing sites, this may very
- well become a moot point. Many high school computer facilities have "public
- hours" for their community(ies); many public libraries are establishing com-
- puter facilities for their patrons. I fail to see how "I can't get a free
- copy of Lotus" impedes the progress of civilization.
-
- >The lost productivity due to conflicting
- >standards and interfaces required because of proprietary interfaces
- >etc. is one example.
-
- This is true; however, are you going to force each and every
- company/school/person to adhere to some particular "nonproprietary"
- interface? If so, how do you hope to accomplish it?
-
- >The lost educational opportunities resulting from
- >schools not getting the software they need in the quantities they need
- >is another.
-
- I agree that this is a real problem. However, many software companies
- are now discounting bulk licenses for schools. Inexpensive "student
- versions" are available for many popular software packages, such as
- WordPerfect, Maple, and MATLAB.
-
- >The lost time of researchers who must duplicate research
- >because they are prevented from sharing information because of trade
- >secrecy or international competition is another.
-
- Please explain how "globally free" software would affect this situation.
-
- >The unavailability of
- >textbooks in poor countries because they cost as much as a month's
- >wages (or software that costs as much as a year's wages) is another .
-
- Several publishing houses in the Third World pirate textbooks; since
- their countries are not signatories to the Berne Convention, the original
- publishers cannot recover their losses.
-
- >(3) Property rights in information aren't needed to ensure software
- >production, creativity, advancement of society, etc. The freeware and
- >public domain library testify to this. People create for many reasons,
- >of which financial gain is only one, and I would argue, not the most
- >important.
-
- People may create for many reasons, but *companies* create for financial gain.
-
- >Finally, is the software
- >industry profitable today? Yes.
-
- It is profitable AT THIS TIME. Will it continue to be profitable in
- a society where piracy is allowed on any scale? I doubt it.
-
- >Even with the $24 billion in "piracy".
- >How can this be so? Because what the software companies "lose" is
- >revenue with no associated cost (the "pirate" has done the labor, and
- >presumably provided the equipment and disk). This is the difference
- >between stealing cars and duplicating software.
-
- That's incorrect.
-
- If I steal your car, you (or your insurance company) will have to pur-
- chase a new one. Honda (or GM, or whoever) has now given out TWO cars,
- but they have recognized a profit on each one.
-
- If I steal a copy of Lotus 1-2-3 (remember, you DO NOT OWN your copy;
- you merely have a license to use it), I do not have to pay Lotus. You
- don't have to pay for another copy; you still have your original. Lotus
- has now (effectively) given out TWO copies, but they have only recognized
- the profit from one copy.
-
- That sounds like a loss to me........
-
- >(4) But but but, how will software get written, who will finance it?
- >Knowledge is a _social_ treasury, and should be funded socially.
- >Public competitions, grants, a social fund supported by users,
- >whatever. We have some models already: the university and federal
- >research model; the arts funding model; the GNU experiment; the
- >freeware and public domain experience. We're a creative and energetic
- >group -- we can figure it out.
-
- There's one topic which hasn't been addressed in this article; I rarely
- see it addressed in any article on this particular subject.
-
- The whole concept of copyrights (and patents) is based on the notion that
- the creator of a commercial product is entitled to some compensation for
- their effort. With patents, this compensation is realized through an
- exclusive production license for a certain number of years; with copy-
- rights, this compensation is realized through a similar exclusive license.
- (I believe that a personal copyright extends through the life of the owner,
- plus a certain extension after the owner's death.)
-
- By your arguments, I would not realize any significant compensation at all
- for the software I develop. In your society, I would just toss my product i
- into the population, and we'd all live happily ever after. That doesn't work,
- and it isn't right! If I pour 4 years of my life into the development of
- SnarkleFlex, I DESERVE to profit from it (assuming that people want to
- purchase/use it).
-
- We could certainly argue that software should be PATENTED. If software
- were patented (instead of copyrighted), both sides could be served equally:
-
- - The creator (or creating firm) would receive an exclusive
- license for the initial production of the product (software).
- This would ensure that the creator(s) received compensation
- for their efforts.
-
- - After a certain period of time (10 years? 20?), the product
- would lapse into the public domain; it could then be redis-
- tributed freely.
-
- As an alternative, previous versions of a particular package could lapse
- into the public domain upon the release of a newer version. For instance,
- SnarkleFlex 1.0 would become PD upon the release of SnarkleFlex 2.0. If
- I've done a good job on SnarkleFlex 2.0, people will prefer it to version
- 1.0; they'll buy the new version, I'll realize my profit, and other people
- can treat version 1.0 as PD. In fact, casting SnarkleFlex 1.0 into the
- public domain may actually CREATE new customers for version 2.0; after
- using the old version, they may decide to buy the new version!
-
- (Of course, I could also save money by dropping support for any versions
- that pass into PD status. Many companies drop support for older versions
- on a regular basis; for example, I don't think you can get support for
- SuperCalc 3 at this time)
-
- ------------------------------
-
- Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1992 14:00:00 EDT
- From: Jeff Johnson <jjohnson@HPLJAJ.HPL.HP.COM>
- Subject: File 4--PD-related IFAC symposium, 9/23, Madison
-
- -+++++- Forwarded Message
-
- Date--Fri, 28 Feb 92 15:00:51 PST
- From--mad@mambo.Stanford.EDU (Marcia A. Derr)
- Subject--PD-related IFAC symposium
-
- The International Federation of Automatic Control (IFAC) is holding
- symposium on Automated Systems Based on Human Skill (and
- Intelligence), September 23-25, 1992 in Madison, Wisconsin. According
- to the symposium announcement, ``the objective of the symposium is to
- bring together engineers, system designers, and end users, to bring
- about a closer integration between users, who often possess specific
- skills and designers who often seek designs to replace rather than
- enhance skills.''
-
- The symposium will address such topics as
-
- - aspects of skill-based manufacturing,
- - human work design criteria,
- - design of better systems,
- - valuation of alternative work structures and organizations, and
- - participation of people involved.
-
- For more information, contact
- Prof. Frank Emspak
- School for Workers
- UWEX
- 610 Langdon Street
- Madison, Wisconsin 53703
- USA
- Phone: 608-262-2111
- FAX: 608-265-2391
-
- ------- End of Forwarded Message
- (Contributor Note:: There is a file on the CPSR archive server called
- IFAC CALL4PAP which can be retrieved by submitting the command GET
- IFAC CALL4PAP to the address LISTSERV@GWUVM.GWU.EDU, in the text of
- electronic mail. -peh)
-
- ------------------------------
-
- Date: Fri, 11 Sep 92 13:47:52 EDT
- From: Rita Marie Rouvalis <rita@EFF.ORG>
- Subject: File 5--Cliff Figallo Online (From EFFector Online, # 3.04)
-
- FIGALLO ONLINE AT EFF.ORG
-
- Cliff Figallo became the new director of EFF-Cambridge at the
- beginning of the month. Former director of The Whole Earth 'Lectronic
- Link (the EFF's birthplace), Fig is charged with developing and
- coordinating the Cambridge office's outreach activities, increasing
- active EFF membership, and expanding overall awareness of the EFF's
- programs in the computer-conferencing community and the world at
- large.
-
- Commenting on his new task, Figallo said, "EFF came upon the online
- scene a couple years ago with a big splash. I'd like for us to
- continue splashing. EFF is uniquely engaged in many useful and
- important activities in the areas of online civil liberties, sane
- lawmaking and advocacy of improved electronic highways for the future.
- I want news of these activities to get out to the people for whom we
- are making a difference. I also want us to develop better channels
- for these same people to communicate their wants and needs to those of
- us with access to the legal, informational and technical resources.
- Our purpose is to serve those wants and needs for the betterment of
- the world.
-
- "More specifically, I will encourage people to become members of
- EFF by demonstrating to them the value of a membership. One should
- expect noticeable benefits from paying membership dues and I intend to
- make it plain that those benefits exist and will only increase as more
- people become involved in telecommunications. I will also be working
- with regional groups who may be interested in forming local EFF
- chapters so that we can learn together how such affiliations can
- enhance our mutual effectiveness.
-
- "I'm excited about working here. I believe in what EFF is all
- about."
-
- Cliff can be reached as fig@eff.org.
-
- ------------------------------
-
- Date: Fri, 11 Sep 92 13:47:52 EDT
- From: Rita Marie Rouvalis <rita@EFF.ORG>
- Subject: File 6--Bill Clinton on Electronic Technology (From EFFector 3.04)
-
- STATEMENT OF BILL CLINTON FOR THE INSTITUTE OF ELECTRICAL
- AND ELECTRONIC ENGINEERS (IEEE)
-
- Bill Clinton for President Committee * 1317 F Street, NW, Suite 902 *
- Washington DC 20004 Telephone 202-393-3323 FAX 202-393-3329
- e-mail correspondence@dc.Clinton-Gore.org
-
- "We face a fundamental economic challenge today: to create a
- high-wage, high-growth national economy that will carry America into
- the 21st century. We need a long-term national strategy to meet this
- challenge and win.
-
- "Our productivity and income have been growing so slowly because
- we've stopped investing in the economic infrastructure that binds our
- markets and businesses together, in the education and training
- necessary to give our workers world-class skills, and in the research
- and development that can restore America to the cutting edge of the
- world economy. As a nation, we're spending more on the present and
- the past and building less for the future. We need a President who
- will turn the country around and refocus on the long view. As
- President, I will divide the budget into three parts, creating a
- separate 'future budget' for the federal government to make
- investments that will enrich our country over the long term. Today
- the federal government spends only 9 per cent of the budget on
- investments for the future; a Clinton Administration will double that.
- We will pay for it by diverting resources no longer needed for
- defense, but we will ensure that every dollar we take out of military
- R&D goes into R&D for civilian technologies until civilian R&D can
- match and eventually surpass our Cold War military R&D commitment.
-
- "As President, I will create an investment tax credit and a new
- enterprise tax cut that rewards those who invest in new businesses
- that create new jobs. I will also make the research and development
- tax credit permanent.
-
- "My administration will create a civilian research and development
- agency to support research in the technologies that scientists have
- already identified as the basis for launching new growth industries
- and revitalizing traditional ones over the next two decades. This
- civilian DARPA will coordinate R&D to help companies develop
- innovative technologies and bring new products to market. And without
- inhibiting the competition that drives innovation, we will encourage
- and promote collaborative efforts among firms and with research
- institutes for commercial development just as we have done with
- defense technologies for 40 years.
-
- "A Clinton Administration will create a high-speed rail network
- between out nation's major cities. And in the new economy,
- infrastructure means information as well as transportation. More than
- half the U.S. workforce is employed in information-intensive
- industries, yet we have no national strategy to create a national
- information network. Just as the interstate highway system in the
- 1950s spurred two decades of economic growth, we need a door-to-door
- fiber optics system by the year 2015; a link to every home, lab,
- classroom and business in America.
-
- "For small defense manufacturers hit by cuts in defense spending,
- the Small Business Administration will provide small conversion loans
- to help finance their transition, and launch a Technology Assistance
- Service -- modeled on the Agricultural Extension Service -- to provide
- easy access to the technical expertise it takes to convert to
- commercial production.
-
- "To enjoy the full benefit of these investments, we must do
- everything possible to open up markets now closed to American
- products. My administration will provide the leadership for Japan and
- the European countries to join us in coordinating our macroeconomic
- policies and in reaching multilateral trade negotiations. But we will
- also provide the muscle to open up Japan's markets to competitive U.S.
- products using a stronger and more carefully targeted "Super 301"
- approach. We favor a free and open trading system, but if our
- competitors won't play by those rules, we will play by theirs.
-
- "All the investments in the world won't mean much if our workers
- don't have the education or the skills to take advantage of the
- opportunities they create. My administration will fully fund Head
- Start, increase funding for Chapter 1, and provide seed money for
- innovative education projects. However, we will also raise standards
- by establishing a national testing system in elementary and secondary
- schools and instituting report cards for ever state, school district,
- and school in the nation, to measure their progress. We will also
- create a nationwide apprenticeship program for those young people who
- choose not to go to college, and a national trust fund for college
- loans for those who do. These loans will be repaid either as a small
- percentage of income over time or with a couple of years of national
- service.
-
- "With the strategy I have outlined, we can restore the American
- Dream by enabling every citizen and every business to become more
- productive, and in so doing, restore our nation to the front lines of
- high technology.
-
- ------------------------------
-
- Date: Sun, 13 Sep 92 18:59:51 CDT
- From: Jim Thomas <tk0jut2@mvs.cso.niu.edu>
- Subject: File 7--Call for Cu-Related Papers for MSS
-
- Jim Thomas is organizing a session at the Midwest Sociological
- Meetings (April 7-10, '93) on "NEW INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES AND
- CRIME."
-
- The topic is broad, and includes computer deviance (hacking, viruses,
- computer crime, copyright, etc....); Methodological, ethical, legal,
- and other issues related to researching the topic; Law enforcement
- uses of new technology; New definitions and types of crime shaped by
- the "techno-revolution" in computers and telecommunications; and uses
- of technology to commit crimes or avoid detection.
-
- Empirical papers from a qualitative perspective are preferred.
-
- The deadine for paper titles and short (50-150 word abstract) is
- OCTOBER 15, 1992
-
- Send them to: Jim Thomas
- Sociology
- Northern Illinois University
- DeKalb, IL (60115
- (voice: 815-756-3839 ; fax: 815-753-6302)
-
- Or: tk0jut1@niu.bitnet / tk0jut2@mvs.cso.niu.edu /jthomas@well.sf.ca.us
-
- ------------------------------
-
- End of Computer Underground Digest #4.43
- ************************************
-