812 lines
37 KiB
Plaintext
812 lines
37 KiB
Plaintext
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Computer underground Digest Sun Nov 14 1993 Volume 5 : Issue 86
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ISSN 1004-042X
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Editors: Jim Thomas and Gordon Meyer (TK0JUT2@NIU.BITNET)
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Archivist: Brendan Kehoe
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Shadow-Archivists: Dan Carosone / Paul Southworth
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Ralph Sims / Jyrki Kuoppala
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Ian Dickinson
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Copy Eatitor: Etaoin Shrdlu, III
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CONTENTS, #5.86 (Nov 14 1993)
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File 1--Details on Phiber Optik Sentencing (Newsbytes Reprint)
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File 2--Sentencing in Elansky Case set for Nov. 19
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File 3--BCS Community Technology Publication Available
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File 4--NII Call for Action
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File 5--On-Line Access to Gov't Info in Texas
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File 6--CPSR NII Call for Action
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File 7--DOS 6.2 BUG!!!
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Cu-Digest is a weekly electronic journal/newsletter. Subscriptions are
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available at no cost electronically from tk0jut2@mvs.cso.niu.edu. The
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editors may be contacted by voice (815-753-0303), fax (815-753-6302)
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or U.S. mail at: Jim Thomas, Department of Sociology, NIU, DeKalb, IL
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60115.
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Issues of CuD can also be found in the Usenet comp.society.cu-digest
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news group; on CompuServe in DL0 and DL4 of the IBMBBS SIG, DL1 of
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LAWSIG, and DL1 of TELECOM; on GEnie in the PF*NPC RT
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libraries and in the VIRUS/SECURITY library; from America Online in
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the PC Telecom forum under "computing newsletters;"
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On Delphi in the General Discussion database of the Internet SIG;
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on the PC-EXEC BBS at (414) 789-4210; and on: Rune Stone BBS (IIRG
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WHQ) (203) 832-8441 NUP:Conspiracy; RIPCO BBS (312) 528-5020
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CuD is also available via Fidonet File Request from 1:11/70; unlisted
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nodes and points welcome.
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EUROPE: from the ComNet in LUXEMBOURG BBS (++352) 466893;
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In ITALY: Bits against the Empire BBS: +39-461-980493
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ANONYMOUS FTP SITES:
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AUSTRALIA: ftp.ee.mu.oz.au (128.250.77.2) in /pub/text/CuD.
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EUROPE: ftp.funet.fi in pub/doc/cud. (Finland)
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UNITED STATES:
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aql.gatech.edu (128.61.10.53) in /pub/eff/cud
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etext.archive.umich.edu (141.211.164.18) in /pub/CuD/cud
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ftp.eff.org (192.88.144.4) in /pub/cud
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halcyon.com( 202.135.191.2) in /pub/mirror/cud
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ftp.warwick.ac.uk in pub/cud (United Kingdom)
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COMPUTER UNDERGROUND DIGEST is an open forum dedicated to sharing
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information among computerists and to the presentation and debate of
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diverse views. CuD material may be reprinted for non-profit as long
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as the source is cited. Authors hold a presumptive copyright, and
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they should be contacted for reprint permission. It is assumed that
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non-personal mail to the moderators may be reprinted unless otherwise
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specified. Readers are encouraged to submit reasoned articles
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relating to computer culture and communication. Articles are
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preferred to short responses. Please avoid quoting previous posts
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unless absolutely necessary.
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DISCLAIMER: The views represented herein do not necessarily represent
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the views of the moderators. Digest contributors assume all
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responsibility for ensuring that articles submitted do not
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violate copyright protections.
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
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Date: Wed, 10 Nov 93 19:33:37 EST
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From: mcmullen@MINDVOX.PHANTOM.COM(John F. McMullen)
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Subject: File 1--Details on Phiber Optik Sentencing (Newsbytes Reprint)
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** This article appeared on Newsbytes, an international commercial
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service. It is copyright and is re-printed here with the express
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permission of the authors. **
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Phiber Optik Sentenced To Prison - 11/08/93
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A..(NB) 110893 -- Mark Abene, known
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also by the hacker handle "Phiber Optik" has been sentenced in federal
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court to one year and one day in federal prison for activities related to
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computer intrusion. Abene will surrender himself on Friday, January 7,
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1994 to authorities to begin his sentence.
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Abene pled guilty on July 2, 1993 to two counts of computer related crime.
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Count One involved conspiracy with 4 other individuals to commit computer
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crime while Count Two involved breaking into a computer belonging to
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Southwestern Bell Telephone Company. The four other persons named on the
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conspiracy indictment, Elias Ladopoulous ("Acid Phreak"), Paul Stira
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("Scorpion"), Julio Fernandez ("Outlaw"), and John Lee "("Corrupt") , had
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pled guilty prior to Abene and, with the exception of Fernandez, are all
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currently serving sentence. A federal prosecutor told Newsbytes that date
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will be set shortly for Fernandez's sentencing..
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Justice Louis Stanton, presiding over Abene's case, began the proceeding
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by asking whether there were any objections to the report prepared by the
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probation department concerning Abene. Paul Ruskin, attorney for Abene,
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stated that he believed that the report seems "unreasonably harsh".
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Stanton replied that, while that may be the case, it was just one of the
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items that he would consider in determining sentence. He added that he had
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received more correspondence concerning this case than for "any that he
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could remember".
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Stanton then said that the parties should understand that he was not
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considering in his decision an incident involving New York City television
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station WNET where computer intruders interrupted the use of a computer
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system - Abene had denied involvement and The U.S Attorney's letter of
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October 29th to Judge Stanton concerning Abene's sentencing said "The
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Government does not have any information that Mr. Abene was actually
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responsible for the destruction of WNET's information. It is clear that
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Mr. Abene's co-conspirators were responsible."
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The judge then asked for statements from the attorneys and Abene. Paul
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Ruskin, representing Abene, said the teenager that committed the acts to
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which Abene pled guilty to is not the person sitting in court and that
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Abene hopes to use his computer skills for the benefit of society to atone
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for his actions. Ruskin mentioned a letter sent to Judge Stanton by
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ex-military intelligence officer Robert Steele, offering to secure Abene a
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position with a government agency to fulfill community service. Ruskin
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asked that the judge consider that as an alternative to incarceration.
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Abene then spoke, saying that he apologized for his actions and was "sorry
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that they were misconstrued malicious."
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Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman said that he found it difficult to
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believe that Abene's actions disconnecting the phone service of rival
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hackers was not malicious. He also said that Abene "does not show
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contrition even today for his actions."
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He also said "Hacking crimes constitute a real threat to the expanding
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information highway. A message must be sent that breaking into other
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people's computers is a serious crime and will be treated as serious"
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Stanton then began his sentencing by reviewing some of the issues, saying,
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in part, "One argument concerning the defendant's actions is that they
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took place when he was young, from seventeen to twenty. At that age,
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people excited by things may do reckless things. .... The objectives of
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punishment are both to change the behavior of the person (sentenced) and
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to deter others from similar actions. .. Invasion of computers is
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seductive to the young both because of the intellectual challenge and the
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risk. A message must be sent that it is serious. .. The defendant stands
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as a symbol because of his own efforts; therefore, he stands as a symbol
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here today."
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Stanton then imposed the sentence.
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- 12 months and 1 day of incarceration in federal prison
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- 600 of community service with the hope that it will involve the use of
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Abene's computer skills
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- 3 years supervised probation
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- $100 special assessment.
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Stanton said that he was imposing no fine, other than the required special
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assessment, because it was clear that Abene has no real assets. He said
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that he was imposing no restitution to the victims of Abene's actions
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because it was not evident what expenditures could be traced directly to
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his actions rather than to needed security improvements and because the
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victims had not been able to clearly show what services of theirs that
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Abene had used and to what extent. He added that he had been tempted to
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impose a longer sentence but decided that this was sufficient.
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Berman told Newsbytes "the government feels that the sentence was
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appropriate. Judge Stanton clearly understands the issues and his use of
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this knowledge in determining the sentence was extremely important."
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Berman added "Abene was the most culpable of MOD (ed. the hacker group
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named in the indictment). He was the only member of the conspiracy active
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for the entire life of the conspiracy. Agents seized highly incriminating
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documents from him in 1990. His response was not to walk the straight and
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narrow; it was rather to continue his illegal actions. He has shown no
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contrition for his acts and has continually portrayed himself as one of
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the top computer hackers in the country. The sentence is important because
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it sends a message that it is a crime to intrude in public data networks.
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MOD was one of the biggest hacking organizations in the country. The case
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was very significant."
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Abene's attorneys. Lawrence Schoenbach and Paul Ruskin also spoke to
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Newsbytes after the verdict. Schoenbach said "While I'm disappointed that
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Mark is going to jail, I recognize the judge's concern for deterring this
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type of crime -- this is the crime of the "next century". Mark has always
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been the message bearer for computer hacking. When it was for hacking,
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he was the leader; now he is the in the punishment -- The Leona Helmsley
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of computer hacking."
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Paul Ruskin said "The government and the court is taking the position that
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it is better to deter in this area by punishment rather than deterring
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through effective use of technology."
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Mike Godwin, staff counsel for the Electronic Foundation, commented on
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the sentence to Newsbytes, saying "The sentence is harsher than I had
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hoped for bit I'm pleased that the judge gave a lot of attention to the
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underlying issues involved in such a case"
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------------------------------
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Date: Fri, 12 Nov 1993 08:28:32 EST
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From: IIRG <rune@world.std.com>
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Subject: File 2--Sentencing in Elansky Case set for Nov. 19
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((MODERATORS' NOTE: The following edited summary was provided by
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Mercenary of the IIRG in Briston, Conn.)).
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SENTENCING IN COMPUTER CASE NOV. 19 (From The
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Hartford Courant, Nov 11, 1993)
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By John M. Moran
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A West Hartford man, jailed after police found bombmaking recipes
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on his computer bulletin board, will spend at least another nine
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days behind bars--and possibly much longer.
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In Hartford, Superior Court Judge Thomas Miano, who is about to
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sentence Michael Elansky, said at a pre-sentencing hearing
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Wednesday ((Nov. 10)) that he is not convinced the 21-year old
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fully realizes his mistakes.
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(The article describes the judge's comments to Elansky, in which he
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felt that Elansky should "wake up" and fully admit "wrong-doing" as a
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step toward "rehabilitation.")
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Elansky has been held at the Hartford Correctional Center since
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his arrest in August on charges of illegally keeping bomb-making
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instructions on his computer bulletin board.
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At the time, Elansky was on probation for previous charges
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involving explosives and illegal credit card use. He was also
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facing an unrelated count of conspiring to burglarize Hall High
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School in West Hartford.
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(The article notes that Elansky has pleaded guilty for violating
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probation and that the prosecution will not press charges relating to
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the high school burglary charges or the bomb recipes. The Prosecutor,
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Ass't State's Attorney Joan Alexander, argued for a prison sentence
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because she felt Elansky "refuses to accept responsibility" for his
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actions." Elansky's attorney, Richard Brown, disagreed. He claimed
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that Elansky has learned his lesson from 90 days in jail and more
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jail/prison time would be "counterproductive").
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Elansky, himself, made a tearful plea for mercy, saying he just
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wants to go back to his family and his job.
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"This place is truly hell for me, your honor," he told Miano.
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"I've had to do a lot of growing up while I've been in jail. I've
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gotten the message that only jail can deliver."
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------------------------------
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Date: Mon, 1 Nov 93 23:30:14 PST
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From: Peter Miller <bcsnpap@IGC.APC.ORG>
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Subject: File 3--BCS Community Technology Publication Available
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Boston Computer Society Social Impact/Public Service Publication
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Available
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-- ------- ------ ------------- ------- ----------- ---------
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The 44-page November 1993 issue of IMPACT, the Boston Computer
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Society's social impact, nonprofit assistance, and public service
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publication, contains lots of community telecommunications material,
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both about what's happening and from online mailings and conferences:
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* Michael Stein on "Aether Madness: Nonprofits Enter Cyberspace"
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* The statement of seven democratic public interest telecommunications
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principles generated by Telecommunications Policy Roundtable and the
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Center for Media Education (CME), an introduction to the principles,
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info about CME and the 66 organizations who signed on for the
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October 26th press conference.
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* The Center for Civic Networking's National Vision and Strategy
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* Dilbert in cyberspace, and and other print and online resources
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including a number of the EduNets.
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* On IGC/PeaceNet/EcoNet winning this year's CPSR Award, and more info
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about CPSR.
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Other feature articles include:
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* The lead article on "TecsChange and the Caravan to El Salvador" by
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Aram Falsafi, a journey last March which saw the welcoming party for
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the materials and technology delivery turn into a nonviolent
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demonstration which closed down the National Assembly.
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* "Technology and Community," Gary Chapman's keynote panel address at
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the 3rd New England Computers and Social Change Conference, an
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update of the conference, the BCS Social Impact Group monthly
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program, and the January '94 Conference at MIT on Unemployment and
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the High Tech Revolution.
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* A special center insert on "Community Computing Center News and
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Notes," with information about the Playing to Win network of
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community computing centers, an edited selection from the Handbook
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for Future Center, the Community Technology Lab at Capital
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Children's Museum in Washington DC, and articles about computer
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programs and resources for the homeless in Boston.
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* A summary report on projects in San Antonio, Dallas, Baltimore,
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Oakland, and Boston which won the five REACH Awards, the computer
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industry's first year acknowledgement of community technology
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programs, organized by Ziff-Davis and the Association of Personal
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Computer User Groups (APCUG), at this year's spring Comdex in
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Atlanta.
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* An overview of ITRC/CompuMentor in Chicago, news from
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CompuMentor/SF, a listing of members of the Technology Resource
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Consortium, and an update on the BCS Nonprofit Assistance Program
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and other public service news.
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* * * * * * * * * *
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A large number of subsidized subscriptions are already supported, and
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there are a limited number of additional copies available for $5 which
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will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis. Send check
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made out to BCS to:
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Marlene Archer
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Public Service Coordinator
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Boston Computer Society
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1 Kendall Square
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Cambridge, MA 02139
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617/252-0600 x3312
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msa@world.std.com
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%%*%%*%%*%%*%%*%%*%%*%%*%%*%%*
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Please repost.
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%%*%%*%%*%%*%%*%%*%%*%%*%%*%%*
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------------------------------
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Date: Tue, 2 Nov 1993 12:55:44 -0800
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From: Al Whaley <Al.Whaley@SNYSIDE.SUNNYSIDE.COM>
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Subject: File 4--NII Call for Action
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Date--Mon, 1 Nov 93 14:46:22 PST
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From--Doug Schuler <schuler@cpsr.org>
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+-------------------------------------------------------------
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Please distribute widely to interested colleagues and friends.
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+-------------------------------------------------------------
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Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility
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NII Call for Action
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Autumn, 1993
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Introduction
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The Clinton administration has recently developed an "Agenda for
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Action" to develop a National Information Infrastructure (NII), a very
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high capacity network for communication of digital information in the
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United States. While Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility
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(CPSR) applauds much of this effort, we feel that there are serious
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concerns that must be addressed if this technology is to meet our
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country's needs and our citizen's expectations into the 21st Century.
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This is a critical technology that transcends entertainment,
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convenience shopping, and instant polling. Communication and
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information are at the core of a democratic and equitable society. We
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believe that the development of this technology has the potential to
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fundamentally change the nature of community and democratic discourse
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and, hence, is one of the most critical issues facing us. We feel
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that this issue deserves serious and comprehensive public
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participation.
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Important decisions may be made in the near future with inadequate
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public participation. This document is designed to help spur that
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participation. We urge you to contact us with your ideas for what
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needs to be done, and your feedback on this call for action.
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Motivation
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The United States is faced with profound challenges as it prepares to
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enter the 21st century. These include wide disparities in income and
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economic opportunity as well as a declining sense of community
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involvement. Many of today's children are growing up in an unsafe
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environment with little hope for the future. These problems may well
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be exacerbated by a lack of access to communication and information
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technology. We believe that ensuring affordable access could help
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increase political participation, improve economic opportunities,
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reinvigorate community, and promote opportunities for lifelong
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learning. While not a panacea, technology may be useful in
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this area if it is developed with full democratic participation and if
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genuine human needs are addressed.
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Why a Call for Action?
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CPSR has written a policy statement with recommendations for those who will
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be building the NII. This statement was released in conjunction with a
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press conference by the Telecommunications Policy Roundtable (TPR), a
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coalition group of some 60 public interest organizations. CPSR's policy
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document, entitled "Serving the Community: A Public-Interest Vision of the
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National Information Infrastructure", is largely addressed to policy makers.
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At the same time, we realize that top-down action from government policy
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makers is only one piece of the puzzle. Action at all levels is required if
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the NII is to become a shared national (and ultimately international)
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resource. This call for action is being released simultaneously with the
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policy statement.
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TPR Principles
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The TPR principles represent a consensus view of a variety of public-
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interest organizations. These principles represent as shared desire for an
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equitable public space that we can hold in common as a society. We urge you
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to adopt them in any future discussions, proposals, or pilot projects.
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(1) Universal access. All people should have affordable access to the
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information infrastructure.
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(2) Freedom to communicate. The information infrastructure should
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enable all people to effectively exercise their fundamental right to
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communicate.
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(3) Vital civic sector. The information infrastructure must have a
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vital civic sector at its core.
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(4) Diverse and competitive marketplace. The information infrastructure
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should ensure competition among ideas and information providers.
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(5) Equitable workplace. New technologies should be used to enhance the
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quality of work and to promote equity in the workplace.
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(6) Privacy. Privacy should be carefully protected and extended.
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(7) Democratic policy-making. The public should be fully involved in
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policy-making for the information infrastructure.
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Based on our experience as both users and designers of networking systems
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we have formulated an additional principle:
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(8) Functional integrity. The NII must be engineered to high
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standards of reliability, robustness, and extensibility.
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Opportunities for Action
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We believe that substantial effort will be required if the NII is to
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live up to the principles outlined above. Some of this work can be
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initiated by individuals and some by organizations at the community,
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regional, and national levels. CPSR at both the national and the
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chapter level intends to be a strong player in this effort. These
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objectives will not be realized without a strong diversified and
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distributed effort and we hope that you will become involved in this
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effort. We've included a list of possible opportunities actions - there
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are lots of others!
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Education and Public Meetings
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+ Organize and attend public meetings on the NII
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+ Organize and attend study groups on NII issues
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+ Write articles and editorial pieces for publication emphasizing the
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eight public-interest principles and their application to specific
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NII proposals and plans.
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Work with Community
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+ Help assess community information and services needs
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+ Develop criteria for NII related projects and services to evaluate
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whether they support the public-interest principles and address
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community needs
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+ Work with local organizations, projects, and networks to develop
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models of how the NII can promote the public good and to ensure that
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the principles are followed
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+ Co-design local service and information related pilot projects that
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can be used by others as models
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Work with Government
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+ Contact government officials to sponsor hearings and consider NII
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|
issues
|
|
+ Identify government information and services for inclusion on NII.
|
|
+ Attend and offer testimony at public hearings
|
|
+ Help to develop equitable regulatory approaches to NII
|
|
implementation
|
|
|
|
Work with Organizations
|
|
|
|
+ Work with local cultural, civic, social service, educational, and
|
|
library organizations to develop NII policies, pilot projects, and
|
|
proposals.
|
|
+ Work with organizations that are actively working in this area
|
|
+ Work with organizations to educate them as to the importance of
|
|
these issues
|
|
+ Form coalitions with organizations in this area
|
|
|
|
Work with Business
|
|
|
|
+ Work with businesses to encourage them to acknowledge and support
|
|
public access to the NII
|
|
+ Work with businesses to ensure that affordable public access
|
|
systems and concerns are included in technological and regulatory
|
|
development
|
|
|
|
Develop and Build Models
|
|
|
|
+ Develop Community Networks, Free-Nets, Civic Networks, information
|
|
and services cooperative and organizations and conduct other
|
|
experiments in local telecommunications.
|
|
+ Communicate goals, concerns, and findings to the rest of the
|
|
community
|
|
|
|
About CPSR
|
|
|
|
Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility stands alone as the
|
|
only national, non-partisan, public-interest organization dedicated to
|
|
understanding and directing the impact of computers on society.
|
|
Decisions regarding the use of this technology have far-reaching
|
|
consequences that necessarily reflect the basic values and priorities of
|
|
the people who govern their use. We will continue our work on Calling
|
|
Number ID, workplace issues, participatory design, privacy, freedom of
|
|
information, redirection of national technology policy for non-military
|
|
purposes and other issues in addition to our recent NII initiatives.
|
|
|
|
Founded in 1981, CPSR has 2000 members from all over the world and 22
|
|
chapters across the country. Each of our members is an important
|
|
participant in the dialogue that is helping to shape the future use of
|
|
computers in the United States. Our National Advisory Board includes
|
|
one Nobel laureate and three winners of the Turing Award, the highest
|
|
honor in computer science.
|
|
|
|
We believe that as the influence of computers continues to permeate
|
|
every aspect of our society, it is important that professionals become
|
|
active participants in formulating the policy that governs computer
|
|
use and access. CPSR welcomes any and all who share our convictions.
|
|
|
|
To obtain copies of the CPSR NII Policy Document or to obtain
|
|
additional information about CPSR, contact us at cpsr@cpsr.org or
|
|
CPSR, P.O. Box 717, Palo Alto, CA, 94302.
|
|
|
|
------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Date: Sun, 14 Nov 1993 11:19:22 CDT
|
|
From: CuD Moderators <cudigest@mindvox.phantom.com>
|
|
Subject: File 5--On-Line Access to Gov't Info in Texas
|
|
|
|
((MODERATORS' NOTE: The original header from the following post
|
|
was garbled, but thanks to the poster nonetheless)).
|
|
|
|
Window on State Government Electronic Bulletin Board
|
|
1-800-227-8392 (1-800-BBS-TEXA)
|
|
|
|
|
|
This is a free service of the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts
|
|
for callers in Texas.
|
|
|
|
This board contains a wide variety of economic and tax information,
|
|
state spending by category and year, state revenue by source and
|
|
year, news releases, Comptroller job postings, and a mailbox for
|
|
comments, suggestions and questions.
|
|
|
|
It operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
|
|
|
|
TO SET UP AN ACCOUNT: Call and follow the instructions. The BBS
|
|
provides menus and prompts to guide you along.
|
|
COMMUNICATION SETTINGS: NO parity, 8 databits, 1 stopbit, FULL
|
|
duplex (N,8,1,F). Twelve lines with 4 14,400 baud modems and eight
|
|
9600.
|
|
MODEM NUMBER: 1-800-227-8392 (475-1051 in Austin)
|
|
VOICE LINE: 1-800-531-5441, ext. 5-0996 (475-0996 in Austin)
|
|
CONTACT PERSONS: Drew Scherz, Gabriel Zavala, Robert Cavazos
|
|
|
|
Current tax rules are online. They are listed under Taxability
|
|
Information (Main Menu Option 5 and Taxability Information Menu
|
|
Option 4).
|
|
|
|
Main Menu Option 2 is Comptroller News & Information. From the
|
|
Comptroller News & Information menu you can access Comptroller
|
|
Job Postings, News Releases, the federal National Performance
|
|
Review and the federal Proposed National Health Plan and
|
|
President's Speech to Congress.
|
|
|
|
Also under Comptroller News & Information Option 9 (File Library),
|
|
there are a number of files that you can read onscreen or download.
|
|
Among these files are lists of Texas House and Senate members and
|
|
the 1987 SIC Codes.
|
|
|
|
In addition to news and information from the Texas Comptroller of
|
|
Public Accounts, there is access to information from other sources.
|
|
From the BBS News menu (Main Menu Option 6), you will find a list
|
|
of Texas public information bulletin boards and can connect to
|
|
some Texas bulletin boards such as the State Technology Assessment
|
|
Center BBS, Texas Ethics Commission BBS, Texas State Library, and
|
|
Texas Employment Commission BBS.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Mary Shearer
|
|
Government Documents Librarian
|
|
University of Houston Law Library
|
|
Shearer@uh.edu
|
|
|
|
------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Date: Thu, 11 Nov 1993 11:54:40 CST
|
|
From: Nikki Draper <draper@EUPHRATES.STANFORD.EDU>
|
|
Subject: File 6--CPSR NII Call for Action
|
|
|
|
+-------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
Please distribute widely to interested colleagues and friends.
|
|
+-------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility
|
|
|
|
NII Call for Action
|
|
|
|
Autumn, 1993
|
|
|
|
Introduction
|
|
|
|
The Clinton administration has recently developed an "Agenda for
|
|
Action" to develop a National Information Infrastructure (NII), a very
|
|
high capacity network for communication of digital information in the
|
|
United States. While Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility
|
|
(CPSR) applauds much of this effort, we feel that there are serious
|
|
concerns that must be addressed if this technology is to meet our
|
|
country's needs and our citizen's expectations into the 21st Century.
|
|
|
|
This is a critical technology that transcends entertainment,
|
|
convenience shopping, and instant polling. Communication and
|
|
information are at the core of a democratic and equitable society. We
|
|
believe that the development of this technology has the potential to
|
|
fundamentally change the nature of community and democratic discourse
|
|
and, hence, is one of the most critical issues facing us. We feel
|
|
that this issue deserves serious and comprehensive public
|
|
participation.
|
|
|
|
Important decisions may be made in the near future with inadequate
|
|
public participation. This document is designed to help spur that
|
|
participation. We urge you to contact us with your ideas for what
|
|
needs to be done, and your feedback on this call for action.
|
|
|
|
Motivation
|
|
|
|
The United States is faced with profound challenges as it prepares to
|
|
enter the 21st century. These include wide disparities in income and
|
|
economic opportunity as well as a declining sense of community
|
|
involvement. Many of today's children are growing up in an unsafe
|
|
environment with little hope for the future. These problems may well
|
|
be exacerbated by a lack of access to communication and information
|
|
technology. We believe that ensuring affordable access could help
|
|
increase political participation, improve economic opportunities,
|
|
reinvigorate community, and promote opportunities for lifelong
|
|
learning. While not a panacea, technology may be useful in this area
|
|
if it is developed with full democratic participation and if genuine
|
|
human needs are addressed.
|
|
|
|
Why a Call for Action?
|
|
|
|
CPSR has written a policy statement with recommendations for those who
|
|
will be building the NII. This statement was released in conjunction
|
|
with a press conference by the Telecommunications Policy Roundtable
|
|
(TPR), a coalition group of some 60 public interest organizations.
|
|
CPSR's policy document, entitled "Serving the Community: A
|
|
Public-Interest Vision of the National Information Infrastructure", is
|
|
largely addressed to policy makers. At the same time, we realize that
|
|
top-down action from government policy makers is only one piece of the
|
|
puzzle. Action at all levels is required if the NII is to become a
|
|
shared national (and ultimately international) resource. This call
|
|
for action is being released simultaneously with the policy statement.
|
|
|
|
TPR Principles
|
|
|
|
The TPR principles represent a consensus view of a variety of
|
|
public-interest organizations. These principles represent as shared
|
|
desire for an equitable public space that we can hold in common as a
|
|
society. We urge you to adopt them in any future discussions,
|
|
proposals, or pilot projects.
|
|
|
|
(1) Universal access. All people should have affordable access to
|
|
the information infrastructure.
|
|
|
|
(2) Freedom to communicate. The information infrastructure should
|
|
enable all people to effectively exercise their fundamental
|
|
right to communicate.
|
|
|
|
(3) Vital civic sector. The information infrastructure must have a
|
|
vital civic sector at its core.
|
|
|
|
(4) Diverse and competitive marketplace. The information
|
|
infrastructure should ensure competition among ideas and
|
|
information providers.
|
|
|
|
(5) Equitable workplace. New technologies should be used to enhance
|
|
the quality of work and to promote equity in the workplace.
|
|
|
|
(6) Privacy. Privacy should be carefully protected and extended.
|
|
|
|
(7) Democratic policy-making. The public should be fully involved
|
|
in policy-making for the information infrastructure.
|
|
|
|
Based on our experience as both users and designers of networking
|
|
systems we have formulated an additional principle:
|
|
|
|
(8) Functional integrity. The NII must be engineered to high
|
|
standards of reliability, robustness, and extensibility.
|
|
|
|
Opportunities for Action
|
|
|
|
We believe that substantial effort will be required if the NII is to
|
|
live up to the principles outlined above. Some of this work can be
|
|
initiated by individuals and some by organizations at the community,
|
|
regional, and national levels. CPSR at both the national and the
|
|
chapter level intends to be a strong player in this effort. These
|
|
objectives will not be realized without a strong diversified and
|
|
distributed effort and we hope that you will become involved in this
|
|
effort. We've included a list of possible opportunities actions - there
|
|
are lots of others!
|
|
|
|
Education and Public Meetings
|
|
|
|
+ Organize and attend public meetings on the NII
|
|
+ Organize and attend study groups on NII issues
|
|
+ Write articles and editorial pieces for publication emphasizing the
|
|
eight public-interest principles and their application to specific
|
|
NII proposals and plans.
|
|
|
|
Work with Community
|
|
|
|
+ Help assess community information and services needs
|
|
+ Develop criteria for NII related projects and services to evaluate
|
|
whether they support the public-interest principles and address
|
|
community needs
|
|
+ Work with local organizations, projects, and networks to develop
|
|
models of how the NII can promote the public good and to ensure that
|
|
the principles are followed
|
|
+ Co-design local service and information related pilot projects that
|
|
can be used by others as models
|
|
|
|
Work with Government
|
|
|
|
+ Contact government officials to sponsor hearings and consider NII
|
|
issues
|
|
+ Identify government information and services for inclusion on NII.
|
|
+ Attend and offer testimony at public hearings
|
|
+ Help to develop equitable regulatory approaches to NII
|
|
implementation
|
|
|
|
Work with Organizations
|
|
|
|
+ Work with local cultural, civic, social service, educational, and
|
|
library organizations to develop NII policies, pilot projects, and
|
|
proposals.
|
|
+ Work with organizations that are actively working in this area
|
|
+ Work with organizations to educate them as to the importance of
|
|
these issues
|
|
+ Form coalitions with organizations in this area
|
|
|
|
Work with Business
|
|
|
|
+ Work with businesses to encourage them to acknowledge and support
|
|
public access to the NII
|
|
+ Work with businesses to ensure that affordable public access
|
|
systems and concerns are included in technological and regulatory
|
|
development
|
|
|
|
Develop and Build Models
|
|
|
|
+ Develop Community Networks, Free-Nets, Civic Networks, information
|
|
and services cooperative and organizations and conduct other
|
|
experiments in local telecommunications.
|
|
+ Communicate goals, concerns, and findings to the rest of the
|
|
community
|
|
|
|
About CPSR
|
|
|
|
Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility stands alone as the
|
|
only national, non-partisan, public-interest organization dedicated to
|
|
understanding and directing the impact of computers on society.
|
|
Decisions regarding the use of this technology have far-reaching
|
|
consequences that necessarily reflect the basic values and priorities of
|
|
the people who govern their use. We will continue our work on Calling
|
|
Number ID, workplace issues, participatory design, privacy, freedom of
|
|
information, redirection of national technology policy for non-military
|
|
purposes and other issues in addition to our recent NII initiatives.
|
|
|
|
Founded in 1981, CPSR has 2000 members from all over the world and 22
|
|
chapters across the country. Each of our members is an important
|
|
participant in the dialogue that is helping to shape the future use of
|
|
computers in the United States. Our National Advisory Board includes
|
|
one Nobel laureate and three winners of the Turing Award, the highest
|
|
honor in computer science.
|
|
|
|
We believe that as the influence of computers continues to permeate
|
|
every aspect of our society, it is important that professionals become
|
|
active participants in formulating the policy that governs computer use
|
|
and access. CPSR welcomes any and all who share our convictions.
|
|
|
|
To obtain copies of the CPSR NII Policy Document or to obtain additional
|
|
information about CPSR, contact us at cpsr@cpsr.org or CPSR, P.O. Box
|
|
717, Palo Alto, CA, 94301.
|
|
|
|
------------------------------
|
|
|
|
Date: Fri, 12 Nov 1993 04:26:54 GMT
|
|
From: kyber <kyber@MIXCOM.MIXCOM.COM>
|
|
Subject: File 7--DOS 6.2 BUG!!!
|
|
|
|
There is a serious bug in MS-DOS 6.2 (the "step-up" from DOS 6.0):
|
|
|
|
A conflict occurs between VSafe, DOS, and Windows that makes it
|
|
impossible to open Windows. This may be avoided by unloading VSafe
|
|
before installing 6.2 (actually, it's generally a good idea to
|
|
dismantle your virus shield before installing programs, after you
|
|
check that the program is virus-free, of course). If that doesn't
|
|
work, then delete the "chkdsk.ms" files in the DOS, Windows, and
|
|
Windows/System directories and reboot. Ignore the Window's messages
|
|
that it is missing a driver or that it needs to be reinstalled.
|
|
Microsoft has been getting a lot of calls on this one.
|
|
|
|
------------------------------
|
|
|
|
End of Computer Underground Digest #5.86
|
|
************************************
|
|
|
|
|
|
|