December 2003 - cypherpunks-legacy

Re: HeavensGate Mirror incomplete/censored
by Declan McCullagh 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

We decided to ditch the Pathfinder mirror site after a few weeks. The difference in the heavensgate.com and pathfinder.com sites was due, I remember, to the fact that we grabbed our copy from the heavensgatetoo.com site, which wasn't quite identical. -Declan At 03:28 +2037 3/31/5, Edgar W Swank wrote: >-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- > >Mike Duvos recently posted here > > For complete information on the impending recycling of the planet > earth, and instructions for entering the Kingdom Level above > Human, try the mirror at... > > http://www.pathfinder.com/news/heavensgate > >I was able, finally, to get through to the original site > > http://www.heavensgate.com > >and I noticed the mirror site does not include two links present >in the original > > Earth Exit Statements by Students > > Exit Press Release: > "Away Team" Returns to Level Above Human > >which are perhaps the most interesting for "outsiders." The last >one starts > > RANCHO SANTA FE, CA -- By the time you receive this, we'll be gone -- > several dozen of us. ... > >And offers these instructions for stragglers ... > > During a brief window of time, some may wish to follow us. If > they do, it will not be easy. The requirement is to not only > believe who the Representatives are, but, to do as they and we > did. You must leave everything of your humanness behind. This > includes the ultimate sacrifice and demonstration of faith -- > that is, the shedding of your human body. If you should choose > to do this, logistically it is preferred that you make this > exit somewhere in the area of the West or Southwest of the > United States -- but if this is not possible -- it is not > required. You must call on the name of TI and DO to assist > you. In so doing, you will engage a communication of sorts, > alerting a spacecraft to your location where you will be picked > up after shedding your vehicle, and taken to another world -- > by members of the Kingdom of Heaven. > >Edgar W. Swank <EdgarSwank(a)Juno.com> > (preferred) >Edgar W. Swank <cryoprez(a)jps.net> > (for files/msgs >50K) >Home Page: http://members.tripod.com/~EdgarS/index.html > >-----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- >Version: 2.6.2 > >iQCVAwUBM0Ve8N4nNf3ah8DHAQHc0wP/SEC42UUnfke6+XhnTBjC52KqJEEo8df/ >3HctUa4eQqOBmQAIlk9YP/BpYjhSMyXaFTb9Af9AuzUbyKZIiBJcLTqaIv9MEo/q >EKYbXs3kNI2bP/txTyqNo0BVnXIW6h7infnEE5lJp+xc5d5ci5beIiMXVQxYinEl >o+VsLWmezC8= >=WsOo >-----END PGP SIGNATURE----- ------------------------- Declan McCullagh Time Inc. The Netly News Network Washington Correspondent http://netlynews.com/

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SPA statement and RSAC release
by Declan McCullagh 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Wed, 16 Jul 1997 08:17:19 -0700 (PDT) From: Declan McCullagh <declan(a)well.com> To: fight-censorship(a)vorlon.mit.edu Subject: SPA statement and RSAC release Statement by Ken Wasch, President, Software Publishers Association PR News Wire via Dow Jones White House Forum: Children on the Internet WASHINGTON, July 16 /PRNewswire/ -- The following is a statement by Ken Wasch, President of the Software Publishers Association: "The software industry recognizes -- and understands -- the legitimate concerns of parents, educators, the President and Vice President, legislators and other citizens about the content and suitability of many Internet sites for our children. We believe parents should have the opportunity, and readily available tools, to monitor -- and block -- objectionable online content. "Today's White House Forum is an important step in highlighting this issue by bringing together a diverse group of concerned organizations and individuals to focus on what must be done. SPA appreciates the invitation of the President and the Vice President to represent the software industry at this forum. However, after we leave the White House, the responsibility of marrying freedom of speech with these legitimate concerns falls on the shoulders of the software industry. The software industry develops the tools and products that, in turn, can put a brown wrapper around objectionable material on the Internet. Others may talk; the software industry must act. "Understanding its responsibility, the software industry several years ago helped establish a process of self-regulation and content ratings through the Recreational Software Advisory Council (RSAC). Today, RSAC, through its Internet ratings system -- RSACi -- has assigned objective content labels to more than 35,000 online sites in just 12 months. RSACi is now the world's leading Internet content ratings system, empowering parents everywhere to block online content they believe offensive. It is important to keep in mind that 'Truth in Packaging' has nothing to do with suppression of content. RSACi is a labeling system, not a system of censorship. "At today's White House Forum, the success of RSACi as an effective, no-cost tool for concerned parents was highlighted. It is no coincidence that two of this nation's largest corporations have committed to using the RSACi ratings system in their online efforts. SPA and the software industry congratulate Disney -- with its strong family emphasis -- and IBM on their decisions to work with RSAC. We know others will join them. Then RSACi will become the universal ratings standard, allowing everyone everywhere to benefit from the exciting world of the Internet, without the inhibition of state-imposed regulation or censorship." SPA is the leading trade association of the software industry, representing 1,200 leading publishers as well as start-up firms developing software applications and tools for use on the desktop, the Internet, and client-server networks. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE RECREATIONAL SOFTWARE ADVISORY COUNCIL WELCOMES IBM AS CORPORATE SPONSOR IBM Supports RSAC Initiative to Provide Self-Regulation of Internet Content Washington, D.C. -- July 16, 1997 The Recreational Software Advisory Council (RSAC) today announced that IBM has become a corporate sponsor of RSAC the non-profit organization committed to providing Internet users with detail regarding web site content. IBM is contributing $100,000 to RSAC, the non-profit developer of RSACi, the voluntary, non-judgmental content labeling software system that allows consumers and Webmasters to create customized filters of online content. "The astounding popularity and growth of the Internet has brought about its greatest challenge -- controlling the flow of content that some feel is inappropriate for children, students, or corporate staff. RSAC's goal has never been to restrict the act of free speech, but rather to allow free speech while simultaneously empowering consumers to control the content to which they're exposed," commented Stephen Balkam, executive director of RSAC. "We're very pleased to be working with IBM to continue our effort to make the Internet fun and safe for everyone." "Effective technology complements the efforts of parents and teachers in monitoring children's' use of the Internet," said John Patrick, IBM's Vice President, Internet technology. "IBM is committed to providing parents and educators with the tools to help children leverage the Internet appropriately. We are proud to be working with RSAC in creating an Internet environment that is consistent with the interests of parents, teachers and children." RSACi, or RSAC on the Internet, is the objective content-labeling advisory system that is fully compliant with the World Wide Web consortium's industry standard for web content rating, the Platform for Internet Content Selection (PICS). RSACi is a fully-automated system that relies on Webmasters to complete a detailed questionnaire regarding the level, nature and intensity of the sex, nudity, violence or offensive language (vulgar or hate-motivated) found within their web site. The responses given then generate rating tags that -- when posted on the web site -- are read by not only popular browsers (such as Microsoft's Internet Explorer), but by blocking system software (such as MicroSystem's Cyber Patrol), allowing consumers to anticipate Internet content and block any materials they deem inappropriate, or offensive. To date, the RSACi content advisory system has been used to rate more than 35,000 web sites -- and it is anticipated that this number will grow to more than 120,000 in the coming year. "It's our opinion that the IBM sponsorship -- together with the recent formation of the International Ratings Working Group at the Bonn Ministerial Conference -- will lead to a four-fold increase in rated sites over the next calendar year," commented Stephen Balkam. IBM has been a leader in developing and supporting standard content filtering programs and technologies for years. In addition to sponsoring RSAC, IBM contributed to the development of PICS within the W3C earlier this year. IBM also ships NetVista, an Internet server designed for educational institutions that helps teachers integrate the Web directly into the classroom while filtering inappropriate content. IBM, the world's largest software provider, creates, develops and manufactures the industry's most advanced information technologies, including computer systems, software, networking systems, storage devices and microelectronics. IBM offers complete information about the company, its products, services and technology on the World Wide Web at http://www.ibm.com. For more information about IBM Software to go to the IBM Software home page at http://www.software.ibm.com. The Recreational Software Advisory Council is an independent, non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C, that empowers the public, especially parents, to make informed decisions about electronic media by means of an open, objective, content advisory system. The RSACi system provides consumers with information about the level of sex, nudity, violence, offensive language (vulgar or hate-motivated) in software games and Web sites. To date, RSACi has been integrated into Microsoft's browser, Internet Explorer, and MicroSystem's Cyber Patrol Software. CompuServe (US and Europe) has also committed to rate all its content with the RSACi system. More information on RSAC and the RSACi rating system is available at http://www.rsac.org. # # #

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Justice is Done
by Declan McCullagh 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

--- From: "--Todd Lappin-->" <telstar(a)WIRED.COM> Wednesday July 16 4:10 PM EDT TV's 'Barney' Chokes in Filming Accident DALLAS (Reuter) - An actor playing "Barney," the purple dinosaur loved by millions of children, suffered smoke inhalation when a cooling fan inside the 60-pound suit shorted out during filming of the TV show, officials said Wednesday. There was no fire but the actor inhaled smoke as he tried to get out of the suit at a Dallas studio Tuesday, said Susan Elsner, a spokeswoman for Lyrick Studios and The Lyons Group, which created and produces the hugely popular children's show "Barney & Friends." She said the actor, who was not named, inhaled a "slight amount of smoke" but was released after a routine examination. Once the incident was reported on television, scores of anxious parents called to say their children were worried their favorite dinosaur had been burned or, worse still, was a fake. "It can be really devastating to a 3-year-old," Elsner said. "They love Barney and they think that something terrible has happened to him, or that it's not real." "Barney & Friends" airs on the U.S. Public Broadcasting System and is a top-ranking program for children under age 6. It appears in 30 countries across six continents. Elsner said Tuesday's incident came as the cast was filming shows for the fall season.

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DefCon revisited -- other reports on the conference
by Declan McCullagh 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

My report on DefCon is at: http://www.cnn.com/TECH/9707/16/netly.news/index.html Attached are some followup notes from conference attendees. -Declan ********** Date: Tue, 15 Jul 1997 04:26:23 -0800 From: Szechuan Death <sdeath(a)ackphft.matsu.alaska.edu> Subject: Def Con 5 Summary God _DAMN_ that was fun!!! >;-> (Despite the fact that I lost a shoe running away from a security guard, and had to pitch the other one and my Rastafarian wig to satisfy my paranoia about getting caught, it was well worth it... besides, the barbed-wire gouges are healing nicely, and I'll be getting a tetanus shot tomorrow...) Let's see - my picks for Best of 'Con: Mudge, because he's damned good (even if he _does_ work with NT) Bruce Schneier, because he's - Bruce Schneier... Val, for the dress (I still think the boots were masochistic, tho) and Winn Schwartau for being such a good sport at Hacker Jeopardy, even if he _did_ sound eerily like Alex Trebek. Next year (if they have a Def Con next year) I'm coming back with a power drill, Security Hex drivers, and a set of black pajamas - one of those security cameras _will_ be mine... _Are_ they going to have a Def Con next year? Please say yes - Def Con 6 is something to look forward to through a bleak and cold Alaskan winter... >;-> ********** Date: Wed, 16 Jul 1997 01:57:49 -0400 (EDT) From: Fyodor <fyodor(a)dhp.com> Subject: DC5 Wow, the list sure is quiet. I imagine this is because everyone is recovering from last weekend! And probably reading their overflowing mailboxes. Or at least repeatedly pressing 'd'. So how did it go?? Us lamers who couldn't make it want to know. Speaking of which, did anyone get a video tape together? I'll buy it! What did Mudge talk about? Did he expose any gaping holes? He tends to do that sometimes. What about *Hobbit*? Did he give any new information, or was it mostly a rehash of his (excellent) CIFS paper? And how was the bitch? Did anyone go to her "discussion"? Did it go as "well" as her IRC chats (before she was canceled)?. [...] ********** Date: Wed, 16 Jul 1997 08:44:51 -0400 (EDT) From: krys <krystali(a)safari.net> Subject: Re: DC5 > Wow, the list sure is quiet. I imagine this is because everyone is > recovering from last weekend! And probably reading their overflowing > mailboxes. Or at least repeatedly pressing 'd'. I can't speak for the rest of the list, but I'm still walking around in a dazed state, and hearing the ching-ching of thousands of slot machines in my head. Apparently, it's going to take me a bit longer than anticipated to recover. > What did Mudge talk about? Did he expose any gaping holes? He tends to > do that sometimes. What about *Hobbit*? Did he give any new information, > or was it mostly a rehash of his (excellent) CIFS paper? Mudge and Hobbit ended up combining their talks, and they were both excellent, and quite informative. They spoke on various NT issues, including CIFS and SMB and Microsoft's rehashing of bad password schemes among other things. Unfortunately, I was still half asleep at the time. I hope someone got audio of this - I'd really like a copy. > And how was the bitch? Did anyone go to her "discussion"? Did it go as > "well" as her IRC chats (before she was canceled)?. The Happy Hacker Panel was a blast. Disorder did a great job of fielding questions, as did Matt. Jon and Bronc were a lot more quiet, but they answered some questions as well. Carolyn did a great job of making a fool of herself. We did learn a few things, though: 1. Carolyn hacks her toaster. 2. Carolyn thinks sending http commands to the ssh port is a good idea. 3. Carolyn doesn't mind asking stupid questions. (This one was a real shocker.) 4. Dis and 303 went to a lot of trouble to get Carolyn a copy of "Secrets of a Super Hacker", which they so kindly had everyone autograph. Alas, she already owned a copy. 5. One of Carolyn's favorite hacking methods is calling people and asking them for their root password. > Has anyone done a write-up of the highlights of the experience? I noticed > that Declan has a brief piece on the Netlynews today. He'll probably post > the first couple paragraphs here anyway, so I'll save him the trouble: The only thing I've seen so far, other than what you posted from NetlyNews, was a horrible AP piece, also posted here. > Well, hopefully others will enlighten us with their DC5 experience when > things calm down a bit. Other than the lack of a working T1, I thought most things went well. It's a shame se7en's speech was scheduled at the same time as the happy hacker panel, though. I would have liked to hear what he had to say. Uhm.. has anyone else heard rumor of the hotel's satellite dishes being piled up on the 26th floor? -krys ************ Date: Wed, 16 Jul 1997 13:58:03 -0400 (EDT) From: Xservo <servo(a)garbage.netrox.net> Subject: Re: DC5 26th floor? well i do know there the coax ended up (flea). yeah i saw someone running down the hall with a dish and thought 'oh we are going to have a satellite phone for demo' then i was told to "move, you didn't see anything" uhhh ok..... wtf! -xs ------------------------- Declan McCullagh Time Inc. The Netly News Network Washington Correspondent http://netlynews.com/

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Re: The Real Plan: Making the Net Safe for Censorship
by Ross Wright 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

On or About 16 Jul 97 at 18:12, Lizard wrote: > At 04:47 PM 7/16/97 -0700, Ross Wright wrote: > >Marc: > > > >What a bunch of crap! Keep out of the internet, you government > >flunky. Let business, commerce and freedom of speech remain in > >it's new home, Cyberspace. And save your regulations for someone > >who needs them. > > You will get a lot more respect on the net once you learn how to > read messages. I'll leave it you to figure out what you got wrong. Umm, I think I understood the message, and Mr. Rotenberg's involvement in the politics of censorship, as it relates to the Internet. > Sheesh. And I retreated to mailing lists to get away from this kind > of stuff on USENET. What? I just feel that there should be no laws or resolutions or promises made or kept by the United States Government about the internet. On or About 16 Jul 97 at 14:42, Declan McCullagh wrote, about something that Marc Rotenberg <rotenberg(a)epic.org> wrote: >On the other hand, without a proper law, See, when they say "without" that means they think we need one. >parents can purchase and >activate measures to protect their children from adult material and >still not feel secure in their homes from unwanted material. Ohhhh, so scary. Not safe in the home! Imagine that. >This is >because negligent publishing of data eventually allows material that >can harm the child to enter the home. Once this material is >experienced by the child, its damage is done. There is no "oops" >factor, no way to undo the unwanted intrusion into a child's >innocence. Parental supervision? What ever happened to that? >Most importantly, any Internet law must not censor thought. It may >regulate the labeling on the packaging but never the content. Most importantly, I don't want any Internet law. ANY. Just my opinion. >With the goal of achieving a greater spirit of cooperation between >the publisher and the receiver of online data, we propose the Online >Cooperative Publishing Act. I don't want ANY Act. Knock it off. Keep out. Stay away. Save your Acts for someone who needs them. Ross =-=-=-=-=-=- Ross Wright King Media: Bulk Sales of Software Media and Duplication Services http://www.slip.net/~cdr/kingmedia Voice: (408) 259-2795

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Fuck You Rating Systems, Inc.
by nobody＠REPLAY.COM 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

ANNOUNCEMENT: Fuck You Ratings Software Escapes Beta-Test! We are proud to announce that "Fuck You" ratings software has managed to escape our beta-test laboratory and is now available in tit bars and crack houses around the nation. Our software makes it easy and convenient to attach ratings labels to your web site which reflect your attitude toward the anal retentive assholes who are surfing for trouble. "Fuck You, you Christian asshole! All I have on this web site is *real* pussy, not *imaginary* saviors!" "Fuck You, you LEA prick! This web site is leased in the name of my dead grandmother, so don't bother getting a subpoena unless you're willing to do some digging." "Fuck You, mom and dad! Until you flush your dope down the toilet, I don't need to hear any of your moralistic crapola." "Fuck You" ratings software has the "Lenny Bruce Found-fucking-dation" Seal of Approval. What others have to say about "Fuck You" ratings software: "Fuck." - Tim May "Shit." - Declan McCullagh "Cocksucker." - Dr. Dimitri Vulis, KOTM "Am not." - John Gilmore "Are too." - Paul Bradley "Fuck." - Kent Crispin "If you check the archives, you'll find that I said 'Fuck' earlier in this post." - Tim May "Darn." - Dorothy Denning "Heck." - Senator Snatch (hee, hee) Order "Fuck You" ratings software before Dec. 32, 2299, and get a free copy of "Bite Me" autoresponder software. {Offer not valid in states where having sexual relations with animals is against local ordinances.}

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The information you requested.
by jackimg＠hotmail.com 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

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CDA II
by President 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

Dear CypherPunks, I will shortly have one of my schills introduce CDA II to Congress, with provisions for declaring martial law on the InterNet and bombing any country which allows terrorists to fight for freedom, liberty and the right to privacy. Please be assured that our dictatorial powers will only be used to meet the legitimate needs of Fascism. Our first step will be to eliminate the scourge of drug dealing the same way we eliminated the scourge of gambling--the government will take over the industry. Our second step will be to eliminate child pornography by eliminating all the children. (It's so simple that I find it amazing that we hadn't thought of it before.) Originally, all we wanted was Poland, but lately we've had so many corporate lipstick marks on our butts that we've decided to go for the (Netscape) gold and require all future computers to contain our newest facistechnology, the "Slip'er A Dick" chip. In the past, the CypherPunks have been a pain in the ass during our attempts to subvert the Constitution, but we are willing to forgive and forget. Accordingly, we are adding an amendment to CDA II which provides $10,000,000 in funding for the continuation of the CypherPunks list. The amendment will put Kent Crispin in charge of moderating the list, and in return for this small compromise we are willing to add another amendment which makes it legal for CypherPunks to import and export air from their lungs. {This major concession is the result of the efforts of the EFF on your behalf.} I realize that abandoning your beliefs in order to feed at the public trough will lessen your reputation capital, so I am also willing to institute a bonus system for those who maintain the party line. I am certain that this will more than compensate for any loss of reputation you may suffer by becoming beltway lackeys. Example: You load 16 tons. What do you get...? Bad Billy C.

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de minimus non curat lex
by nobody＠REPLAY.COM 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

frissell(a)panix.com wrote: > At 11:16 AM 7/16/97 -0700, Declan McCullagh wrote: > >As for Lucky's point #2 -- Yes, I've read drafts of bills that would make > >it a Federal crime to misrate. --Declan > What ever happened to "de minimus non curat lex." The social damage from a > misrated website is too trivial to be believed. Punishing it is like > executing you for farting. The correct translation of "de minimus non curat lex" is: "No fart, no foul." In order for order to prevail, society must have the authority to punish those who fart in a crowded theater. On the other hand, if someone farts in a forest and nobody smells it... Never mind. I was having an AOL flashback. FartMonger

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Making Imaginary Sex Illegal
by Alan Olsen 17 Dec '03

17 Dec '03

http://www.wired.com/news/news/politics/story/5153.html Making Imaginary Sex Illegal by Ashley Craddock 12:05pm 14.Jul.97.PDT Is there such a thing as child porn which doesn't involve children? Logic would say no, but adherence to the rules of reason has never been a hallmark of the United States Congress, particularly when it comes to hot-button issues like child protection. So maybe it shouldn't be surprising that Congress has made it a criminal offense to depict non-obscene, sexually explicit material involving anyone who "appears to be" a minor. Maybe it shouldn't be surprising that it made it a criminal offense to advertise materials in any way that "conveys the impression" that minors will be sexually depicted. But what about the fact that Congress explicitly designed the law to make computer-simulated child porn illegal? "Besides the completely unconstitutional prohibition on using young adult actors, we're basically talking about criminalizing pseudo-pornography," says William Bennett Turner, a San Francisco First Amendment specialist. "I laughed when I first read that Congress was trying to make imaginary sex illegal. I never thought the law would pass." But in a climate in which the US president can seriously tout the myth that fashion photography kicked off a heroin craze among teenagers jonesing to jump on the fastest, hippest bandwagon, the Child Pornography Protection Act was a sure shot. And at the end of 1996, the law quietly made it a felony to engineer, sell, or even posses computer-simulated images of smutty kids, or sexually explicit depictions of real baby-faced adults. The rationale behind the Child Porn Act, introduced by Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), is by and large unoriginal: Pedophiles can use child pornography - or anything that looks like child porn - to seduce kids. Moreover, child porn, whether it depicts real kids, childlike adults, or computer simulations of kids, makes pedophiles a little too hot and bothered for society's good. But the age of morphing added a new twist to the old arguments. When perverts can whip up sexual turn-ons from composites of photographs of children or even from computer graphics programs, argued supporters, a new child-porn definition is crucial. Whether those computer-age fears have any more basis in reality than your average monster-in-the-closet didn't seem to matter one whit to Congress. Testimony that the Department of Justice had "not come across any pedophiles who have actually used the morphing technology" didn't slow the bill's passage. Neither did testimony by another witness, Jeffrey Dupilka of the US Postal Service, who voiced his official opinion that pedophiles "probably" knew about morphing technologies, and were "most likely" using them, but that he didn't "know for sure." No more concrete evidence made its way into Congress before the bill passed. Now, anyone in possession of child pornography could face up to five years in prison - more if they're repeat offenders. Producers and distributors could face up to 30 years in jail for repeat offenses. Alarmed by the Child Porn Act's ramifications for films that cast young actors as sexually active kids (before your favorite porn flick, think Lolita or Romeo and Juliet) the adult entertainment industry responded almost immediately. In January, the Free Speech Coalition filed a brief against Attorney General Janet Reno, contending that the government had far overstepped the First Amendment. The acting judge decided against a trial. Both parties, he announced, could file briefs in support of their position. So on Friday, the parties filed their arguments in the United States District Court in San Francisco. As the case has evolved, the government has moved toward the stance that it didn't really mean to outlaw sexually explicit images of young adults who might look like kids. What it meant to do was protect the world from explicit kiddie morphs. It's a ridiculous position, argues Turner. So along with the American Civil Liberties Union, last week he filed an amicus brief in support of a Free Speech Coalition's suit. "There is a real difference between touching children sexually and touching computer keys to create images: the former is wrong in itself and within the power of government to prohibit; but there is nothing inherently wrongful about using either a computer or adults to create sexually explicit images," the document contends. The court is scheduled to hear oral arguments from both sides 8 August.

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