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-
- Computer underground Digest Sun Jul 16, 1995 Volume 7 : Issue 60
- ISSN 1004-042X
-
- Editors: Jim Thomas and Gordon Meyer (TK0JUT2@MVS.CSO.NIU.EDU
- Archivist: Brendan Kehoe
- Shadow Master: Stanton McCandlish
- Field Agent Extraordinaire: David Smith
- Shadow-Archivists: Dan Carosone / Paul Southworth
- Ralph Sims / Jyrki Kuoppala
- Ian Dickinson
-
- CONTENTS, #7.60 (Sun, Jul 16, 1995)
-
- File 1--Re CuD #7.55 and Dangers of Computer Intrusions
- File 2--Copyrights and Obscenity
- File 3--Re: File 6--File 1--Against Intellectual Property
- File 4--Senator Grassley's Buthering of "CMU Study" Stats
- File 5--NEWS: Hacker Disrupts Internet Link (fwd)
- File 6--Voice of America on CDA (fwd)
- File 7--'The Hackers Book of Poetry' (fwd)
- File 8--AA BBS appeal for help (fwd)
- File 9--Cu Digest Header Info (unchanged since 19 Apr, 1995)
-
- CuD ADMINISTRATIVE, EDITORIAL, AND SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION APPEARS IN
- THE CONCLUDING FILE AT THE END OF EACH ISSUE.
-
- ---------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- Date: Mon, 03 Jul 1995 08:22:44 -0500
- From: spaf@CS.PURDUE.EDU(Gene Spafford)
- Subject: Re CuD #7.55 and Dangers of Computer Intrusions
-
- In the article quoting from Flatland #12, there are some statements
- on which I would like to comment:
-
- >
- > Only Joe McCarthy knows how Robert Hager came up with a figure
- > of 98 percent for undetected break-ins, and then pretended it was
- > worth repeating. Hager continued with his voice-over and began
- > talking about hackers breaking into one nameless hospital's records
- > and reversing the results of a dozen pap smears. Patients who may
- > have had ovarian cancer, Hager claimed, were told instead that they
- > were okay.
-
- No, others know where it came from too, because we follow the
- literature on such things. In fact, these results have been widely
- published in various media, including Computerworld and InfoSecurity
- News. The same experiment has been done by different groups within
- DoD, including the Air Force Information Warfare group, and the
- Defence Information Systems Agency (DISA). The DISA report was the
- one that got the publicity, as I recall. The numbers I have from the
- article were that attempts to break in, using captured "hacker"
- toolkits, were made against 8932 DoD systems. 7860 of those were
- successfully penetrated. Of those, 390 penetrations were detected,
- but only 19 were reported to the proper authorities. So, 95% of
- successful break-ins were undetected, but 99.8% went unreported.
-
- The hospital story is old news too, and not the worst of ones
- reported. I don't keep an extensive clipping file of these things,
- but others do, and some research in the library would reveal many
- such stories -- including several involving worse damage.
-
- And those are the ones reported. I've heard NDA and confidential
- briefings that are much more troubling. (And I hate that they are
- being kept confidential -- if we publicized these things a little
- more, it might help wake people up some; see my comments further on.)
-
-
- There are some real problems in the area of computer security.
-
-
-
- > So Big Brother has a problem. But it's not so much a problem
- > of national security, except perhaps in the broad sense of economic
- > vulnerability. Defense and intelligence systems that are classified
- > are not connected to the Internet. When the Pentagon complains to
- > NBC about national security, what they really mean is that they
- > might have to forego the convenience of Internet contacts with
- > their contractors, and use other means instead.
-
- This evidences either ignorance or disregard for reality. First of
- all, there are a lot of sensitive but unclassified systems on the
- network involving government. Although disclosure of any arbitrary
- bit of information may not be a problem, disclosure of large chunks of
- it might be (inference), But that isn't the main problem -- anyone
- getting in to the systems and crashing them or altering the
- information could really wreak havoc. Imagine if the payroll systems
- for the Army were disrupted so that all the enlisted men didn't get
- paid for a month. Or if the logistics supply computers were taken
- down and data corrupted just prior to a major operation?
-
- But national security is much more than simply military systems. The
- well-being of the citizens depends on many other organizations
- operating smoothly. If, for instance, the NY Stock Exchange were to
- be shut down, or the Chicago futures trading market were to be
- corrupted so there was no confidence in the records, the result might
- well be another stock market crash. You can bet that would have
- implications for national security and our well-being.
-
- One time-worn technique for destabilizing a country is to counterfeit
- its currency. If you can flood the world with good quality
- counterfeit, you either cause enough doubt to get people to stop
- accepting it, and/or you can cause massive inflation in the country
- involved. If you can get in to the networks and redirect the
- currency, or generate "fake" money in transactions, you can have much
- the same effect. only faster, and in larger quantities.
-
- Or what if techno-terrorists (or simply young hackers & phreakers who
- don't really know what they're doing ... or don't care) were to crash
- the computers coordinating the electric power grids over the
- northeast, or take down long-distance service for a couple of days?
- These are highly disruptive, and done at the wrong time could threaten
- far more than the inconvenienced customers.
-
- There are lots more possibilities if you only think about them. Many
- have been documented, and quite a few have been discussed in places
- like the Risks Digest over the years. Many of us have been worried
- about and speaking out against the computerization of so much of our
- infrastructure without adequate safeguards. The worry now is that by
- networking these systems into the Internet, we have a high-speed
- conduit for malfeasors.
-
- National security can be eroded from within as well as from without.
-
-
- This is all separate from the other comments made in the article. I
- think it is more than a tad paranoid to attribute so much motive and
- coordination to the government, and it presumes a far more cordial and
- cooperative relationship among TLAs (three-letter agencies) than
- really exists....unless you believe in the Illuminati and the
- Tri-Lateral Commission and the secret UN forces in the black
- helicopters. :-)
-
- However, there is a thread of rightous concern in the story that we
- should note. For years, people have ignored the sensible cautions of
- experts on computer security. Now, everyone's in a mad rush to hook
- up to a global network, often without any other motive than the fact
- that lots of other people are doing it too. The result is massive
- exposure to risks that are poorly understood. Because they're not
- taking the precautions themselves, the government is making noises
- about imposing standards from without, because they have been paying
- more attention to the security concerns (but still not paying enough
- attention of the right kinds).
-
- I am really bothered by the Clipper initiative, and the Digital
- Telephony bill, and the Exon Amendment, and the Time magazine
- "cyberporn" misrepresentation, and all the other acts along these
- lines. I am scared by reports that the director of the FBI claims
- that private encryption may be outlawed and there is no Constitutional
- right to privacy (although, in one technical sense, he is correct -
- there is no *explicit* such right).
-
- Although deeply troubled by these developments, I am not surprised.
- I've seen it coming, as have others in the field. The vendors are
- helping it along by providing shoddy software with little in the way
- of security; the users are helping it along by continuing to buy that
- crap without demanding better; the media is helping it along by
- focusing on the issues of porn and kiddie runaways instead of the
- underlying problems; the computer literate are helping it along by
- focusing on rights and ignoring responsibilities and dangers; and the
- underground is accelerating the push by distributing more and more
- powerful break-in tools so they fall in the hands of the careless (and
- often venal).
-
- I don't think there is any organized conspiracy involved in
- government. I think it is more the case that they see a lot of the
- dark side of the whole issue, and they are very worried. They also
- don't see enough public concern, nor do they see enough action in the
- marketplace. They are trying to act, often in the only way they can.
- That doesn't mean the rest of us should take it, nor that we should
- like it if they succeed. However, as a public, we've done a damned
- poor job of addressing the problems on our own. We should all be
- worried about government getting carried away. But we should be as
- worried (or more) about the people who are rushing to put our stores,
- hospitals, media and banks on-line. And we should be outraged at the
- lack of quality control and lack of safety involved with the software
- we are sold.
-
- ------------------------------
-
- From: Dave++ Ljung <dxl@HPESDXL.FC.HP.COM>
- Subject: File 2--Copyrights and Obscenity
- Date: Thu, 6 Jul 95 11:39:51 MDT
-
- Intellectual Property
- ---------------------
-
- Keith, thanks for an excellent article! You saved me the trouble
- of typing all this up myself, I don't think I could have done it as well :)
-
- Regarding the reply by Brian Martin:
-
- * You seem to ignore the many problems that are brought up by the removal
- of intellectual property - many of which Keith brought up in his article.
-
- Your response always seems to be that their are other possibilities, but
- then you always give us examples that would point towards a Socialist
- economic system, citing such possibilities as:
- contributions from viewers for specific directors
- (who pays for the first movie?)
- guaranteed annual income
- (presumably from the gov't? regardless of talent?)
- payments based on number of library copies
- (this is a measure of talent? what about non mainstream books such
- as The Anarchist's Cookbook, not likely to be found in a library?
- also, once again, this is presumably paid by the gov't?)
- relying on journalism
- (so then they would simply donate their books written during
- their spare time? What would a musical performer rely on for income?)
-
- * You also point out that many performers like pirate tapes of
- their *concerts* This is an example of a performer choosing not
- to pursue copyright violation, which is fine. However I am sure
- these performers would feel very different if a company made copies
- of their own CDs and started to sell those.
-
- * I appreciate your point about the assumed value of Jurassic Park.
- However, Keith's arguments apply to any movie, regardless of cost.
- The main point being that creating a movie will always be more expensive
- than copying it - hence there is no way to recover such costs without
- resorting to Socialist type means.
-
- I see no answers for a Capitalist society. If you wish to discuss
- Capitalism vs. Socialism, that's fine - I won't assume the superiority
- of Capitalism. But if you are asking us to change our economic system
- to a more Socialist system, then I think you need to write a much larger
- paper (of which the issue of intellectual property could certainly be one
- of your arguments).
-
- ------------------------------------------------------
-
- Obscenity In Cyberspace
- -----------------------
-
- Only one point I wanted to make here. (explicit language used below)
-
- > This decision was in many was unsatisfactory because the court avoided
- > the sticky issue of defining obscenity...
-
- It seems to me that this people are missing the point.
-
- I don't think this is an issue of 'obscenity.' I personally have no
- problem with obscene material being available, certainly not on a
- BBS that requires 'membership.' You can create any scene you want
- between consenting adults, such as nailing one's genitalia to a
- table (ouch! ;). However, when you start to bring animals and children
- into pornographic material, I believe you are entering into the realm
- of rape, not obscenity. (I realize that whether or not children were
- in any of the gifs was only implied in the article, but it seems quite
- clear that bestiality was involved).
-
- So if they were prosecuting because of a hairless pussy nailed to a table,
- I would agree with the point of the article. But if they were prosecuting
- because of pictures of 'big horse cock in her twat' then I don't think this
- is a case I would want to use as a first amendment vehicle.
-
- ------------------------------
-
- Date: Fri, 30 Jun 1995 18:17:36 -0400
- From: vapspcx@PRISM.GATECH.EDU(S. Keith Graham)
- Subject: File 3--Re: File 6--File 1--Against Intellectual Property
-
- (This was written as a summary of a point by point critique
- of the original post. It was intended to be posted earlier,
- but bounced.)
-
- ==============================================================
-
- While I did appreciate the research and writing in the
- original article, it did contain one major flaw:
-
- It did not distinguish between "ideas" and "information
- products."
-
- Some examples of "ideas" vs. "information products", include
- "Word Processor" vs "MS-Word 6.0", "a dictionary" vs. "the OED",
- and "a dinosaur movie" vs. "Jurrasic Park".
-
- A finished, polished information product (including arguably
- the author's article) contains a great deal more work than simply
- thinking of an "idea". And copyright only extends to that
- specific "information product" (or work) and not to the underlying
- idea. (After all, I am still allowed to write an article against
- intellectual property, even though other articles have been written
- in the past.)
-
- For example, the discussion of the "marketplace of ideas" fails to
- distinguish that such a "marketplace" is truthfully of "ideas", and
- not "works". Once one believes in a given "truth", that person will
- buy works that support it. But the "marketplace" is a competition
- between "truths", long before specific works are regularly purchased.
-
- But the primary point remains, a finished "work" has a very large
- amount of effort (and typically money) invested in its creation.
- Without a financial incentive to "clean up" a computer program;
- most software authors wouldn't make the effort needed to
- add features that they (or their company) would not regularly use.
-
- Even in the case of personal computers, I could easily forsee IBM
- producing a proprietary computer archietecture and publishing software
- that will only run on their hardware. They will prevent copying
- not by law, but by fact.
-
- Further, if distribution of a piece of software would reduce a
- companies' competitive advantage; without financial incentives
- for that distribution; it is unlikely that they would provide
- free copies to the world. This results in duplication of creative
- effort at their competition. This does provide employment for us
- programmers; but perhaps the world would be better off if the
- original company sold copies of the software, and we were off
- working on a new project in an unrelated field.
-
- In the entertainment area, "intellectual property" competes with
- physical toys and other means of entertainment. Hollywood movies
- and novels by famous authors are both "commodities", that compete
- with each other, as well as sporting events, toys, games, amusement
- parks and other real property. Especially in the case of movies,
- the multi-million dollar investment in a "big budget" film would
- not occur (and you wouldn't get the neat special effects) in a
- low budget film created for "art's sake". And frankly, many of
- the "big budget" films have little redeeming artistic value.
- However, without some kind of intellectual property protection,
- this form of entertainment would cease to exist. You can make
- arguements that this isn't a "good" use of limited resources,
- but it is generally accepted in the U.S. that the market should
- choose what products to produce, not the government. (And such movies
- produce a higher profit rate than lower budget films, many of which
- receive government subsidies. This implies that the market does
- want to see the big name stars, flashy special effects, etc.)
-
- So for the entertainment market, as well as the productivity
- market (including software, large scale bibliographys, and
- other research projects), customers are not actually paying for
- "information", but the ongoing man-years of work in creating
- and revising the work. Without some kind of protection for
- their "current edition", there would be income to finance the
- "next release". And generally, in the entertainment and
- productivity markets, competition lowers the costs to at least
- managable levels.
-
- Discussions of individual authors supporting themselves
- through journalism or the largess of a community might be
- appropriate for the rather narrow specialization of the creative
- community that publishes fiction. However, sweeping changes
- to copyright law affect Nintendo, Microsoft, MGM, as well
- as Stephen King, Neal Stephenson, and even myself as a publisher
- on the 'net.
-
- This isn't to say that there aren't problems with the current
- system. The patent system is being abused, at least from
- many outsider's perspective. Copyrights now extend
- for an absurd period of time by modern standards, and proposals
- exist to extend them further. Copyright laws have not been
- adjusted for digital and Xerographic realities.
-
- But I do believe that informed attacks against the excesses of
- the current system are much better justified (and much more
- likely to be successful) than calls for a "new kinder world" based
- on government paid, salaried "information workers." (The thought
- of Sen. Exon writing the rules for "allowable content while
- producing government sponsored information products" sends chills
- down my spine.)
-
- Keith Graham
- vapspcx@cad.gatech.edu
-
- ------------------------------
-
- Date: Fri, 7 Jul 1995 23:47:24 -0500
- From: jthomas2@SUN.SOCI.NIU.EDU(Jim Thomas)
- Subject: File 4--Senator Grassley's Buthering of "CMU Study" Stats
-
- ((MODERATORS' NOTE: Why does it matter whether the CMU study is
- accurate or why Time's irresponsible story on "cyberporn" requires
- response? The answer is simple: When flawed studies and irresponsible
- shape public debate on complex issues with reckless demagoguery, the
- potential exists to shape Constitutional protections of freedom of
- expression for decades. Senator Grassely's comments suggest that he
- is more interested in scoring political points than in serving
- truth)).
-
- CYBERPORN (Senate - June 26, 1995)
- Sen. GRASSLEY
-
- Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, there is an article from Time magazine
- and an article from the Spectator magazine that I ask unanimous
- consent to have printed in the Record at the end of my remarks.
-
- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
-
- (See exhibit 1.)
-
- Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, this morning I want to speak on a topic
- that has received a lot of attention around here lately. My topic is
- cyberporn, and that is, computerized pornography . I have introduced
- S. 892, entitled the Protection of Children from Computer Pornography
- Act of 1995.
-
- This legislation is narrowly drawn. It is meant to help protect
- children from sexual predators and exposure to graphic pornography .
-
- Mr. President, Georgetown University Law School has released a
- remarkable study conducted by researchers at Carnegie Mellon
- University. This study raises important questions about the
- availability and the nature of cyberporn. It is this article I ask to
- have printed in the Record.
-
- Later on, on this subject, some time during the middle of July, I will
- be conducting hearings before the full Judiciary Committee to fully
- and completely explore these issues. In the meantime, I want to refer
- to the Carnegie Mellon study, and I want to emphasize that this is
- Carnegie Mellon University. This is not a study done by some religious
- organization analyzing pornography that might be on computer networks.
-
- The university surveyed 900,000 computer images. Of these 900,000
- images, 83.5 percent of all computerized photographs available on the
- Internet are pornographic . Mr. President, I want to repeat that: 83.5
- percent of the 900,000 images reviewed--these are all on the
-
- ((MODERTORS' NOTE: Grassley's error would be comical if not for the
- serious implications. A few errors in the above paragraph: 1) The
- study did not examine 900,000+ images, it examined *descriptive
- listings* of images; 2) It did not examine 900,000+ descriptions; it
- examined less than 300,000; 3) The 83 pct figure to which Senator
- Grassley refers is not from these images, but from a "top 40" Usenet
- arbitron rating; 4) The 83.5 percent figure (contrary to what the CMU
- study and Time Magazine indicated) are not from all computerized
- Internet pictures, but from a subset of Usenet groups dealing with
- images; 5) There is substantial evidence to suggest that the 83.5 pct
- figure is simply wrong)).
-
- Internet--are pornographic , according to the Carnegie Mellon study.
-
- Now, of course, that does not mean that all of these images are
- illegal under the Constitution. But with so many graphic images
- available on computer networks, I believe Congress must act and do so
- in a constitutional manner to help parents who are under assault in
- this day and age. There is a flood of vile pornography , and we must
- act to stem this growing tide, because, in the words of Judge Robert
- Bork, it incites perverted minds. I refer to Judge Bork from the
- Spectator article that I have permission to insert in the Record.
-
- My bill, again, is S. 892, and provides just this sort of
- constitutional, narrowly focused assistance in protecting children,
- while also protecting the rights of consenting adults to transmit and
- receive protected pornographic material--protected, that is, under the
- first amendment.
-
- Also, according to the Carnegie Mellon University study, cyberporn is
- really big business. Some computer networks which specialize in
- computer pornography take in excess of $1 million per year.
-
- Later this week, I am going to introduce the Antielectronic
- Racketeering Act of 1995 which will target organized crime which has
- begun to use the awesome powers of computers to engage in criminal
- activity.
-
- As we all know from past debates in this body, organized crime is
- heavily involved in trafficking illegal pornography . The
- Antielectronic Racketeering Act will put a dent into that.
-
- In closing, Mr. President, I urge my colleagues to give this study by
- Carnegie Mellon University serious consideration, and I urge my
- colleagues to support S. 892. I yield the floor.
-
- ------------------------------
-
- Date: Thu, 6 Jul 1995 21:50:07 -0500 (CDT)
- From: David Smith <bladex@BGA.COM>
- Subject: File 5--NEWS: Hacker Disrupts Internet Link (fwd)
-
- ---------- Forwarded message ----------
-
- (EXCERPTS)
-
- Hacker Disrupts Internet Link July 4, 1995
-
- SEATTLE (AP) -- An Internet provider with about 3,000 subscribers shut
- down after a computer hacker defeated security measures on the system.
- The electronic intruder entered the system through an Internet link in
- North Dakota, but his actual location is unknown.
- [...]
- The service was struck last Thursday and Friday by the hacker, who
- erased the personal files of Eskimo North administrator Robert Dinse. He
- also deleted accounting data and gained access to a list of passwords
- used by Eskimo North subscribers, Dinse said.
- "This is extremely sophisticated, and it means major grief for us,"
- Dinse said. He said the hacker telephoned him to taunt him after the
- attack.
-
- ------------------------------
-
- Date: Wed, 12 Jul 1995 01:33:18 -0500 (CDT)
- From: David Smith <bladex@BGA.COM>
- Subject: File 6--Voice of America on CDA (fwd)
-
- ---------- Forwarded message ----------
-
- From--sschoen@sophia.smith.edu (Seth D. Schoen)
- Date--12 Jul 1995 04:19:37 GMT
-
- Here's what the Voice of America (gopher.voa.gov) had to say recently about
- Sen. Exon's efforts. I really like the "there is something called newsgroups
- where people talk about sex and interest groups" :-)
-
- [begin quote]
-
- DATE=7/5/95
- TYPE=COMPUTER SERIES 95-383
- NUMBER=3-22486
- TITLE=KEEPING KIDS SAFE
- BYLINE=DAN NOBLE
- TELEPHONE=619-1014
- DATELINE=WASHINGTON
- EDITOR=KLEINFELDT
-
- CONTENT=
-
- (INSERTS AVAILABLE FROM AUDIO SERVICES)
-
- INTRO: DURING THE COURSE OF CHILDHOOD, CHILDREN LEARN A NUMBER
- OF THINGS, INCLUDING HOW TO CROSS STREETS, AVOID
- STRANGERS, AND REACH THE SAFETY OF HOME. BUT, COMPUTER
- TECHNOLOGY IS ADDING A NEW DIMENSION, ONE THAT PARENTS
- ARE ONLY NOW BEGINNING TO UNDERSTAND. DAN NOBLE HAS
- DETAILS.
-
- TEXT: THERE IS A GREAT DEAL OF INFORMATION AVAILABLE ON
- HIGH-TECH ELECTRONIC NETWORKS. BUT, APPARENTLY, THERE
- IS A GREAT DEAL OF DANGER. A RECENT ISSUE OF NEWSWEEK
- MAGAZINE NOTES THAT "MOST DISTURBING OF ALL ARE THE
- TALES OF SEXUAL PREDATORS USING THE INTERNET AND
- COMMERCIAL ONLINE SERVICES TO SPIRIT CHILDREN AWAY FROM
- THEIR KEYBOARDS." NEWSWEEK IS REFERRING TO THE RECENT
- CASE OF A 13-YEAR OLD KENTUCKY GIRL WHO WENT TO LOS
- ANGELES "AFTER SUPPOSEDLY BEING LURED BY A GROWN-UP
- CYBERPAL." AND, IN RECENT DAYS, AN AMENDMENT TO A
- COMMUNICATIONS BILL, WAS PASSED BY THE UNITED STATES
- SENATE. THE BILL SEEKS TO REGULATE SEXUALLY EXPLICIT
- MESSAGES AND MATERIAL SENT VIA COMPUTER.
-
- ROBIN RASKIN, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF FAMILY PC MAGAZINE,
- SAYS, TO PUT THE PROBLEM IN PERSPECTIVE, "THE ADULT
- CONTENT ON THE INTERNET, RELATIVE TO THE VASTNESS OF THE
- (COMPUTER NETWORK) IS A VERY SMALL PORTION."
-
- TAPE: CUT ONE -- ROBIN RASKIN (0:08)
-
- "REMEMBER, THIS INTERNET IS JUST UNDER CONSTRUCTION. IT
- STARTED IN AN ADULT WORLD: IN ACADEMIA AND IN THE
- GOVERNMENT. SO, THE STUFF FOR KIDS IS KIND OF BEING
- BUILT NOW."
-
- TEXT: BUT, SAYS ROBIN RASKIN, ONE OF THE PROBLEMS SEEMS TO BE
- THAT ELECTRONIC MATERIAL IS GETTING EASIER FOR EVERYONE
- TO FIND -- ESPECIALLY FOR CHILDREN.
-
- TAPE: CUT TWO -- ROBIN RASKIN (0:09)
-
- "THE FUNNY THING IS THAT THE SAME SEARCH TECHNIQUES THAT
- THEY ARE LEARNING IN SCHOOLS TO DO RESEARCH IN SCHOOL
- ARE THE SAME SEARCH TECHNIQUES THAT YOU'D USE TO FIND
- ADULT CONTENT."
-
- TEXT: ACCORDING TO THE EDITOR OF FAMILY PC, PARENTS CAN DO
- SOMETHING ABOUT STOPPING OBJECTIONABLE ELECTRONIC TOPICS
- FROM ENTERING THEIR HOMES.
-
- TAPE: CUT THREE -- ROBIN RASKIN (0:19)
-
- "THERE ARE A NUMBER OF THINGS HAPPENING NOW. IF A
- PARENT FEELS THAT THEY ABSOLUTELY NEED TO CONTROL THIS
- INFORMATION THERE ARE PRODUCTS LIKE SURFWATCH.
- SURFWATCH COMES WITH ADDRESSES -- PLACES WHERE CHILDREN
- SHOULD NOT GO. THERE IS SOMETHING CALLED NEWSGROUPS
- WHERE PEOPLE TALK ABOUT SEX AND INTEREST GROUPS. THOSE
- PLACES ARE DENIED ACCESS TO CHILDREN."
-
- TEXT: ALSO, A NUMBER OF COMPANIES ARE LOOKING FOR WAYS TO RATE
- THE VARIOUS SITES ON THE INFORMATION SUPERHIGHWAY --
- SIMILAR TO THE RATING SYSTEM USED FOR FILMS AND HOME
- VIDEOS. EVEN WITH ALL THE ELECTRONIC SAFEGUARDS, ROBIN
- RASKIN POINTS OUT THAT PARENTS MUST BE VIGILANT.
-
- TAPE: CUT FOUR -- ROBIN RASKIN (0:09)
-
- "YOU NEED TO BE THERE FOR THEM. THE SAME WAY YOU WANT
- TO KNOW WHAT THEY DID IN SCHOOL TODAY. YOU WANT TO KNOW
- WHO THEY ARE TALKING TOO ON THE PHONE. YOU WANT TO KNOW
- WHAT MOVIES THEY'VE SEEN. YOU NEED TO KNOW WHERE THEY
- ARE HANGING OUT ON THE INTERNET."
-
- TEXT: THE U-S CONGRESS MAY ULTIMATELY PASS LEGISLATION TO
- REGULATE WHAT GOES ON COMPUTER NETWORKS. LAW
- ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS MAY DEAL DIRECTLY WITH THE PROBLEM
- OF HIGH-TECH PORNOGRAPHY. BUT ROBIN RASKIN, AND OTHER
- EXPERTS, SAY THAT IT IS A PARENT'S RESPONSIBILITY TO
- MONITOR THE ACTIVITIES OF THEIR CHILDREN -- BOTH IN
- CYBERSPACE AND IN THE REAL WORLD.
-
- (ACTUALITIES FROM ABC, ADDITIONAL MATERIAL FROM NEWSWEEK AND USA
- TODAY)
-
- 05-Jul-95 4:32 PM EDT (2032 UTC)
- NNNN
-
- Source: Voice of America
-
-
- [end quote]
-
- ------------------------------
-
- Date: Wed, 12 Jul 1995 01:40:38 -0500 (CDT)
- From: David Smith <bladex@BGA.COM>
- Subject: File 7--'The Hackers Book of Poetry' (fwd)
-
- ---------- Forwarded message ----------
- From--ozzie@world.std.com (Tom C Oswald)
- Date--Mon, 10 Jul 1995 20:23:12 GMT
-
- i am compiling 'The Hackers Book of Poetry' and i need some
- works... so if you want to summit anything... i don't care what.. poems,
- flames, papers, letters, etc... just send them over to:
-
- ozzie@world.std.com or
- pluto@squeaky.free.org
-
- please *don't* post them here.. because then other people could take
- credit for your work.... and don't forget to include you name so that i
- can give you credit.. thanks
-
- ------------------------------
-
- Date: Wed, 5 Jul 1995 21:11:21 -0500 (CDT)
- From: David Smith <bladex@BGA.COM>
- Subject: File 8--AA BBS appeal for help (fwd)
-
- ---------- Forwarded message ----------
-
- ALL MEMBERS PLEASE READ AND DISTRIBUTE FREELY!!
-
- Dear Friends,
- A thank you is in order to all that have offered my family and I
- support and direct assistance with the current legal issues we've been
- faced with.
- Despite great efforts on your part and ours, I'm forced to dictate
- this letter to you from within a federal prison versus the comforts of
- my home and family offer in far away California.
- Although I'm currently the only person in prison for distributing
- "obcene" material accros state lines electronically, currently proposed
- legislation threatens to incarcerate you by different means by way of an
- old tool called censorship.
- I'm a textbook example of the governments attempt at on-line
- regulations. My feelings on this issue will be obvious to anyone that's
- remotely knowledgeable with my case.
- Rather than waste your valuable time engaging in mindless anti
- government rhetoric I prefer to get right down to the issues at hand. In
- short, I'm requesting your assistance in helping my wife Carleen remain
- free on bond pending the outcome of the appeal process we both are
- currently engaged in.
- The scheduled time for her to begin serving her sentence was
- delayed by the Tennessee judge until July 12th. This delay was given to
- allow my wife time to make the necessary arrangements for our children
- during our departure from society.
- Any marriage that has lasted the 21 years that ours has, is bound
- to have its ups and downs. However, I believe what has happened to my
- family re-writes the book on what couples can expect out of family life.
- Carleen and I have two children from our marriage together, both
- boys. One son is 14 and the other is 17 years old.
- My eldest son recently graduated from high school this year. Since
- I was unable to attend the ceremonies, he chose to do the same against
- our advise. My son now faces the next transition which will be college
- and adulthood though not necessarily in that order. Adulthood will have
- to take place first if he is to be without a father and mother.
- Of course these and more issues apply to my fourteen year old as
- well. Most of these issues we do not have the space to even address
- properly.
- As any responsible parent knows, times in a kids life such as these
- are tremendously important developements that contribute toward the
- overall shaping of their future.
- My wife and I have up until now, sucessfully attempted to raise our
- two sons with the best education, values, and hopes that can be offered.
- Both boys have so far avoided every imaginable pitfall that faces kids
- growing up in this generation. I can truely say that my two sons are as
- perfect as any parent can ask for. My greatest hope is that at the very
- least my wife be allowed to be there to help them get through these most
- important changes in their lives. Needless to say it hurts me deeply to
- be unable to be there for my family. However, the hurt turns into
- constant anxiety for me when I consider the prospect of both parents
- becoming elimenated from my son's lives.
- Considering the powerful arguments my wife and I are presenting in
- our appeal, I do not feel that the request for my wife to remain home
- with our children during this process is unreasonable. Do you?
- Considering the national if not global issues surrounding the outcome of
- this case I think it would be a fair assumption to say that this case is
- far from over. That's the difference. The outcome ultimately decided,
- perhaps by the U.S. Supreme Court, directly affects millions of online
- users. However, if this case is ultimately heard by the supreme court,
- my wife and I will have completed our respective sentences. A favorable
- decision at that stage will be a mere token jesture, for my familys life
- will be irreverseably changed with the risk of becoming tragic.
- As I write you this, my wife is awaiting word regarding a motion
- filed by our attorneys for continuance of bond.
- If our appeals are exhausted without favorable changes to our
- cases, my wife and I have little problem serving a sentence that
- represents the best interests for the American public. I would however
- be very distasteful to have a favorable decision by the higher courts at
- the expense of my broken family. No victory means that much to me.
- In addition to leaving e-mail on Internet, America On-line,
- Compuserv, and other bulletin boards, I ask that you send letters to our
- attorney in Tennessee, James Causey. His address is 100 North Main,
- suite 2400, Memphis, Tennessee, 38103. His fax number is 901-525-1540.
- Just a small note is all that it takes to make a difference. No matter
- who you are or where you live on this earth, your thoughts are important
- and it can make things happen. Thank you all for listening, Robert and
- Carleen Thomas.
-
- ------------------------------
-
- Date: Sun, 19 Apr 1995 22:51:01 CDT
- From: CuD Moderators <cudigest@sun.soci.niu.edu>
- Subject: File 9--Cu Digest Header Info (unchanged since 19 Apr, 1995)
-
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- ------------------------------
-
- End of Computer Underground Digest #7.60
- ************************************
-
-