December 2003 - cypherpunks-legacy

SAN FRANCISCO EDITORIAL
by Sandy Sandfort 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SANDY SANDFORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C'punks, Here is a guest editorial that ran in Monday's SF Chronicle. It should make your blood boil. S a n d y * * * ANARCHY, CHAOS ON THE INTERNET MUST END Elections are over, and for better or worse, recognized leadership is installed and working in most places. Yet, in Cyberspace the electronic world dominated by the much-vaunted Internet, there is not much order. This huge international computer web tying together about 30 million people is governed by no one. What an amazing state of affairs. The most powerful communications medium ever invented is being left to the equivalent of mob rule. Last year was the year of the Internet in the media. Clearly it is now mainstream. Nonetheless, judging by what you read or hear, the key question of who runs it is not even an issue. It is more fun, after all, to contemplate shopping in an electronic mall or how to order a pizza through a modem. No matter, if you scratch the surface of this big, happy party, the need for firm direction is all too obvious. Also reported in the press is an expanding array of Internet problems. Unregulated broadcasting of sexually explicit material that is readily available to children usually heads the list, but on-line sexual harassment, profanity, defamation, forgery and fraud run close seconds. The secretiveness that computer communications allows is a special reason why abuse is easy. National and personal security are serious considerations when anyone can, with complete anonymity, send encrypted information worldwide via the Internet. Such problems are further exacerbated by a computer located in Finland called the Anonymous Server, which exists for the sole purpose of laundering computer messages, much like dirty money is laundered through small island nations. Consequently, if you want to, say, threaten someone with death, your risk of retribution is small, courtesy of the Anonymous Server. Nowhere are Cyberspace difficulties more evident than in the inevitable swing toward Internet commercialization. The widely reported turf war rages between academic factions that controlled the Internet before it went public and business newcomers who now want access to its huge audience. Electronic attacks on business people by means ranging from computer insults, called flames, to assorted forms of electronic vandalism, persist uncontrolled. Worst of all are the ``canceller robots,'' computer programs meant to erase the communications of anyone the hackers who usually launch them wish to silence. These self-styled vigilantes routinely challenge free speech in Cyberspace unabated. Internet access providers, companies that connect people to the Internet for a profit, likewise assume the role of censors, arbitrarily closing accounts of those whom they disapprove. Given its international nature, one obvious way to bring much needed order to the Internet is through diplomacy. The United States should lead in this. A good beginning might be to urge the Finnish government to deactivate the Anonymous Server. Diplomacy could also help to establish an international standard of recognizing laws existing at the point of origin as controlling the message sender. When conflicts arise, governmental diplomacy should again be the answer, just as it is with other trade and communications issues. Next, laws already regulating behavior in the real world should be applied in Cyberspace. This is already taking place on a case-by-case basis, but the process is too slow. The Supreme Court should act to crate a precedent stating that crime is crime, even when the criminal instrument is a computer keyboard. In the United States, legislation should be passed making Internet access providers common carriers. This will get them out of the business of censorship and under the guiding hand of the Federal Communications commission. People need safety and order in Cyberspace just as they do in their homes and on the streets. The current state of the Internet makes it clear that anarchy isn't working. If recognized governments don't find a way to bring order to the growing and changing Internet, chaos may soon dictate that the party is over. ---------- Martha S. Siegel is the author of ``How to Make a Fortune on the Information Superhighway'' and CEO of Cybersell in Scottsdale, Ariz. * * * ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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LAW AND ETHICS ON THE "NETS"
by marsha-w＠uiuc.edu 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Looks like more of a push for regulation: Charles Bell thought you all might have something to say about this... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ABA SCI/TECH SECTION, IPPP COMMITTEE LAW AND ETHICS ON THE "NETS" December 8, 1994 The John Marshall Law School's Center for Informatics Law, in conjunction with the ABA Section of Science & Technology Committee on Information Practices, Policies, and Privacy, is undertaking a project entitled, "Law and Ethics on the 'Nets'" (LEON). The development of a national information infrastructure and a global electronic network, of which Internet is the backbone, has presented a multitude of legal and ethical problems involving use and abuse of the networks, nationally and worldwide. Almost on a daily basis, news items announce electronic network transmissions constituting hate mail, profanity, vulgarity, obscenity, child pornography, sexual harassment, defamation and invasion of privacy. The violation of intellectual property rights and information system security are also frequent occurrences. National and international discussions consider such questions as what "rules of the road" ought to apply, who can make them, how can they be enforced, and what will be the legal and political relationships between states and nations regarding cyberspace? It is argued that at present the lawless, the intolerant and the disrespectful seem able to pollute the worldwide information stream with little constraint. Certainly, the current state of anarchy in national and global electronic networks cannot continue if the technology is to achieve the remarkable benefits that have been predicted in terms of communications among institutions and individuals, whether government, business or society at large. The purpose of the CIL/S&T project is to promote a dialogue that can lead to recommendations for treating with the many issues at hand. We solicit the participation of the Sci/Tech IPPP Committee (and interested others!) in addressing the foregoing issues. Please send me your expression of interest -- indicating what specific aspects of the various questions you would like to address, and then I'll organize us into some working groups. PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOUR INTERESTS BY JANUARY 9, 1995, SO WE CAN STRUCTURE THE PROJECT AND PROMPTLY GET UNDER WAY. We plan a program on the project for the ABA annual meeting in Chicago next August, and we hope to generate a publication for the Section concerning the project results. George B. Trubow, Professor of Law Director, Center for Informatics Law The John Marshall Law School 315 S. Plymouth Ct. Chicago, IL 60604-3907 Fax: 312-427-8307; Voice: 312-987-1445 E-mail: 7trubow(a)jmls.edu Marsha Woodbury marsha-w(a)uiuc.edu U of Illinois/Urbana-Champaign FAX 217-356-7050 Home 217-337-0001 Work 217-244-0780 http://www.cpsr.org/dox/global.html

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Re: SAN FRANCISCO EDITORIAL
by mclow＠coyote.csusm.edu 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Sandy wrote: >C'punks, > >Here is a guest editorial that ran in Monday's SF Chronicle. It >should make your blood boil. > [ ranting gibberish deleted ] > >Martha S. Siegel is the author of ``How to Make a Fortune on the >Information Superhighway'' and CEO of Cybersell in Scottsdale, Ariz. > Not _the_ Martha Seigel, of Cantor & Seigel, targets of fine cancelbots everywhere? -- Marshall Marshall Clow Aladdin Systems mclow(a)coyote.csusm.edu

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Re: Press attack on anonymity.
by Dr. D.C. Williams 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Forwarded message: - From dcwill(a)python.ee.unr.edu Tue Jan 3 11:52:23 1995 From: "Dr. D.C. Williams" <dcwill(a)python.ee.unr.edu> Message-Id: <199501031952.LAA04685(a)python.ee.unr.edu> Subject: Re: Press attack on anonymity. To: asgaard(a)sos.sll.se (Mats Bergstrom) Date: Tue, 3 Jan 1995 11:52:15 -0800 (PST) Cc: dcwill(a)python.ee.unr.edu (Dr. D.C. Williams, P.E.) In-Reply-To: <Pine.HPP.3.91.950103194933.7114A-100000(a)cor.sos.sll.se> from "Mats Bergstrom" at Jan 3, 95 08:05:49 pm X-Mailer: ELM [version 2.4 PL23] Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Length: 842 Mats Bergstrom wrote: > Since Joe User doesn't really > care if he can connect anonymously or not, at least not yet, > they might very well succeed in making some aspects of anonymity > 'illegal'. But who cares, if anonymous agents can't be traced? Because then the last, unstoppable act of the State will be to clamp down on anonymous agents. See "How to Boil Live Frogs". You can't dump them into boiling water because they will jump out. Instead, start at a comfortable temperature and turn up the heat a little bit at a time. Eventually, the frogs become unable to escape and are lulled to their unconscious death. I equate "making some aspects 'illegal'" with increasing the water temperature. To paraphrase and oft-seen .sig from this list: "Seldom is freedom of any kind lost all at once." =D.C. Williams <dcwill(a)ee.unr.edu> - --- [This message has been signed by an auto-signing service. A valid signature means only that it has been received at the address corresponding to the signature and forwarded.] -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.6.2 Comment: Gratis auto-signing service iQBFAwUBLwm6/ioZzwIn1bdtAQGuRwGAobH2lCXDIHUCitG1mcI0RasjMOWjovT2 xUpa1Xta/mphm/s+2H21f7kuFvY6smcn =wclb -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

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Re: SAN FRANCISCO EDITORIAL
by Erik Selberg 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

> C'punks, > > Here is a guest editorial that ran in Monday's SF Chronicle. It > should make your blood boil. > > > S a n d y > > * * * > > ANARCHY, CHAOS ON THE INTERNET MUST END Yup, it's the same net-spamming Siegel, arguing for: End of mob rule, so she can advertise everywhere for free; End of anonymous encryption, so we can't send plans for the new stealth basselope to the commies (or I guess it's liberals, nowaways). End of anonymous mail, so she can tell back at all those who yell at her for spamming Terms of surrender for us academic types, who only exist to attack business people (and, if you're at CMU, check out the nudie pics) End of private providers yanking abuser's accounts basicly, a nice editorial which sugar-coats what she wants, which is the ability to send out what she wants, ensure that it gets to everyone she sends it to, and not worry about flames or getting the boot. What's scary is that it's very easy to slide this kind of stuff onto an ignorant and conservative legislature. Big leaders who want to do good see an obvious good side to removing the ability to post anonymously --- law enforcement can track people making drug transactions, and if someone broadcasts a nudie pick found to be obscene in TN, well hey, they can now haul his ass to TN for some jail time. It's going to take a lot of lobbying to ensure that this doesn't happen. work: (206) 543-7798 Erik Selberg play: (206) 517-3039 speed(a)cs.washington.edu I get by with a little help from my friends...

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16 years old hacker arrested ?
by sghahn＠math1.kaist.ac.kr 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

According to AFP(London), The Independent reported on January 3, 1995 that a sixteen years old boy was arrested for breaking into the computer network of US Defense Department. The report also tells that the hacker posted documents about last year's nuclear crisis between North Korea and USA. Does anyone know where can I get a copy of that documents ?

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Re: LAW AND ETHICS ON THE "NETS"
by Sandy Sandfort 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SANDY SANDFORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C'punks, Thanks to Marsha-W for telling us about the "Law and Ethics on the 'Nets'" project being organized at the John Marshall Law School. I'm signing up. I think ALL of us should, if you get my drift. S a n d y ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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Re: Book review: Codebreakers, the Inside Story of Bletchley Park
by wcs＠anchor.ho.att.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Another book with some insight into Bletchley Park is "Cloak and Gown" (I forget the author), about the relationship between Yale academics and the OSS, the WW2 predecessor to the CIA. Among the various Yalies who went into the OSS was James Jesus Angleton, who spent a lot of time at Bletchley analyzing information that might be useful for US Army and covert OSS activities, and trying to support counterintelligene work by correlating the information from intercepts of German understanding of US and British plans with the Allied sources and users of those plans, to try to find leaks, traitors, moles, spies, and other types that counter-spook spooks worry about. Besides the Enigma interceptions themselves, the big secret the OSS and British intelligence were paranoid about protecting was that all the known German spies in Great Britain had been caught and turned for disinformation use (or killed); almost everything Germany was getting from its spies was bogus. Bill

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Re: San Francisco Editorial
by Hal 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Another point re Cantor and Siegel is that there is now a service calling itself CancelMoose which goes through Julf's anon server in Finland (anon.penet.fi) to cancel spams. (Spams are off-topic, nearly-identical posts to large numbers of groups.) This is what Siegel is really upset about. She and her husband are publishing a book telling businesses how they can use spam posts on usenet as free advertising. But now CancelMoose is a relatively accepted counter to these increasingly-frequent spams (pyramid schemes, etc.). This makes their book obsolete and really hits them where it hurts. But they can't sue CancelMoose because its identity is hidden. Personally, I don't like the idea of cancelling other people's posts, spam or not. I would rather see news readers enhanced to detect copies of posts I have already seen and delete them. The awful thing about Cantor and Siegel's Green Card spam was that they didn't cross-post, they used a bot to individually post to all groups. I was shown their message headers for days. Ordinary off-topic posts don't bother me much because I can ignore them easily. With a better newsreader the Green Card spam would have been equally trivial to ignore. The scary thing about cancels is that some proposals have actually been directed at anonymous posts themselves. Someone anonymously posted what purported to be a grisly transcript of the last seconds of the doomed Challenger crew as they fell to the ocean. This caused a great hue and cry and some calls for banning anonymous posts and/or retroactively cancelling them. This led to some very amusing events which Detweiler has chronicled in his FAQ on anonymity, the net result of which was that the idea was discredited. But the emergence of CancelMoose is not an altogether positive event in my view. -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: 2.6 iQBVAwUBLwnTGRnMLJtOy9MBAQGjFAH/WEzWgAEG4mX9c6yR1iyR2nWq3V1AvUBL lC1rTlUWUf8YWZDmVAuOkg8AH8nPo3L1e67l66wMrgGedaCD39/3Aw== =psrV -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

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rarachel - no email
by Arsen Arachelian 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Hey guys, It's me. Don't let the new account name, and the horrible name of this despicable machine throw you off. It's me, Ray Arachelian. Some rat(s?) hacked into photon, the machine where my home account lives, and now, while I can read my prism email by going through major acrobatic maneouvers, I have to use this slimy shitty student account. So for the time being, please direct any mail to this account aarach01(a)barney.poly.edu (God I hate this machine's name!) I'll still be able to read anything you send to prism for the time being (durring winter recess they said.) See, I have to log in to barney, ftp my mailbox over from prism, telnet to barney and delete my mailbox, and then read it with pine... :-( [Eileen, could you at least build a home directory for my old account with a .forward to Barney for now? Or just let me use prism without having to have photon connected to it?] Thanks, -- Ray (Arsen) Arachelian. [also known as rarachel(a)prism/photon.poly.edu, RayDude(a)aol.com, etc.]

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