Airwave Anarchy: The revolution will not be texted

[Anonymous Coredump]

The revolution will not be texted

http://www.channel4news.co.uk/home/20010821/4text.ram
(It's the last article, check Wed 21st Aug, Special Reports for more
details)

The Philippines claim they used text messages to help bring down the
last government. Their lack of respect for the present government has
led to demands controlling the use of text messages - a task Ian
Williams discovers is easier said than done

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Channel 4 News ran this story on the SMS craze engulfing the
Philippines (oh those crazy Filipinos!) and the uncontrollable
rumourmongering(TM) of the new technological generation.

Spreading like wildfire from handset to handset, sex scandals about
leading party members (including one accused of being chased naked
through the Manila Hilton by an angry husband) have caused calls for
clampdowns by the afore mentioned.

Exaggerated reports of the Pope's demise even brought the Church into
the fray, calling for sanity (or "sanity") on the MISinformation Super
Highway.

"Bob", who was expelled from college for spreading rumours about a
teacher, revealed that he sometimes sends upwards of 100 rumours a day
(but only when he has a _really bad_ day).  He operates using 3
unregistered SIM cards, buys pay-as-you-go credits and spends up to 6
hours a day tapping out messages.  Cellphones have been implicated in
organising the rallies that brought about the end of the last
government, and now the new government is feeling a cold breeze on its
testicles...

One interviewed government official has called for mandatory ID when
you buy phone credits, likening this to "requiring a prescription when
you buy Viagra".  (Obviously he has his reputation to think of.)

This has relevance to those cellphone-mixmasters (WalkMasters? For
WalkerPunks?) that were discussed a few weeks ago.  What are the
chances of coding CypherSaber/RC4 for Java enabled cellphones (and I
don't mean for voice data!) and a little forwarding app?  We now have
a proven market.

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The Pope is dead.  Long live the Pope!