1241 lines
61 KiB
Plaintext
1241 lines
61 KiB
Plaintext
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-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
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= =
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- WELCOME TO THE FIFTEENTH ISSUE OF -
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= =
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- -=>PHANTASY<=- -
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= =
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- A PUBLICATION AND NEWSLETTER OF -
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= =
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- THE -
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= INTERNATIONAL =
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- INFORMATION -
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= RETRIEVAL =
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- GUILD -
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= =
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- Hacking,Phreaking,Anarchy,Survivalism,Commentary -
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= =
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-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
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Volume Number Four,Issue Number Fifteen Dated 03/16/93
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Editor is Mercenary : mercenar@works.UUCP
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Article Submissions: The Mercenary/IIRG
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862 Farmington Avenue
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Suite 306
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Bristol,Ct 06010
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IIRG World Headquarters BBS: The Rune Stone
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14.4K HST
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Invitation Only
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All H/P/A, 2500+ Files
|
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(203)-PRI-VATE
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Table of Discontents:
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[1] An Open Letter "To Whom it May Concern"
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By: Mercenary
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[2] Ripco II BBS (Closing Temporarily)
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By: Dr Ripco
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[3] Lets Get This Right
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By: The IIRG
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[4] FOR THE PEOPLE
|
||
Supplied By: Bulletin Boards Across the Country
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Edited by: Mercenary
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1. FBI Shuts Bulletin Board - Copyright Probe Begun
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2. RUSTY & EDIE'S BBS Seized By the FBI
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3. FBI Undecided Whether to Investigate Users of Closed BBS
|
||
4. ACLU Challenges FBI'S Closing 'RUSTY & EDIE'S' BBS in OHIO
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5. RUSTY AND EDIE's RETURNS!!!
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[5] The Rumor Mill (Unconfirmed Rumors From the Underground)
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Edited By: Mercenary
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1. Be on the Look-out for - Mutant-X
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2. PKWare Goes Bankrupt - A Great HOAX!!
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[6] PHANTASY TIDBITS: News and Views of Interest
|
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1. Raid Collects 15 Tons of Counterfeit Microsoft Software
|
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2. DIGITAL'S Eastern Restart Center Keeps
|
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Customers in Business After WTC Explosion
|
||
3. U.S. AIR FORCE to Install 350 ALPHA AXP Workstations
|
||
4. OFFWORLD BBS Seized In St.Louis
|
||
5. STEVE JACKSON GAMES vs. U.S. SECRET SERVICE - The Trial
|
||
|
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[7] Listing of IIRG Distribution Sites
|
||
|
||
[8] Listing of PHANTASY Distribution Sites
|
||
|
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-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
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OFFICIAL DISLAIMER...
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All information in PHANTASY is from USER contributed material
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The Publishers and Editors of PHANTASY and THE IIRG disclaim
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any liability from any damages of any type that the reader or
|
||
user of such information contained within this newsletter may encounter
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from the use of said information. All files are brought to you for
|
||
entertainment purposes only! We also assume all information infringes
|
||
no copyrights and hereby disclaim any liability.
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PHANTASY is (C) 1990 by The IIRG
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IIRG and INTERNATIONAL INFORMATION RETRIEVAL GUILD is (C) 1982
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-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
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Section [1]: An Open Letter "To Whom it May Concern"
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By: Mercenary
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To Whom it may Concern,
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Well, Today is the ninth of March 1993. And just by chance I happened to
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call in Sick to work today because I had a slight touch of the flu.
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So after calling in around 6am and talking to my supervisor, I did the
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||
noble thing and crashed for several more hours. Around 9am I was awakened by
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||
a single ring of the telephone. No problem I thought, Probably just a wrong
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number and got up and did my morning ritual.
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After showering, and grabbing a liquid breakfast of Mt. Dew, I retired to
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||
the bedroom and watched "The Beverly Hillbillies" for a 1/2 hour.
|
||
Now after watching my morning dose of mind-rot, I headed to the computer
|
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room for a leisurely afternoon of programming and catching up on some E-mail.
|
||
After running my standard system security check, I went to check my phone
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||
line, (NOTE: Mercenary keeps a Modified Tap-detector on his line) and to
|
||
my suprise I got a report of an error condition existing.
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||
Now this didn't immediatly bother me as it was quite windy out and I
|
||
thought maybe the phone line was down. So I proceeded to start checking my
|
||
phone lines and got no-dial tone. So I did a quick check of all my phones
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and found no "Internal" problem.
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||
So I jumped on my buddies line and reported to SNET's automated repair
|
||
line that I had no dial-tone and I was promised the repair would be done
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by 8pm.
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||
No sooner than I hung up the phone, I checked my phone line again and
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||
noticed that I had a dial tone but my TAP detector was still activated and
|
||
reporting an "Outside" intrusion.
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||
So after checking my local junction box for any signs of "Tampering", I
|
||
still found no sign of any "Local" problem.
|
||
Well as always, SNET took several hours to respond to my complaint and by
|
||
the time the technician finally arrived, I was fuming mad but didn't lose
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||
my cool.
|
||
After social-engineering the technician with several "Molsons", he came to
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||
the same conclusion that I did, there was no "Internal" problem inside my
|
||
building, but a short or problem on the line.
|
||
Now this may seem like no big deal to some of you, but let me explain.
|
||
We have 5 lines in my apartment and just by "coincidence" the only problem
|
||
was on my private line.
|
||
After about another 1/2 hour the tech knocked on my door and informed me
|
||
that yes, my hunch was correct, and yes someone had tampered with my line
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||
on the pole.
|
||
To protect myself a little here, I won't write how we solved this problem
|
||
but I will respond with the following,
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||
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||
"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or
|
||
prohibitting the free excercise thereof; or abbridging the freedom of
|
||
speech or of the Press; or of the right of the people peaceably to
|
||
assemble, and to petition the Goverment for a redress of grievances"
|
||
|
||
So to whatever agency or organization that felt it necessary to wire-tap
|
||
my telephone line, I say to you that it will in no way stop me from
|
||
being the Editor of this online-magazine.
|
||
|
||
"Hello??, Anyone Listening ??
|
||
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||
Mercenary/IIRG
|
||
|
||
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
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Section [2]: Ripco II BBS (Closing Temporarily)
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By: Dr Ripco
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From : DR. RIPCO
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Date : Sun 3-07-93, 5:10 pm
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To : All
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Subject: Ripco Closing
|
||
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||
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This is a bit difficult to do but it's got to be said.
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There's a pretty good chance not many people will see this message so if you
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can capture it and pass it along, you would be doing everyone a favor.
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||
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||
Technically the board isn't closing and going away forever but some major
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||
changes are going to take place shortly and for all practical reasons, it
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||
probably isn't going to exist as you now know it.
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||
|
||
For about the last year, myself and several indivduals on the system have
|
||
been toying with the idea of getting the system on Internet. If you are not
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||
familar with Internet, it's a world-wide network of computer systems which
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||
basically makes a 100 line 6 gig private bbs look like a C-64 running off
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one floppy.
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||
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||
Although I have no personal access to it and have to admit I never have been
|
||
on there to play around, it doesn't take much looking to figure out that it
|
||
is a unbeliveable resource of information and communication. There just is
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||
not anything to compare it to.
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||
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||
The problem however is public access to it. Most of you that have used
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||
Internet find out about that hard lesson sooner or later. Chicago seems to
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||
be one of the few places in the area where public access is a challenge.
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||
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||
I'd like to change that.
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||
|
||
For the last year we have been tinkering with trying to interface the needed
|
||
software to the main bbs program you see here. This hasn't worked out too
|
||
well. We've looked over other alternatives but have now reached the
|
||
conclusion it's a hopeless cause.
|
||
|
||
A dos based system running a dos based program just doesn't mix with UNIX
|
||
all that well.
|
||
|
||
Thus to continue on with this project it has come to the point of dropping
|
||
dos completely and switching the system over to UNIX completely. This means
|
||
the program and the bbs as you see it will be dumped.
|
||
|
||
Not to get your hopes up, but what will be used to replace it will look like
|
||
garbage initially. It'll be difficult to use and hard to figure out unless
|
||
you have had some prior UNIX experience.
|
||
|
||
This change-over looks like it may start this week of March 7th.
|
||
|
||
Sorry for not being able to relate this information sooner but it's been
|
||
sort of a nightmare just trying to figure out if there was a chance in hell
|
||
of it happening in the first place.
|
||
|
||
Although I cannot be more specific on the new system at this time I do want
|
||
to say that Ripco ][ will be put into a suspended state, in case everything
|
||
falls through and the project is abondoned, I promise to put things back to
|
||
the way it was.
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||
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||
So this isn't quite goodbye, just a vacation of sorts.
|
||
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||
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Dr. Ripco
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Sysop of Ripco ][
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-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
|
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Section [3]: Lets Get This Right
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||
By The IIRG
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||
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||
We'd like to take this time to thank all the systems that have responded
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||
to our call for Distribution Sites. But heres a few tips We'd like to pass
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||
on.
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||
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||
1. When responding in E-mail, Leave us the Name and more importantly, the
|
||
PHONE NUMBER of your BBS.
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||
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||
2. Of the systems that did leave us there Correct Info, over 40% were down
|
||
or disconnected when we tried to call. Its taken us several weeks to get
|
||
to everyone, but PLEASE!! DO NOT apply if you run an elevator bbs.
|
||
You know, Up and Down!!!
|
||
|
||
3. To all of those who tried to contact us and didn't leave the correct
|
||
info, Please respond again.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
////// ////// /////// ////////
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||
// // // // //
|
||
// // /////// // ////
|
||
// // // // // //
|
||
////// * ////// * // // * /////////
|
||
|
||
ATTENTION ALL SYSOPS
|
||
--------------------
|
||
|
||
The International Information Retrieval Guild is looking to expand
|
||
its distribution network in 1993. We would prefer BBS's that mainly
|
||
cater to the Hack/Phreak/Anarchy Underground.
|
||
Two Forms of distribution are currently available to those sysops
|
||
who choose to participate and meet certain criteria.
|
||
|
||
1. Phantasy Magazine Distribution
|
||
2. Complete IIRG File Distribution
|
||
|
||
1. Phantasy Distribution
|
||
|
||
Phantasy is the IIRG's Online Newsletter/Magazine for the
|
||
H/P/A community. Phantasy Distribution for your bbs means
|
||
that all new Issues of Phantasy will be uploaded by a courier
|
||
to your BBS within 12-24 Hours of its release date.
|
||
Your only responsibility is to provide a File area.
|
||
|
||
2. IIRG File Distribution
|
||
|
||
The IIRG Archives contain a vast wealth of information
|
||
gathered over the years from the underground. IIRG file
|
||
distribution will provide you with a courier and file list.
|
||
Your responsibility will be to edit the file list to your
|
||
tastes or Needs and provide it to your courier.
|
||
Over a short period of time the courier will provide the
|
||
files you've selected.
|
||
|
||
|
||
As always this is a free service from the IIRG at no
|
||
cost to you, the sysop.
|
||
|
||
LIMITATIONS: The IIRG has no overseas couriers at this
|
||
time, Overseas Sysops will be provided with a No Ratio,
|
||
No Limit Account at an IIRG Distro Site and will be
|
||
responsible for there own distribution until a
|
||
courier can be provided.
|
||
|
||
|
||
The IIRG May be Contacted Through Mercenary at:
|
||
|
||
mercenar@works.UUCP
|
||
|
||
or by Snail Mail at:
|
||
|
||
|
||
Mercenary/IIRG
|
||
862 Farmington Ave.
|
||
Suite 306
|
||
Bristol,CT. 06010
|
||
|
||
|
||
-=THE IIRG=-
|
||
|
||
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
|
||
|
||
Section [4]: FOR THE PEOPLE
|
||
Supplied By: Bulletin Boards Across the Country
|
||
Edited by: Mercenary
|
||
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
FBI SHUTS BULLETIN BOARD - COPYRIGHT PROBE BEGUN
|
||
By Michael A. Hobbs
|
||
Cleveland Plain Dealer 2/17/93
|
||
(Boardman, OH)
|
||
|
||
The FBI has shut down Rusty & Edie's Computer Bulletin Board here, one of
|
||
the nation's largest, during an investigation of allegations that a
|
||
Boardman, O., couple violated federal computer software copyright statutes.
|
||
|
||
The national Software Publishers Association said yesterday that they were
|
||
delighted with the FBI's Jan. 30 raid of the home of Russell and Edwina
|
||
Hardenburgh of Fredericksburg Dr.
|
||
|
||
Thomas F. Jones, Cleveland FBI special agent-in-charge, said in a statement
|
||
yesterday that the Youngstown FBI secured a search warrant before raiding
|
||
the Hardenburgh home.
|
||
|
||
The search warrant alleges that the couple illegally distributed copyrighted
|
||
computer software programs to their bulletin board subscribers without
|
||
permission of copyright owners.
|
||
|
||
In the raid, the FBI seized computers, computer disks, telecommunications
|
||
equipment, and financial and subscriber business records. The Hardenburghs
|
||
have not been charged with a crime, Jones said, but the investigation is
|
||
continuing.
|
||
|
||
If charged and convicted of federal copyright violations, the Hardenburghs
|
||
could each be sentenced to five years in jail and a maximum $250,000 fine.
|
||
The couple could not be reached yesterday.
|
||
|
||
Their home phone is answered by a tape-recorded message that says: "Hi, you
|
||
have reached Rusty and Edie's...We are down now. For that we are truly
|
||
sorry. We will be back on line sometime between Feb. 24 and March 1."
|
||
|
||
Since 1987, the Hardenburghs operated Rusty & Edie's Computer Bulletin
|
||
Board service from their home. Federal officals said tha bulletin board
|
||
was the largest in Ohio and one of the nation's largest.
|
||
|
||
Rusty & Edie's had more than 14,000 subscribers in the United States,
|
||
Canada and Europe, each paying an $89 annual membership fee. It provided
|
||
more than 100,000 popular software business and entertainment files to its
|
||
subscribers.
|
||
|
||
The bulletin board had 124 computer phone lines and logged more than 3.4
|
||
million calls, with more than 4,000 new calls a day. Youngstown FBI agent
|
||
Mike Waldner said a decision would be made later on whether to investigate
|
||
Rusty & Edie's subscribers for alleged copyright violations.
|
||
|
||
A computer bulletin board allows personal computer users to access a host
|
||
computer by a modem-equipped telephone to exchange information, messages,
|
||
files and computer software programs.
|
||
|
||
Officials of the Software Publishers Association in Washington, D.C., said
|
||
they alerted the FBI about Rusty & Edie's after they got complaints from
|
||
members that their software was illegally distributed by the Hardenburghs.
|
||
|
||
"We applaud the FBI's action." said Ilene Rosenthal, SPA general counsel.
|
||
"This shows that the FBI recognizes...the seriousness of software
|
||
piracy...and the harm that theft of intellectual property causes to one of
|
||
the U.S.'s most vibrant industries."
|
||
|
||
Software piracy cost the software industry $1.2 billion in 1991. Ken
|
||
Wasch, SPA's executive director, said, "Many people may not realize that
|
||
software pirates cause prices to be higher...to make up for publisher
|
||
losses."
|
||
|
||
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
RUSTY & EDIE'S BBS SEIZED BY THE FBI
|
||
|
||
Rusty & Edie's BBS touted the fact that they had only two rules: 1. Have fun
|
||
and 2. No More Rules. It would appear they are going to soon add a third rule
|
||
to their operation - No Commercial Software.
|
||
|
||
After several years operating as the biggest open secret in BBSland, the 124
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||
line BBS operated from the home of Russell And Edwina Hardenburgh in Boardman
|
||
Ohio was raided by the FBI. On Saturday afternoon, January 30, FBI agents
|
||
presented Rusty with a search warrant. Approximately 130 personal computers,
|
||
modems, LAN cabling, software packages, and subscriber records were seized as
|
||
evidence and hauled away - essentially terminating all operations.
|
||
|
||
Claiming some 14,000 subscribers to a system sporting a registration fee of
|
||
some $89 per year and 124 access telephone lines, Rusty & Edie's was one of
|
||
the nation's largest bulletin board systems. They claimed some 3.4 million
|
||
calls since going online and were receiving some 4000 calls daily when the
|
||
system went offline. The system featured over a 100,000 shareware files on 19
|
||
Gigabytes of file storage. They were charged with distributing copyrighted
|
||
commercial software on their BBS. And while the Software Publishers
|
||
Association (SPA) was quick to step forward and take credit for the FBI
|
||
action, it was actually quite late on the scene with this one. And therein
|
||
lies a tale.
|
||
|
||
Five years ago, Bob Fairburn had a heart attack. A restaurant manager in
|
||
Kansas with a wife and children, Fairburn could not obtain life insurance and
|
||
was assured by doctors that he had a life expectancy of five years or less.
|
||
He pondered for months on how he could somehow assure his family an income
|
||
after his death. And he decided that there were two things a man could do in
|
||
America to generate ongoing income - write a book or invent something.
|
||
|
||
So he set out to write the Great American Novel. After months of effort, he
|
||
read through his manuscript and decided even he wouldn't buy it. So he cast
|
||
about for something he could invent. But again, he found he just didn't have
|
||
the inspiration to be an Edison. His son had a small personal computer and
|
||
was already writing games in BASIC. Fairburn took a look at it and decided
|
||
this was something he could do.
|
||
|
||
He bought every book he could find on computer programming, and he signed up
|
||
on Bob Mahoney's Shorewood Wisconsin EXEC-PC BBS. He downloaded hundreds of
|
||
files from the BBS containing code fragments, examples, programming
|
||
tutorials, and anything he could find on programming. Starting in BASIC, he
|
||
eventually moved on to PASCAL. And he came up with an idea for a program. He
|
||
called it HOME DESIGNER and it was basically a simple CAD package to design
|
||
home floor plans, place and arrange furniture, and try out various designs
|
||
for your home or office.
|
||
|
||
Fairburn decided shareware wasn't the way to go to generate cash. So he
|
||
solicited software distributors for months. Eventually, a company in Florida
|
||
called Expert Software picked up the title and launched Expert Home Design -
|
||
at the staggering price of $14.95 retail.
|
||
|
||
According to Fairburn, he only gets fifty cents for each copy sold, but the
|
||
program caught on and he reached the point that he was making a living. He
|
||
bought a farm outside of Leavenworth Kansas and to get needed physical
|
||
exercise, began clearing it and converting it into a wildlife park. He hired
|
||
an assistant, and continued software development.
|
||
|
||
About a year ago, he dialed his old haunt at Bob Mahoney's EXEC-PC BBS, and
|
||
there was his commercial software program listed in the download directory
|
||
with BBS callers downloading it madly. Stunned, he called Bob Mahoney voice
|
||
and asked him about. Mahoney immediately apologized and removed the file from
|
||
the directory. In examining the file, they found a small file in it
|
||
advertising that it came from Rusty & Edie's BBS. Mahoney explained that
|
||
sometimes callers are confused by the difference between shareware software
|
||
and commercial software and in an effort to contribute something, they upload
|
||
commercial software to bulletin boards sometimes without realizing the
|
||
impact. "Most BBS operators will remove it immediately if you call their
|
||
attention to it," Mahoney assured him.
|
||
|
||
So Fairburn dialed Rusty & Edie's BBS and did indeed find his program
|
||
available for download there as well. He selected the editor and began
|
||
drafting a message to the sysop explaining the situation and asking that the
|
||
file be removed. According to Fairburn, while he was typing the message,
|
||
Rusty broke into real-time chat and rather rudely told him that he wasn't
|
||
responsible for every file that anybody uploaded to the BBS, that they
|
||
received megabytes of file uploads each day, and that he would remove the
|
||
file whenever he felt like it and got around to it.
|
||
|
||
Despite the harsh tone, Fairburn accepted this explanation. But when he
|
||
called a week later, the file was still there.
|
||
|
||
"Understand," explains Fairburn, "I'm not Bill Gates. I only get fifty cents
|
||
per copy sold, and my family depends on this for a living. This guy was
|
||
running a giant bulletin board and taking in lots of subscriptions, and
|
||
basically he was stealing my software. I just got mad about it."
|
||
|
||
Fairburn called the FBI office in Kansas City and complained. They were quite
|
||
nice but not very helpful during the call. But about a month later, Fairburn
|
||
answered a knock on the door to find an FBI agent on the front porch - there
|
||
to investigate his problem. Fairburn took the agent into the den and logged
|
||
onto Rusty & Edie's BBS. They logged the session to disk and he showed him
|
||
not only his own program in the directory, but copies of Borland's Software,
|
||
Novell's LAN software, a number of Microsoft programs, Quicken, and according
|
||
to Fairburn, "virtually every commercial game program made."
|
||
|
||
Fairburn was discouraged to learn that the agent knew nothing about
|
||
computers. But he gave him a disk with the logged session on it, some files
|
||
they actually downloaded, and a copy of PKZIP so he could extract the files.
|
||
He patiently explained what PKZIP did, and why it needed to be done. The
|
||
agent thanked him and left - telling him they would turn it over to their
|
||
Cleveland office.
|
||
|
||
Last October, nearly six months after the initial contact, the FBI contacted
|
||
Fairburn to ask if he would be willing to fly to Ohio at their expense to
|
||
testify against the Hardenburgh's in the event they decided to prosecute the
|
||
case. Fairburn agreed as long as they would cover his travel expenses.
|
||
|
||
He had also notified the publishing company that distributed his software.
|
||
And apparently they did contact the SPA. The FBI had apparently contacted
|
||
several of the other software vendors whose programs were found in the log
|
||
files, and they had in turn contacted the SPA - ergo the SPA involvement.
|
||
|
||
On January 30th, the FBI served a search warrant on Rusty & Edie's BBS, and
|
||
essentially trucked it away - an estimated $200,000 worth of computing
|
||
equipment.
|
||
|
||
The bust has evoked mixed reactions online. While the eternally concerned on
|
||
the Internet were outraged by the Constitutional implications, competing BBS
|
||
operators were not quite so adamant. According to Kevin Behrens of Aquila
|
||
BBS, a 32-line PCBoard system in Chicago, "Rusty Edie's was the worst-kept
|
||
secret in the industry. I don't know if it's a shame or about time."
|
||
|
||
Bob Mahoney of EXEC-PC was a bit more direct. "In some ways, this is a
|
||
competitive situation and every honest sysop is at a disadvantage. Imagine
|
||
operating a car wash with a competing car wash across the street. The
|
||
difference is that they give away a $20 gold piece with each car wash, but
|
||
you aren't allowed to because it is against the law."
|
||
|
||
Mahoney went on to note, "There's also something a bit annoying about
|
||
computer people (BBS operators) ripping off other computer people (software
|
||
authors). It's a bit like cannibalism within the family. I have a problem
|
||
with that."
|
||
|
||
Hardenburgh refused to comment on the situation noting the usual advice of
|
||
his lawyer not to discuss the case. "I will say I never thought something
|
||
like this could happen in America and I'm shocked and very disappointed."
|
||
Hardenburgh vowed to have the system back up on new equipment by March 1 at
|
||
the (216)726-1247 number, and expressed his hope that "his caller base would
|
||
back him on this one."
|
||
|
||
"When this is all over, I want to come out to that ONE BBSCON in Colorado and
|
||
tell you all an earful. You're not going to believe what can happen to a
|
||
BBS," vowed Hardenburgh.
|
||
|
||
The situation may be further complicated by a recent change to the copyright
|
||
law, ostensibly driven by the SPA. On October 28, 1992, the 102nd Congress
|
||
passed Senate Bill 893 - which became Public Law 102-561 revising Title 18 of
|
||
the United States Code. Under Section 2319(b) of title 18, the criminal
|
||
penalties for copyright infringement were dramatically changed. Previously,
|
||
anyone making 1000 copies or more of a copyrighted work were eligible for the
|
||
maximum penalty. Under the revision, that is reduced to anyone making 10 or
|
||
more copies with a retail value exceeding a total of $2500 or more within a
|
||
180-day period. If found guilty, they may be subject to sentences of up to
|
||
five years and fines of up to $250,000.
|
||
|
||
As of this writing, Hardenburgh has not been charged with any crime. Thomas
|
||
F. Jones, Cleveland special agent-in-charge noted in a statement that the
|
||
Youngstown FBI did serve a search warrant on Hardenburgh's home January 30th.
|
||
The warrant alleges the couple illegally distributed copyrighted computer
|
||
software programs to bulletin board subscribers without permission of
|
||
copyright owners. There was apparently no implication of pornography.
|
||
|
||
And Fairburn? Well, he's exceeded his five year projected life span and seems
|
||
to be doing reasonably will from a cardiac perspective. He did drop a piece
|
||
of a tree on his arm with a loader in January and has a bit of a problem with
|
||
his arm. But his Expert Home Designer was extremely well reviewed in the
|
||
After Hours column of PC Magazine's August '92 issue, and while at $14.95
|
||
it's not one of the big dollar generating software packages, numerically it
|
||
is the 17th fastest selling software package in America. It's discounted to
|
||
as little as $7.95 in grocery stores and apparently the country wants to
|
||
rearrange their furniture on screen. The program is available from Expert
|
||
Software, PO Box 143376, Coral Gables, FL 33134; (800)759-2562 voice;
|
||
(305)443-3255 fax. Bob Fairburn can be reached at 1004 2nd Ave., Leavenworth
|
||
KS, 66048; (913)651-3715 voice.
|
||
|
||
Other BBS operators are concerned by the implications of the raids.
|
||
Typically, any BBS is subject to receiving uploads of commercial software
|
||
from callers. And while most do a very good job of screening out the obvious
|
||
Microsoft Word or Lotus 123 program, there are tens of thousands of
|
||
commercial programs like EXPERT HOME DESIGNER that aren't immediately obvious
|
||
in an environment that also includes over 100,000 shareware titles that are
|
||
perfectly acceptable to carry online.
|
||
|
||
Most attempts by conscientious system operators to automate the task of
|
||
separating commercial software from shareware software have had very limited
|
||
success. Typically, search software examines uploaded .ZIP files to detect
|
||
content files with a certain 32-bit Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC) signature.
|
||
But these signatures have not proven to be reliable or unique. Andy Keeves of
|
||
Executive Network BBS in Mount Vernon, New York, has devised what may be the
|
||
beginnings of a solution. A database has been compiled using the FWKCS
|
||
"Content Signature" system made available by Dr. F.W. Kantor of New York with
|
||
the cooperation of several software manufacturers. Kantor's system uses a 64
|
||
bit signature based on both a CRC of the file and the file length. This is
|
||
proving significantly more reliable.
|
||
|
||
The Executive Network supplies a diskette with instructions to any software
|
||
manufacturer on request in order to help them identify critical components of
|
||
their work. When the manufacturer submits the generated "signatures" to the
|
||
Executive Network, they are incorporated into a database. A software program
|
||
automatically deletes any uploads containing one of the registered
|
||
signatures. Software manufacturers can request the identification software by
|
||
contacting Mr. Black at Executive Network voice (914)667-2150 or by modem at
|
||
(914)667-4567. There is no charge for either the diskette or the service. BBS
|
||
operators will be able to download the database for their own use at no
|
||
charge. According to Keeves, the database already contains several thousand
|
||
signatures.
|
||
|
||
Executive Network is one of the largest bulletin boards in the country with
|
||
over 12 GB of files online, international e-mail, and vendor support areas.
|
||
The Executive Network Information System, 10 Fiske Place, Mount Vernon, NY
|
||
10550; (914)667-2150 voice; (914)667-4567 BBS; (914)667-4817.
|
||
|
||
|
||
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
FBI UNDECIDED WHETHER TO INVESTIGATE USERS OF CLOSED BBS
|
||
Online Today Feb 17, 1993
|
||
|
||
The FBI says it hasn't decided whether to investigate subscribers to the
|
||
massive Boardman, Ohio, computer bulletin board system called
|
||
"Rusty & Edie's," which was shut down recently for alleged copyright
|
||
violations.
|
||
|
||
As reported earlier this month, federal agents, working with the Software
|
||
Publishers Association, seized computers, hard disk drives and
|
||
telecommunications equipment, as well as financial and subscriber records
|
||
in the raid.
|
||
|
||
In a statement released late yesterday, FBI officials said the search warrant
|
||
used in the Jan. 30 raid at the home of Russell and Edwinia Hardenburgh
|
||
alleges the couple illegally distributed copyrighted software without
|
||
permission.
|
||
|
||
United Press International quotes federal authorities as saying the BBS had
|
||
124 phone lines and logged more than 3.4 million calls since 1987, with more
|
||
than 4,000 new calls daily. The system, one of the largest in the nation, had
|
||
more than 14,000 subscribers in the United States, Europe and Canada.
|
||
|
||
UPI says the Hardenburghs, if charged and convicted, could each be sentenced
|
||
to five years in prison and fined $250,000.
|
||
|
||
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
ACLU CHALLENGES FBI'S CLOSING 'RUSTY & EDIE'S' BBS IN OHIO
|
||
Online Today Feb. 20, 1993
|
||
|
||
A challenge to the constitutionality of an FBI raid that shut down "Rusty &
|
||
Edie's" bulletin board service in Boardman, Ohio, last month has been issued
|
||
by the American Civil Liberties Union.
|
||
|
||
ACLU Ohio legal director Kevin O'Neill told United Press International that,
|
||
while the FBI's copyright infringement allegations might have merit, such
|
||
allegations are normally resolved in civil suits, not criminal cases.
|
||
|
||
O'Neill said Rusty & Edie's 14,000 subscribers are more subscribers than many
|
||
small- circulation newspapers enjoy and "shutting down a computer bulletin
|
||
board is analogous to shutting down a newspaper printing press. Our conception
|
||
of constitutionally protected public forums must be broadened to include new
|
||
communication networks like computer bulletin boards."
|
||
|
||
As reported earlier (GO OLT-480), the FBI released a statement this week
|
||
saying it hasn't decided whether to investigate subscribers to the massive
|
||
BBS, which was raided Jan. 30 and shut down for alleged software copyright
|
||
violations.
|
||
|
||
Federal agents, working with the Software Publishers Association, entered the
|
||
home of Russell and Edwinia Hardenburgh with a search warrant and seized
|
||
computers, hard disk drives and telecommunications equipment, as well as
|
||
financial and subscriber records. The BBS had 124 phone lines and logged more
|
||
than 3.4 million calls since 1987, with more than 4,000 new calls daily.
|
||
No charges have been filed against the Hardenburghs.
|
||
|
||
Meanwhile, Mark Kindt, a Cleveland businessman who was Cleveland regional
|
||
director for the Federal Trade Commission from 1988 to 1992, told UPI he
|
||
likened the FBI raid to "hunting gnats with an elephant gun."
|
||
|
||
Said Kindt, "I'm surprised this investigation led to seizing the equipment of
|
||
one of America's largest computer bulletin boards. Computer bulletin boards
|
||
are electronic town halls. Even if (Rusty & Edie's) pirated the moon,
|
||
the government should have proceeded in a more careful, deliberative manner."
|
||
|
||
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
RUSTY AND EDIE's RETURNS
|
||
|
||
Please note our new telephone numbers:
|
||
|
||
Russ Hardenburgh
|
||
1480 Fredricksburg Drive
|
||
Youngstown, OH 44512
|
||
|
||
Our Phone Numbers are:
|
||
|
||
Voice: 216 726-4217
|
||
Fax: 216 726-3595 FAX not open yet (soon)
|
||
2400 baud: 216 726-2620
|
||
HST: 216 726-1804 Not for Dual Standards HSTs ONLY!
|
||
V32 216 726-2620 Dual Standards use this line only!!
|
||
Compucoms 216 726-3584
|
||
Hayes
|
||
V-series 216 726-3619
|
||
|
||
|
||
02/26/93 We're back, we have done our very best to put back as much of the
|
||
system as we possibly could, we feel we have done pretty well
|
||
keeping about the last year of files. We hope you all like it.
|
||
Please report any problems you have with the system, we need to work
|
||
out the bugs.
|
||
|
||
What can you do to help?
|
||
|
||
1. Please upload new files, we need your uploads so that we can
|
||
continue to be the very best place to get new files.
|
||
|
||
2. We have done our very best to make sure their are no commercial
|
||
files on line, if you should find one or suspect one please
|
||
leave us a message or call us voice, our new number is 216 726-
|
||
4217, so that we can remove it.
|
||
|
||
3. Download a file called R&E-IS.BAC and upload it to every BBS you
|
||
can, also post it in every message base you can so our callers
|
||
will know we are back on line and need their help.
|
||
|
||
4. Send money!!
|
||
|
||
New callers please join our system, you will find us a good
|
||
reliable source of enjoyment. Read bulletin #1
|
||
|
||
Old callers, please renew now, even if you are not due yet, we
|
||
need your help now.
|
||
|
||
Buy the modems and other hardware we sell, we sell the best and
|
||
we need the money at this time to rebuild the system.
|
||
|
||
In addition we are asking that all of you that can and want to
|
||
help us in our hour of need send donations to help us rebuild
|
||
this system. Our address is printed in bulletin #5 or simply
|
||
use script #1 and when it asks how much be sure and indicate
|
||
this is an extra donation, Edie and I will always remember your
|
||
kindness.
|
||
|
||
You all know us and know we will do the very best we possibly can to
|
||
make Rusty n Edie's a fun place to visit, we remain "The Friendliest
|
||
BBS in the World."
|
||
|
||
.......Rusty n Edie too!!
|
||
|
||
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
|
||
|
||
Section [5]: The Rumor Mill (Unconfirmed Rumors From the Underground)
|
||
Edited By: Mercenary and Anubis
|
||
|
||
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
THE FOLLOWING HAS APPEARED ON SEVERAL WELL KNOWN HACK/PHREAK BBS's
|
||
|
||
Be on the Look out for: Mutant-X!
|
||
|
||
He is a narc working for the Columbus Police Department. He busted
|
||
a guy by the handle of Scotty by acting like his friend and then
|
||
reporting back to the police.
|
||
|
||
If he is on your bbs, please be careful, he is not trustworthy.
|
||
His real name is Ed and he lives in Grove City, OH, but works for the
|
||
Columbus police.
|
||
|
||
He is busting people for the System 75 PBX hacking.
|
||
|
||
His previous handle is Iceman.
|
||
|
||
This is all the info we have available.
|
||
|
||
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
The Following text file was well circulated, but poorly researched.
|
||
We consider it an excellent Prank, especially considering the inferior
|
||
quality of the new version of PKZIP 204C,E,G (How many more Phil??)
|
||
|
||
|
||
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
|
||
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1993 5:00PM CST
|
||
==========================================================================
|
||
|
||
PKware Inc., citing overwhelming advertising, administrative and
|
||
development expenses with the recent problem-plagued release of their
|
||
new PKZIP product, filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy today in the Milwaukie
|
||
County District Court.
|
||
|
||
"PKWARE will continue to operate normally, and will provide, as always,
|
||
the high-quality data compression products and services which have made
|
||
us the leader in the data compression market," Mark Gresbach,
|
||
press-relations manager of PKWARE, said.
|
||
|
||
In business since 1987, PKWARE Inc. produces high-performance data
|
||
compression software, which makes computer program and data files smaller,
|
||
for faster transmission over telephone lines or to take up less disk space.
|
||
Fortune 500 companies such as Borland Inc., of Scotts Valley, CA and
|
||
government agencies such as the US Air Force are major customers of PKWARE.
|
||
|
||
Any questions or concerns may be directed to PKWARE at any of the
|
||
following telephone numbers:
|
||
|
||
Phone (414) 354-8699
|
||
FAX (414) 354-8599
|
||
BBS (414) 356-8670.
|
||
|
||
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
A recent "press release" indicated that PKWARE, producers of PKZIP and
|
||
other popular software has filed for bankruptcy under Chapter 11.
|
||
|
||
THE PRESS RELEASE IS A HOAX! PKWARE's Mike Stanton indicated that the
|
||
PKWARE is in sound financial shape and that there is no basis
|
||
whatsoever to the release. "It's probably somebody's idea of an early
|
||
April Fool's joke," said Stanton.
|
||
The release contained a number of factual errors that prompted us call
|
||
PKWARE, and they confirmed what we suspected. CuD 5.18 will have
|
||
further details on, but the potential damages of the fraudulent
|
||
release require that we stop the rumor before it spreads.
|
||
|
||
SO: THE "PRESS RELEASE" IS A HOAX.
|
||
|
||
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
|
||
|
||
Section [6]: PHANTASY TIDBITS: News and Views of Interest
|
||
|
||
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
RAID COLLECTS 15 TONS OF COUNTERFEIT MICROSOFT SOFTWARE
|
||
(Feb 20 1993)
|
||
|
||
Fifteen tons of allegedly counterfeit Microsoft software and manuals, valued
|
||
at up to $1 million, were seized by police in a raid on a San Francisco Bay
|
||
Area warehouse.
|
||
Arrested and charged with possession, distribution and sale of counterfeit
|
||
merchandise was Jacob Tran, owner of J.T. Litho company of Concord, Calif. The
|
||
Reuter News Service quoted Concord police spokesman Joe Kreins as alleging the
|
||
company used sophisticated graphics equipment to mimic Microsoft packaging for
|
||
Windows 3.0 and 3.1 and MS-DOS 5.0.
|
||
"Police working with Microsoft had the warehouse under surveillance since
|
||
Feb. 12," Reuters says, "after Microsoft received an anonymous tip. Microsoft
|
||
officials estimated the value of the fake goods ... at between $750,000 and $1
|
||
million."
|
||
The wire service says the authorities are looking for the supplier of the
|
||
material and still are trying to recover the counterfeit goods already sold.
|
||
Reports from Reuters are a regular feature of CompuServe's Executive News
|
||
Service (GO ENS).
|
||
|
||
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
Newsdate: 3/10/93
|
||
|
||
DIGITAL'S EASTERN RESTART CENTER KEEPS
|
||
CUSTOMERS IN BUSINESS AFTER WTC EXPLOSION
|
||
|
||
MAYNARD, Mass. -- March 10, 1993 -- More than a week after the
|
||
explosion at New York City's World Trade Center, Digital Equipment
|
||
Corporation continues to help keep several customers operating
|
||
through its Eastern RESTART Center, located in Parsippany, N.J.
|
||
|
||
At 12:45 p.m., on Friday, February 26 -- shortly after the
|
||
explosion -- Digital's Eastern RESTART Center Manager in Parsippany,
|
||
New Jersey, received a call from a Business Protection Services
|
||
(BPS) customer located in Waltham, Massachusetts. The customer's
|
||
company was headquartered on the 18th floor at Two World Trade
|
||
Center.
|
||
|
||
Edward F. Behn, Vice President, Systems and Software, at IDD
|
||
|
||
Information Services, Inc., immediately called his colleagues at the
|
||
World Trade Center from his Waltham office. "For a short while, we
|
||
were able to maintain telephone contact with the World Trade
|
||
Center," says Behn. "Once we learned this was far more dramatic
|
||
than a power loss, we contacted Digital immediately and put them on
|
||
disaster alert."
|
||
|
||
IDD is an information services company, providing trading
|
||
information, historical stock prices and real-time database access
|
||
services to a variety of news services and investment banks,
|
||
including a number of VAX installation sites.
|
||
|
||
By Saturday morning, Behn had learned the full extent of the
|
||
damage to the World Trade Center, and formally declared a disaster.
|
||
He quickly assembled a core team of four employees. After
|
||
retrieving back-up tapes from an off-site storage vault in New York,
|
||
the team headed to Digital's Eastern RESTART Center in Parsippany.
|
||
|
||
|
||
"At 8:00 that evening, we met at the Eastern RESTART Center,"
|
||
says Behn. "Through the night, we worked with Digital's recovery
|
||
specialists and consultants to begin the process of reconfiguring
|
||
systems, loading files and setting up communications capabilities.
|
||
By Sunday afternoon, our systems were fully operational."
|
||
|
||
By Monday, March 1, IDD was back to a 24-hour-a-day,
|
||
seven-days-a-week business operation. According to Behn, IDD was
|
||
fully on-line, providing information and network and data base
|
||
access to hundreds of its worldwide bank of customers.
|
||
|
||
Minimal Down-Time
|
||
|
||
"Within the first 24 hours of operations at the site, we
|
||
serviced more than 1,000 sessions over our network -- which is
|
||
actually a little higher than our normal load," says Behn. "Our
|
||
customers have been able to log on to our systems and obtain the
|
||
information or stock prices they need. In fact, the Monday
|
||
|
||
(March 1) edition of the WALL STREET JOURNAL ran a pricing chart
|
||
based on information we provided. We suffered little down-time,
|
||
with minimal overall impact to our customers."
|
||
|
||
"Digital has done a wonderful job in helping to restore our
|
||
operations," says Behn. "The Eastern RESTART facility has
|
||
accommodated our every need, and we couldn't be more pleased.
|
||
Our customers are even surprised that we're fully operational."
|
||
|
||
Currently, four IDD employees remain at the Eastern RESTART
|
||
Center, and may be operating out of the facility for as long as a
|
||
month, since World Trade Center occupants are expected to be denied
|
||
occupancy in the building for that length of time.
|
||
|
||
In addition to RESTART support, Digital has provided a number
|
||
of customers with extra hardware and systems to help ensure
|
||
continued business operation of their applications.
|
||
|
||
|
||
RESTART Center Designed for Disaster
|
||
|
||
Located just outside of New York City in Parsippany, New
|
||
Jersey, the Eastern RESTART Center, or "Hot Site," allows customers
|
||
to run their critical applications on Digital equipment to ensure
|
||
that their business requirements continue without interruption in
|
||
the event of a disaster. The facility occupies 20,000 sq. ft. of
|
||
floor space in a modern office park close to all the major highways
|
||
for easy access to New York City and Newark Airport.
|
||
|
||
Through its RESTART Centers, Digital also provides joint
|
||
coverage for mixed IBM/Digital environments.
|
||
|
||
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
Newsdate: 2/11/93
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
U.S. AIR FORCE TO INSTALL 350 ALPHA AXP WORKSTATIONS
|
||
BY APRIL, 1993; UP TO 2,500 ADDITIONAL WORKSTATIONS,
|
||
SERVERS OVER NEXT FOUR YEARS
|
||
|
||
|
||
Contract Valued at $4.2 Million Initially,
|
||
$30-Million Potential over Four Years
|
||
|
||
|
||
MAYNARD, Mass. -- February 11, 1993 -- Digital Equipment Corporation
|
||
and prime contractor Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) will supply
|
||
350 of Digital's new DEC 3000 Model 400 AXP workstations to the U.S.
|
||
Air Force, with installation of the $4.2-million Alpha AXP order to
|
||
take place in March and April, 1993.
|
||
Within four years, sales could reach $30 million as the Air
|
||
Force installs multiple DEC 3000 Model 400S AXP servers and up to
|
||
2,500 future AXP workstation models in each of approximately 170 Air
|
||
Force bases and deployable sites worldwide.
|
||
CSC is utilizing the new AXP workstations with its software for
|
||
an application known as AMC C2 IPS -- Air Mobility Command-Command
|
||
and Control Information Processing System -- for mission monitoring
|
||
and scheduling in real-time. Initially, applications will run under
|
||
the OpenVMS AXP operating system, with a potential move to the DEC
|
||
OSF/1 for AXP UNIX operating environment in 1994.
|
||
The application, currently running in the OpenVMS VAX
|
||
environment, was used by the Air Force during Operation Desert Storm
|
||
in 1991, and currently is being used at en-route locations to
|
||
support the United Nations' relief efforts in Somalia.
|
||
"We are moving from the VAX to the Alpha AXP platform as part
|
||
of a transition to open systems standards compliance," said Ron
|
||
Randel, IPS program manager for CSC. "The Alpha AXP platform,
|
||
running the POSIX-compliant DEC OSF/1 operating system, will provide
|
||
the basis for this transition. It also provides an enhanced
|
||
price/performance advantage," he said. In addition to POSIX, CSC is
|
||
also planning to implement IPS with open standards including X.400,
|
||
FIPS 127-1 (SQL), and GOSIP.
|
||
"Our equipment positions Digital and its Alpha AXP architecture
|
||
as a key component of Air Force command and control, said Jack
|
||
MacKeen, vice president, Digital's Aerospace, Defense Electronics
|
||
and Government group. "Our universal Alpha AXP platform provides not
|
||
only the needed performance today, but also the flexibility needed
|
||
to move the application to another operating system in the near
|
||
future," MacKeen said.
|
||
CSC's Integrated Systems Division, headquartered in Moorestown,
|
||
New Jersey, performs a wide range of software development and
|
||
systems integration programs for diverse government, Department of
|
||
Defense, and commercial applications.
|
||
|
||
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
OFFWORLD BBS SEIZED IN ST.LOUIS
|
||
|
||
Joey Jay operated one of the more popular bulletin board systems in the St.
|
||
Louis area. Offworld BBS operated on 32 telephone lines at (314)579-0700
|
||
using the DLX software popular among real-time chat systems. It gained quite
|
||
a following as a local chat system. Jay, 28 years old, operated the system
|
||
from the basement of his fathers home in Chesterfield Missouri. Some 4300
|
||
local callers frequented the system.
|
||
|
||
On Friday evening, January 15th, at about 8:52 PM CST, the FBI served a
|
||
search warrant and seized six computer systems, modems, all tape backups, -
|
||
some $40,000 worth of computer hardware and software in all - on suspicion of
|
||
interstate distribution of child pornography and images containing
|
||
bestiality.
|
||
|
||
According to Jay, there were images occasionally uploaded to the board as
|
||
file attachments on private e-mail between callers. When he would detect
|
||
them, he did delete them as a matter of practice and kick the caller off the
|
||
system. He routinely tossed them into a SHREDME directory for later deletion
|
||
with Norton's WIPE utility. He acknowledges that there were some questionable
|
||
images in the SHREDME directory when the computer equipment was seized and
|
||
notes he's not certain what was on the BBS as he had just returned from a
|
||
week of snowboarding in Colorado when the raid occurred. He did maintain a
|
||
regular file directory containing images of bestiality and was unaware it was
|
||
against the law to do so.
|
||
|
||
In addition to the equipment seizure, the FBI alluded to the fact that if the
|
||
system came back up, they could, under law, seize Jay's father's house. His
|
||
father asked Jay to move out of the premises.
|
||
|
||
About 100 angry Offworld users gathered the following Monday at a support
|
||
rally. Jay is receiving contributions of equipment and money to get the
|
||
system back online and plans to do so soon. He has a one line message system
|
||
up at the old number now. Jay originally started Offworld in Los Angeles
|
||
where it operated from February of 1984 until June of 1992, when he moved it
|
||
to the St. Louis area. He has retained Arthur Margulas, an ex-FBI agent and
|
||
federal crime attorney practicing in St. Louis to represent him, and has been
|
||
in close contact with Mike Godwin of the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
|
||
|
||
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
STEVE JACKSON GAMES vs. U.S. SECRET SERVICE - TRIAL
|
||
|
||
On March 1, 1990, the United States Secret Service, participating in a
|
||
nationwide sweep code named Operation SunDevil, launched an early morning
|
||
raid on Steve Jackson Games, an Austin Texas publisher of role-playing games
|
||
and books. They broke locks on doors, seized and carted away all personal
|
||
computer equipment, business records, manuscripts of books being prepared for
|
||
publication, and all hardware and software of the Illuminati bulletin board
|
||
system run by SJG at (512)447-4449 to communicate with writers, customers,
|
||
and fans of the game series published by Jackson. Steve Jackson arrived at
|
||
work to find his business already loaded and ready to roll. Agents on the
|
||
scene refused to answer any questions, and they presented a search warrant
|
||
with essentially no information on it.
|
||
|
||
With his business records, computers, and manuscripts gone, Jackson laid off
|
||
workers in an effort to stave off bankruptcy. No charges were filed against
|
||
Jackson, and months of appeals to have the equipment and records returned met
|
||
with very limited success. In May, 1991, with the assistance of the
|
||
Electronic Frontier Foundation, Steve Jackson and the EFF filed a civil suit
|
||
against the United States Secret Service, Secret Service Agents Timothy Foley
|
||
and Barbara Golden, Assistant United States Attorney William Cook, and Henry
|
||
Kluepfel.
|
||
|
||
The case finally came to trial on Tuesday, January 26, 1993 at about 1:00 PM
|
||
in the U.S. District Court with Judge Sam Sparks presiding. Attorneys Jim
|
||
George and Pete Kennedy represented the plaintiffs. Their first witness was
|
||
agent Timothy Foley of the Secret Service. He acknowledged that he did know
|
||
that e-mail was on the BBS menu system, and explained that he refused to give
|
||
Jackson copies of anything that was on the BBS because he feared it might be
|
||
"booby-trapped." Although it was widely reported that he had told Steve
|
||
Jackson at the time that GURPS Cyberpunk, a fictional game published by SJG,
|
||
was a "handbook for computer crime." When questioned under oath, he denied
|
||
ever making such a statement. He also denied any knowledge that Congress had
|
||
granted special protections to publishers during searches under the Privacy
|
||
Protection Act.
|
||
|
||
Larry Couterie, a University of Texas police officer was called to the stand
|
||
next. An affidavit filed by Foley to support the search warrant application
|
||
indicated that Coutorie had provided the Secret Service with the business
|
||
address of one of Jackson's employees. Under questioning, Couterie denied
|
||
knowing anything about the employee, or providing any such information to
|
||
Foley.
|
||
|
||
Steve Jackson demonstrated for the court the operation of a BBS,
|
||
demonstrating a message conference with an old west theme. By all accounts,
|
||
the demonstration was quite entertaining and the judge seemed to enjoy it.
|
||
|
||
The next day, the plaintiff's continued their case with testimony by writers
|
||
who submit manuscripts to SJG, and by e-mail users of the BBS. Apparently,
|
||
over 160 electronic mail messages were never delivered due to the government
|
||
seizure of the system, and of course much was made of the impact on the
|
||
individuals lives due to messages they thought they had sent, but had never
|
||
actually been received, etc.
|
||
|
||
Wayne Bell, author of the WWIV software used on the Illuminati system,
|
||
testified after examining the BBS. This testimony was used to show that
|
||
Secret Service had indeed read all the mail on the BBS system with numerous
|
||
files updated weeks after the raid.
|
||
|
||
Much of the original warrant was based on information from Henry Kluepfel,
|
||
Director of Network Security Technology at Belcore. His testimony at the
|
||
trial did more to explain what actually happened to lead to the raid.
|
||
Apparently, they suspected a BBS titled the Phoenix Project, operating in
|
||
Austin, of having a copy of an E911 document stolen from a computer in
|
||
Atlanta. Their information led them to believe the Phoenix Project was
|
||
operating from the home of Loyd Blankenship, an employee of Steve Jackson
|
||
Games. But after February 7, 1991, the Phoenix Project couldn't be located -
|
||
it's telephone number didn't answer. Since Loyd Blankenship worked at Steve
|
||
Jackson games, and since Steve Jackson Games ran a BBS titled Illuminati that
|
||
used the same WWIV software, they decided that the Phoenix Project was
|
||
actually hidden behind a "secret door" on the Illuminati BBS. A comparison of
|
||
the userlogs of the two bulletin boards indicated there was only a single
|
||
common user to both systems - Loyd Blankenship.
|
||
|
||
William Cook, retired U.S. Attorney testified at the trial and made a couple
|
||
of interesting comments. He indicated that no charges were ever filed against
|
||
Loyd Blankenship. A good bit of this testimony revolved around SJG role as a
|
||
publisher and the abrogation by the Secret Service of any observance of the
|
||
Privacy Protection Act procedures for serving search warrants on publishers.
|
||
One of the most interesting aspects of Cook's testimony involved the status
|
||
of electronic mail. He asserted that e-mail messages that had been sent, but
|
||
not received, were not in transit electronic mail but rather "stored"
|
||
electronic mail. The judge questioned him on this point and he acknowledged
|
||
he had based this interpretation on nothing beyond his own view of the
|
||
subject.
|
||
|
||
The government only made a half-hearted attempt at defending its position on
|
||
the raid. Most of their activity centered on damage control - seeking to
|
||
disqualify the $2 million in damages and $150,000 in lost royalties claimed
|
||
by the plaintiff. They contended that Steve Jackson games had actually been
|
||
in financial difficulties for several years before the raid and implied that
|
||
the publicity caused by the raid actually helped his business. By Thursday,
|
||
the judge had had enough. He interrupted testimony to deliver a 15-minute
|
||
tirade directed at Secret Service agent Timothy Foley consisting of a series
|
||
of "Didn't you know/Didn't you ask" questions that amounted to a public
|
||
scolding.
|
||
|
||
Shaken, the government rested their case without calling any of their
|
||
scheduled remaining defense witnesses.
|
||
|
||
While the trial was dramatically one sided on behalf of Steve Jackson Games
|
||
and the EFF, and decidedly embarrassing for the Secret Service and the U.S.
|
||
Attorney, the outcome is unsettled. The judge took the matter under
|
||
advisement and at this writing, has not issued a ruling in the case. The EFF,
|
||
with SJG, is seeking to establish several things. First, that the Electronic
|
||
Communications Privacy Act ensures the privacy of electronic mail from
|
||
government seizure without warrants served to each e-mail correspondent.
|
||
Secondly, SJG as a publisher is entitled to special protection under search
|
||
warrants under the Privacy Protection Act. And third, that SJG is deserving
|
||
of monetary damages from the business disruption caused by the search. All of
|
||
these are relatively dramatic goals that would alter how the government deals
|
||
with bulletin boards in the future. And despite the one-sided appearance of
|
||
the trial, Judge Sparks ultimate ruling could deal with any of these elements
|
||
as he sees fit.
|
||
|
||
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
|
||
|
||
Section [7]: IIRG Distribution Sites
|
||
(or Gateways to Oblivion)
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
////// ////// /////// ////////
|
||
// // // // //
|
||
// // /////// // ////
|
||
// // // // // //
|
||
////// * ////// * // // * /////////
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
IIRG World HQ: The Rune Stone BBS
|
||
14.4k HST
|
||
Phantasys Home Board
|
||
Complete IIRG Archives
|
||
Invitation Only
|
||
(203)-PRI-VATE
|
||
|
||
|
||
IIRG Distribution Site 1: Wired World BBS
|
||
INC Europe
|
||
TPC Courier (WHQ)
|
||
THP
|
||
IIRG Distribution Site
|
||
Sysop: Digital Justice
|
||
+39-89-254138
|
||
|
||
IIRG Distribution Site 2: Cyberdyne Network Germany
|
||
United Forces
|
||
Sysop: E605
|
||
+49-5341-59004
|
||
+49-5341-54052
|
||
|
||
|
||
IIRG Distribution Site 3: The Sanitarium
|
||
Sysops: Morbid Angel [INC/ACID]
|
||
Spectral Illusion [ACID/RAZOR]
|
||
IIRG Distribution Site
|
||
ACID Member Board
|
||
INC Courier Board
|
||
RAZOR 1911 Courier Board
|
||
VISA World Headquarters
|
||
(817)PRI-VATE
|
||
|
||
IIRG Distribution Site 4: The WareHouse
|
||
(203)-231-8980
|
||
OVER A GIG ONLINE
|
||
Sysop: Ionizer
|
||
|
||
IIRG Distribution Site 5: Hollow Tree Productions
|
||
Sysop: Phantasm
|
||
Syndicate
|
||
Extreme*Net
|
||
(313)-EXE-TREME
|
||
|
||
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
|
||
|
||
Section [8]: Phantasy Distribution Sites
|
||
|
||
Phantasy's Distribution Site's are continually growing,we apologize if you
|
||
called a board and didn't find the Mag. Network Distribution Sites will
|
||
have the Issues first, we suggest calling one of them if a problem does
|
||
arise.
|
||
|
||
|
||
1. Lightning Systems
|
||
(414) 363-4282
|
||
200 Million Bytes OnLine
|
||
USRobotics Dual Standard HST/V.32bis
|
||
2400 thru 14.4k v.32bis/HST
|
||
|
||
2. The Works BBS
|
||
(617-861-8976)
|
||
Large Text Files BBS, 3500+ text files online.
|
||
2400-300 Baud, 24 Hours a day
|
||
|
||
3. Pipers Pit BBS
|
||
19,200-9600 HST ONLY!!
|
||
24 Hours a Day
|
||
THG Distro Site 1300 Megs
|
||
(203)PRI-VATE [2 Nodes]
|
||
|
||
4. The Dickinson Nightlight
|
||
(713)-337-1452
|
||
Der WeltanSchauung Distro Site (World View Magazine)
|
||
Phantasy Distro Site
|
||
|
||
5. The Web
|
||
(203)-869-0938
|
||
CCI
|
||
ACID
|
||
Phantasy Distro
|
||
|
||
6. Abiogenesis,
|
||
300-14400bps, Practical Peripherals 14400FXSA
|
||
24Hrs.
|
||
Fidonet 1:280/310.
|
||
Phone (816)734-4732
|
||
|
||
|
||
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
|
||
PHANTASY(C) IIRG 1991,1992,1993
|
||
May Odin Guide Your Way!
|
||
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
|
||
|