839 lines
41 KiB
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839 lines
41 KiB
Plaintext
########## ########## ########## | THE NET: WHAT'S IT GOOD FOR?|
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########## ########## ########## | Three Personal Perspectives|
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######## ######## ######## | THE SUNDEVIL DOCUMENTS|
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######## ######## ######## | CPSR'S FOIA Release|
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#### #### #### | |
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########## #### #### | ARE YOU AN INTERNET NERD?|
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########## #### #### | Test Reveals Terrible Truth!|
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EFF OPENS WASHINGTON OFFICE |
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=====================================================================|
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EFFector Online January 18, 1992 Volume 2, Number 4 |
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=====================================================================|
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PIONEER AWARD NOMINATIONS DEADLINE
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Please note that the deadline for nominating a person or organization
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for the First Annual EFF/Pioneer Awards will be February 15.
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The Pioneer Awards will be made on Thursday, March 19,1992 at the
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L'Enfant Plaza Hotel in Washington, DC, during the Second Computers,
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Freedom and Privacy Conference.
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Pioneer Awards are for distinguished contributions, innovations, or
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service in the cause of advancing computer-based communications.
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Anyone may be nominated for an award, except for EFF Staff members.
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A nomination form can be found at the end of this issue of EFFector
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Online. We have already received many nominations, but we need to hear
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from you.
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The EFF is looking for the real pioneers. Help us find them.
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-==--==--==-<>-==--==--==-
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In this issue:
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"WHY WOULD ANYONE WANT TO USE A COMPUTER IN A LIBRARY?"
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LIBERATION TECHNOLOGY
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THE NET:WHAT'S IT WORTH?
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SUN DEVIL DOCUMENTS RELEASED
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WARNING - MICHELANGELO VIRUS (PC)
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BERMAN TO HEAD NEW EFF WASHINGTON OFFICE
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UPDATE ON EFF ACTIVITIES
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ARE YOU AN INTERNET NERD?
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-==--==--==-<>-==--==--==-
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NET WORK:
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Three Personal Perspectives on the Uses of the Net
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[As the creation of the Net goes forward, and many issues of a
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technical, legal or political nature surface, its easy to forget that
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the Net is made to be used by people in ways that are neither technical
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nor political. In various groups over the past few weeks, the question
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of what the Net is "good for" has arisen in several guises. In this
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edition of EFFector Online, we present three "answers". The first is
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from a librarian, the second from a college professor, and the third
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from an EFF staff member. Every so often, it helps to step back from
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the wiring, planning, programming, and social engineering and reflect
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on the ways in which humanity actually uses the tools it creates.]
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-==--==--==-<>-==--==--==-
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"WHY WOULD ANYONE WANT TO USE A COMPUTER IN A LIBRARY?"
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by Jean Polly
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(polly@LPL.ORG)
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How does the INTERNET relate to the little guy?
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[The previous posters] remarks remind me very much of the response
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I got from computer dealers in 1980 when I was seeking advice about
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acquiring a computer for public use at my public library.
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"Why would ANYONE want to use a computer in a public library-- what on
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earth would they use it for???" was the universal attitude, usually
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accompanied by a guffaw or two.
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Undaunted, I pressed ahead and by October of 1981 we had a 48K Apple II+
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out where the Masses could touch it. (Now my kid has 48K on his watch...)
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Ten years later, over 1,500 hours per month are reserved on the seven
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public computers in our lab. 75% of the use is by adults, although we
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have a percentage of families engaged in home-schooling their children
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who also use the lab to advantage.
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Our clients use the computers and laser printers for everything from
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resumes to learning desktop publishing. They create church newsletters,
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learn to use databases, practice languages, print mailing labels.
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Last year we got an Apple Library of Tomorrow grant, which brought
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interactive videodisc technology to our small village library. We have
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just become one of 37 libraries nationally to beta-test the Library of
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Congress' American Memory Project. This CD-ROM and videodisc archive
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contains some 25,000 turn of the Century postcard views of American
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landmarks, rare film footage from the 1901 Pan-American Exposition,
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audio archives of great American speeches and their text, with photos of
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the speakers, plus much more. Subsequent volumes will include Civil War
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photos by Matthew Brady, folk songs from the California gold rush days,
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oral histories from around the U.S. Everything in the collection is
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searchable, much is printable.
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And yes, we hope to offer INTERNET connectivity in our lab sometime in
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the first half of 1992.
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FCC and other government regulations strive to protect public interest
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in, and access to, cable TV, radio, amateur radio and other
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communications highways; likewise should we advocate public uses of
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computer technology, and telecommunications.
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Haven't you noticed that your colleagues and friends are quickly being
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divided into "who's on email" and "who isn't". Don't you find yourself
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talking to "connected" colleagues a lot more frequently than your offline
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friends? This is Not a Good Thing. Institutionally. Nationally. Globally.
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I have a dream and it's happening right now. Kids talking about their
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lives, from Moscow to Mexico City, Cupertino to Halifax. People finding
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out about their similarities rather than focusing on what divides them.
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All possible on the net.
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Gee, you don't need the NREN for just Email, I can hear you say. Right.
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Not for text. What about when it includes video, color photos,
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multimedia?
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Gigabits you say. I don't know how much bandwidth I need to my house. In
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1980, 48K did all I wanted, now my desktop takes 8 megs of RAM. I used to
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do this at 300 baud, now 9600 seems slow.
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You know Warhol's "everyone's famous for 15 minutes?" Once you are into
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computers you are only satisfied with what you've got for 15 minutes!
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("Faster, higher, stronger", the Olympic motto, could be appropriated by
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how many of us, gazing into our CRTs...)
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So, to cut to the chase, yes. The little guy not only needs to be
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informed about What's Going on Out There, but he needs some way to Be Out
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There. I guess you can either be a signpost, or a roadblock, or line
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noise.
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Jean Armour Polly "Don't postpone joy!"
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Assistant Director,Public Services Liverpool Public Library
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INTERNET: polly@LPL.ORG
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-==--==--==-<>-==--==--==-
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LIBERATION TECHNOLOGY
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Equal Access Via Computer Communication
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by Norman Coombs
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(NRCGSH@RITVAX.ISC.RIT.EDU)
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I am a blind professor at the Rochester Institute of Technology.As such I
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use a computer with a speech synthesizer,and regularly teach a class of
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students online with a computer conference. Most of these students have
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no physical handicap. Some, however, are hearing impaired, and others
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totally deaf. I have team-taught another course at the New School for
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Social Research, some 350 miles away, with a teacher who is blind and
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confined to a wheelchair. On the computer screen, our handicaps of
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blindness and mobility make no difference.
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One of the courses I teach online is African American history. In that
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class, some students are White, some Black, others Asian, and still
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others Native American. Obviously, some of the class members are male and
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others female. All of these differences, like those of the handicaps
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described above, become unimportant on the computer screen. It isn't that
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these characteristics disappear; participants share their identities,
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views and feelings freely. However, these differences no longer block
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communication and community. In fact, conference members often feel free
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to make such differences one of the topics for discussion. A student in
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my Black history course said that what he liked about conducting a class
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discussion on the computer was that it didn't matter whether a person was
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male, female, Black, White, Red, Yellow, blind or deaf. His comments were
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accepted for their own worth and not judged by some prior stereotype.
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One myth about the computer is that it is cold, depersonalizing and
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intimidating. When I began using the computer to communicate with
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students, I had no idea of its potential to change my life and my
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teaching. First, it liberated me, a blind teacher, from my dependence on
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other people. I now have all my assignments submitted through electronic
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mail including take-home exams,and have little need for human readers.
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Because of this I have become a member of a pilot study using computer
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conferencing to replace classroom discussion for students in continuing
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education. Students with a personal computer and modem could work from
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home or the office. This freed them from the time and bother of commuting
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and also let them set their own schedule.The conference facilitates
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genuine group discussion without the class having to be in the same place
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at the same time. In addition, I find it easy to send frequent personal
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notes to individual students, giving me more contact with individual
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students than is usual in a traditional classroom.
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I find conferencing appeals to three groups. First, the off-campus
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continuing education students who no longer have to commute. Second,
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those who had been taking television or correspondence courses. The
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online experience gives them a means of exchanging information between
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themselves and their teacher. The third group turns out to be regular day
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students with scheduling problems. Online is especially valuable for
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students whose schedules are filled by laboratory courses.
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Although computer conferencing had obvious benefits for me, I had failed
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to grasp its significance for disabled students in general. Only when a
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deaf student joined the class did I realize its potential. This deaf
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woman said that this was the first time in her life that she had
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conversed with one of her teachers without using an intermediary. She
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also remarked that mine had been her most valuable college course because
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she could share in the discussions easily and totally.
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Computer conferencing can also benefit people with mobility impairments.
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They can go to school while they stay at home. The distance involved
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could be anything from a few miles to all the way across the continent or
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across an ocean. Students with motor impairments can also use this
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system. There are a variety of alternate input devices to let motor
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impaired persons use a computer even though they cannot handle a
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keyboard.
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But conferencing liberates more people than the physically disabled. All
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students became less inhibited in the discussions. Once students got over
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any initial computer phobia, many found it easier to participate. Where
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there is no stage then there is no stage fright.
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While some educators prefer to keep the teaching process academic and
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objective, others are convinced that students learn more profoundly when
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they become emotionally engaged in the process. My class underlined this
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aspect of conferencing. In a discussion on welfare, one woman in her
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twenties confessed to being on welfare and described her feelings about
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it. In a Black history course, students described personal experiences as
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victims of racism. White students admitted to having been taught to be
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prejudiced and asked for help and understanding. Black students revealed
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that they had prejudices about various shades of color within their own
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community. As a teacher, I often felt that I was treading on privileged
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ground. These were experiences I had never had in the 29 previous years
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of my teaching career.
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Computer communications is infamous for people making thoughtless and
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irresponsible attacks on one another, something known as "flaming". In my
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experience, happily, there has been almost none of this. First, the
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teacher has the opportunity to set ground rules and establish a
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professional atmosphere. Second, a computer conference is different than
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electronic mail. Once a mass mailing has been sent, it is irretrievable,
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while the contents of a computer conference are posted publicly for all
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to see. Most students seemed intuitively aware of the potential for
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misunderstanding and, before criticizing someone, they frequently asked
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questions to be sure that they understood what had be meant by the
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previous author. On very rare occasions I have removed a posting before
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it was read by most of the class. Usually, I prefer to leave
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controversial material on the conference and utilize it as a group
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learning experience.
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Computer communication has other important implications for both the
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print handicapped and those with motor impairments. Library catalogs can
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already be accessed from a personal computer and a modem. Soon, growing
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numbers of reference works will be available on-line . While the
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copyright problems are complex, it seems inevitable that large amounts of
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text material from periodicals and books will also be accessible on a
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computer network. I still have vivid memories of the first time I
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connected my computer to a library catalog and found my book was really
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there. It was only a year ago that I had my first personal, unassisted,
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access to an encyclopedia. Not only is this technology liberating to
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those of us who have physical impairments, but in turn, it will help to
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make us more productive members of society.
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Not all handicapped persons rush to join the computer world. Indeed, many
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have become dependent on human support systems. Sometimes, independence
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is frightening, and handicapped students may need special assistance to
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get started. Another problem is cost. While the personal computer has
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decentralized power and is seen as a democratizing force in society, it
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works mainly for the middle class. Unless there is a deliberate policy to
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the contrary, such technology will leave the underclass further behind.
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Visually impaired computer users, at present, have one growing worry.
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They fear that graphic interfaces and touch screens may take away all
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that the computer has promised to them. Recently passed federal
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legislation has tried to guarantee that future computer hardware and
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software be accessible to all the physically disabled,but there is no
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real mechanism to enforce this. Besides, voluntary awareness and
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cooperation by computer providers is a far better approach to the
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problem. Educom has established EASI to work within the academic
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community for software access, and it is having an important impact on
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voluntary compliance. Others believe that adaptive software and hardware
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can be produced which can adequately interpret graphic interfaces for the
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visually impaired.
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Physical disabilities serve as an isolating factor in life. They also
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create a tremendous sense of powerlessness. Computer communication,
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however, serves to bring the world into one's home and puts amazing power
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at one's fingertips. Not only can this empowerment liberate the
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handicapped to compete in society more equally, but the sense of power
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changes how one feels about oneself.
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Finally, I am personally excited about the ability of computer networking
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to provide more equal access to education and information for many
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persons with physical disabilities. In the fall of 1991, The Rochester
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Institute of Technology and Gallaudet University in Washington will
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conduct an experiment involving two courses: one taught from Rochester
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and the other from Washington, DC. Students from both campuses will be
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enrolled in both classes. While some use will be made of videos and
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movies, class discussions and meetings between a student and a teacher
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will all be done with computer telecommunications using Internet as the
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connecting link. Some students will be hearing impaired, and one teacher
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will be blind.
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Norman Coombs
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Professor of History
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Rochester Institute of Technology
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One Lomb Memorial Dr.
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Rochester NY 14623
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Email: NRCGSH@RITVAX.ISC.RIT.EDU
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-==--==--==-<>-==--==--==-
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THE NET:WHAT'S IT WORTH?
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by Mike Godwin
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(mnemonic@eff.org)
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In a recent posting, dhirmes@hamp.hampshire.edu writes:
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>There is a lot of interesting talk about national data networks, ISDN,
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>federally funded networks, etc., but I was wondering how people felt
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>about its over-all importance in society. What are the practical
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>purposes of a national network (a terminal in every home) when people
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>are having a tough enough time keeping up with their mortgage payments?
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>With millions out of work, millions in fact, illiterate-- aren't there
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>economic and educational problems that have to be combatted before a
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>national data network can be seriously considered?
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There are a lot of answers to this question, and I can allude to only a
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few of them here.
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One answer has to do with the implied premise that there are either moral
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or practical reasons to address our most pressing social problems first,
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before we deal with public-policy issues that seem less pressing. Is this
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premise correct? I don't think so, for a couple of reasons. First of all,
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it does not follow that establishing national public networks entails
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*not* responding to the nation's economic problems. Surely we can do
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both.
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Secondly, there is a lot more consensus (even with all the debate one
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sees in this and other groups) about how to promote the building of a
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network infrastructure in this country than there is about such issues as
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poverty, the homeless, and illiteracy. (The disagreements about network
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infrastructure tend to be over minor matters, relatively speaking.)
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Third, getting people online may actually *help* solve the other
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problems, by allowing more public-policy discussion and more
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contributions of ideas. It should be noted that networked online
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communications are unusual among communications media in that they follow
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a "many-to-many" model (everyone on the "Net" can talk to everyone else,
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with minimal capital investment), as distinct from the "one-to-many"
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model (e.g., newspapers, broadcasting, cable) or the "one-to-one" model
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(telephones). What's more, discussions in this medium can be more
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discursive and more analytical, since one is not given tight time
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constraints to compose or reply to arguments, and since one cannot be
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interrupted. One of the reasons the First Amendment exists is to promote
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public participation in public-policy issues (such as how to handle
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poverty, or the homeless). Thus it makes sense to promote an
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infrastructure that allows for the greatest exercise of First Amendment
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prerogatives this country has ever seen.
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Fourth, if we don't consider the policy issues now, it's not the case
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that these issues will wait until we get around to them. They're being
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discussed and settled now, and we can't stop the process by not
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participating. The question is whether we want all the decisions to be
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made with public input or not.
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There are other arguments for addressing network policy now, even though
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we have other problems facing us, and I'm sure other folks will make
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them. But I have not the least moral qualm in giving attention to network
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and online-communication policy issues now, since I believe
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wholeheartedly that communication is part of the solution to all our
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other problems.
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-==--==--==-<>-==--==--==-
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SUN DEVIL DOCUMENTS RELEASED
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The Secret Service's response to CPSR's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA)
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request has raised new questions about the scope and conduct of the Sun
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Devil investigation. The documents disclosed to CPSR reveal that the
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Secret Service monitored communications sent across the Internet. The
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materials released through the FOIA include copies of many electronic
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newsletters, digests, and Usenet groups including "comp.org.eff.talk,"
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"comp.sys.att," "Computer Underground Digest" (alt.cud.cu-digest),
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"Effector Online," "Legion of Doom Technical Journals," "Phrack
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Newsletter," and "Telecom Digest (comp.dcom.telecom)". Currently, there
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is no clear policy for the monitoring of network communications by law
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enforcement agents. A 1982 memorandum prepared for the FBI by the
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Department of Justice indicated that the FBI would consider monitoring on
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a case by case basis. That document was released as a result of a
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separate CPSR lawsuit against the FBI.
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Additionally, CPSR has found papers that show Bell Labs in New Jersey
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passed copies of Telecom Digest to the Secret Service.
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The material (approximately 2500 pages) also suggests that the Secret
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Service's seizure of computer bulletin boards and other systems during
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Operation Sun Devil may have violated the Electronic Communications
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Privacy Act of 1986 and the Privacy Protection Act of 1980.
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Two sets of logs from a computer bulletin board in Virginia show that the
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Secret Service obtained messages in the Spring of 1989 by use of the
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system administrator's account. It is unclear how the Secret Service
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obtained system administrator access. It is possible that the Secret
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Service accessed this system without authorization. The more likely
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explanation is that the agency obtained the cooperation of the system
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administrator. Another possibility is that this may have been a bulletin
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board set up by the Secret Service for a sting operation. Such a bulletin
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board was established for an undercover investigation involving
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pedophiles.
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The documents we received also include references to the video taping of
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SummerCon, a computer hackers conference that took place in St. Louis in
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1988. The Secret Service employed an informant to attend the conference
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and placed hidden cameras to tape the participants. The documents also
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show that the Secret Service established a computer database to keep
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track of suspected computer hackers. This database contains records of
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names, aliases, addresses, phone numbers, known associates, a list of
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activities, and various articles associated with each individual.
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CPSR is continuing its efforts to obtain government documentation
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concerning computer crime investigations conducted by the Secret Service.
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These efforts include the litigation of several FOIA lawsuits and
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attempts to locate individuals targeted by federal agencies in the course
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of such investigations.
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Contact sobel@washofc.cpsr.org (David Sobel)
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-==--==--==-<>-==--==--==-
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BERMAN TO HEAD NEW EFF WASHINGTON OFFICE
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The Electronic Frontier Foundation today announced the opening of
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a permanent office in Washington D.C. and named Jerry Berman,
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former head of the ACLU Information Technology Project, to direct
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its operations.
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In announcing the move, EFF President Mitchell Kapor said, "The
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creation of the Washington office and the appointment of Jerry
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Berman demonstrates our commitment to build a national
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organization. It will give the EFF the ability to effectively
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advocate policies that will reflect the public's interest in the
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creation of new computer and communications technologies."
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Jerry Berman, incoming Director of the EFF Washington Office,
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stated that, "Our goal is to be the public's voice in Washington
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on these issues, and to help create policies that will maximize
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both civil liberties and competitiveness in the new social
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environments created by digital media."
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"The EFF," Berman continued, "is hard at work developing
|
|
initiatives that will ensure that all present and future
|
|
'electronic highways', from the telephone network to the National
|
|
Research and Education Network, enhance First and Fourth Amendment
|
|
rights, encourage new entrepreneurial activity, and are open and
|
|
accessible to all segments of society."
|
|
|
|
Jerry Berman was until December 1991 director of the ACLU
|
|
Information Technology Project. Previously he was the ACLU's Chief
|
|
Legislative Counsel in Washington, D.C.
|
|
|
|
During his career, Mr. Berman has played a major role in the
|
|
drafting and enactment of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance
|
|
Act of 1978 (warrants for national security wiretapping); the
|
|
Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986 (warrant
|
|
requirements for new voice, data, video electronic
|
|
communications); and the Video Privacy Protection Act of 1988.
|
|
Over the last two years, he has spearheaded efforts to establish
|
|
public access rights to electronic public information.
|
|
|
|
For more information contact:
|
|
Jerry Berman, Director Gerard Van der Leun
|
|
Electronic Frontier Foundation EFF
|
|
666 Pennsylvania Avenue,Suite 303 155 Second Street
|
|
Washington, DC 20003 Cambridge, MA 02141
|
|
Telephone: (202) 544-9237 Phone:(617) 864-0665
|
|
FAX: (202) 547-5481 FAX: (617) 864-0866
|
|
Email: jberman@eff.org Email: van@eff.org
|
|
|
|
UPDATE ON EFF ACTIVITIES
|
|
|
|
The EFF, through its headquarters in Cambridge and its newly
|
|
opened office in Washington, is currently advocating that:
|
|
*Congress establish an "open telecommunications platform"
|
|
featuring "Personal ISDN" ;
|
|
*the open platform be created with legislative safeguards
|
|
that ensure a level playing field for all those competing
|
|
in the information services market;
|
|
*the NREN serve as a "testbed" for new voice, data, and video
|
|
services that will eventually be offered over our National
|
|
Public Network;
|
|
*electronic bulletin boards be afforded the same First
|
|
Amendment protections enjoyed by other media;
|
|
*citizens who use computers for communications purposes be
|
|
afforded the full protection of the Fourth Amendment;
|
|
*an Electronic Freedom of Information Act be passed that will
|
|
grant citizens access to the electronic version of public
|
|
information consistent with the public's right to know; and
|
|
that
|
|
*technical means be mandated to insure the privacy of
|
|
personal communications carried over cellular and other
|
|
radio-based communications systems.
|
|
|
|
The Electronic Frontier Foundation is also a co-sponsor (along
|
|
with the Consumer Federation of American and the ACLU) and the
|
|
principal coordinator of the Communications Policy Forum, which
|
|
is designed to explore the means for achieving the communications
|
|
goals of consumer organizations. Over 28 consumer groups, from the
|
|
OMB Watch to the NAACP participate in forum activities. The
|
|
Communications Policy Forum is funded by foundations as well as a
|
|
diverse group of computer and communications firms.
|
|
|
|
-==--==--==-<>-==--==--==-
|
|
|
|
WARNING - MICHELANGELO VIRUS (PC)
|
|
Original-Sender: Virus Alert List <VALERT-L@bitnet.LEHIIBM1>
|
|
From: "A. Padgett Peterson" <padgett%dnet.tccslr@com.mmc>
|
|
|
|
|
|
>From all reports this destructive virus is spreading world- wide very
|
|
rapidly. Unlike the DataCrime "fizzle" in 1989 which contained similar
|
|
destructive capability but never spread, the Michelangelo appears to have
|
|
become "common" in just ten months following detection. I have
|
|
encountered three cases locally in just the last few weeks.
|
|
|
|
Three factors make this virus particularly dangerous:
|
|
|
|
1) The virus uses similar techniques as the "STONED" virus which
|
|
while first identifies in early 1988 remains the most common virus
|
|
currently reported. Since the virus infects only the Master Boot Record
|
|
on hard disks and the boot record of floppy disks, viral detection
|
|
techniques that rely on alteration of DOS executable files will not
|
|
detect the virus. Similarly, techniques that monitor the status of the
|
|
MBR may only provide users with a single warning that, if execution is
|
|
permitted to continue, may not be repeated.
|
|
|
|
2) Michelangelo was first discovered in Europe in mid-1991
|
|
consequently many virus scanners in use today will not pick up the virus
|
|
unless more recent updates have been obtained.
|
|
|
|
3) Unlike the Stoned and Jerusalem (the most common viruses in
|
|
the past) which are more annoying than dangerous, the Michelangelo virus
|
|
will, on its trigger date of March 6th, attempt to overwrite vital areas
|
|
of the hard disk rendering it unreadable by DOS. Further, since the FATs
|
|
(file allocation tables) may be damaged , unless backups are available
|
|
recovery will be very difficult and require someone who is able to
|
|
rebuild a corrupt FAT (also a very time-consuming process).
|
|
|
|
Fortunately, the Michelangelo virus is also very easy to detect: when
|
|
resident in a PC, the CHKDSK (included with MS-DOS (Microsoft), PC-DOS
|
|
(IBM), and DR-DOS (Digital Research) {all names are registered by their
|
|
owners}) program will return a "total bytes memory" value 2048 bytes
|
|
lower than normal. This means that a 640k PC which normally returns
|
|
655,360 "total bytes memory" will report 653,312. While a low value will
|
|
not necessarily mean that Michelangelo or any other virus is present, the
|
|
PC should be examined by someone familiar with viral activity to
|
|
determine the reason.
|
|
|
|
If the Michelangelo virus is found, the PC should be turned off until
|
|
disinfected properly. All floppy disks and other machines in the area
|
|
should then also be examined since the Michelangelo virus is spread in
|
|
the boot record (executable area found on all floppy disks including
|
|
data-only disks).
|
|
|
|
Padgett Peterson
|
|
Internet: padgett%tccslr.dnet@mmc.com
|
|
|
|
-==--==--==-<>-==--==--==-
|
|
|
|
ARE YOU AN INTERNET NERD?
|
|
|
|
This quiz is dedicated to all of those people who find themselves
|
|
constantly roaming the net. Do you leave yourself logged in
|
|
twenty-four hours a day, even when you're not home? Is your
|
|
wpm typing speed higher than your IQ? Are you having trouble seeing
|
|
things at distances greater than 2 feet? Yes, YOU. You know who
|
|
you are.
|
|
|
|
Ok... shall we begin? Yes? 5 points... (you could've backed out.)
|
|
|
|
Unless otherwise stated, point values are as follows: 2 for (a), 4 for
|
|
(b), 6 for (c), and 10 for (d).
|
|
--------------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
|
|
1) How many valid net addresses do you have?
|
|
Multiple machines at the same site do not count.
|
|
|
|
____Internet ____UUCP ____Other public access ____Other
|
|
|
|
____Bitnet ____Freenet ____Internet BBS ____All seven
|
|
|
|
(2 points each)
|
|
|
|
2) How many hours did it take for you to create your .sig?
|
|
a) Huh?
|
|
b) More than one
|
|
c) More than five
|
|
d) I'm still looking for a really funky quote
|
|
|
|
3) On an average working day, how many email messages do you receive?
|
|
a) Nobody sends me any mail... snif
|
|
b) Three, but they're all from Lester in the next cubicle
|
|
over, because he has nothing better to do
|
|
c) I can't count that high, I failed calculus
|
|
d) Don't ask me now, I'm too busy. Send me e-mail.
|
|
|
|
4) Alright, fess up. Have you ever read alt.sex.bondage just to
|
|
see what the heck those perverts were talking about?
|
|
a) Yes, and I'm so ashamed
|
|
b) Yes, and I'm so embarrassed
|
|
c) Yes, and would you please explain a few things to me...
|
|
d) No, never. (10 points. You're lying.)
|
|
|
|
5) Have you ever met one of your past SO's (significant others)
|
|
via a computer network?
|
|
a) No
|
|
b) Yes, through a newsgroup we both posted on
|
|
c) Yes, by chatting randomly over the Internet (shame!)
|
|
d) Yes, by chatting over RELAY
|
|
|
|
6) Once you've logged onto your system, what do you spend most
|
|
of your time doing?
|
|
a) Going through the library system and putting books on reserve
|
|
b) Reading _Alice in Wonderland_ in the online bookshelf
|
|
c) Reading the monthly postings on rec.humor.funny
|
|
d) Writing up stupid quizzes because you've done everything else
|
|
|
|
7) If someone were to telephone your home at any given moment of the
|
|
day, what would be the percent chance that your phone would
|
|
be busy?
|
|
|
|
a) Zero... I've got call waiting
|
|
b) 25%.... I only dial in from work (Uh, hi, boss)
|
|
c) 75%.... Duh, so that's why nobody ever calls me
|
|
d) Zero... My modem has a separate phone line
|
|
|
|
8) Which Usenet newsgroups do you spend the most time reading?
|
|
a) The comp. groups... because they're so informative
|
|
b) The soc. groups.... because they're so multicultural
|
|
c) The rec. groups.... because they're so diverting
|
|
d) The alt. groups.... because I don't know what half those
|
|
words mean
|
|
|
|
9) What's your worst complaint about having an Internet account?
|
|
a) I have to pay $5/month for it
|
|
b) The damn sysadmins won't give me enough quota to hold
|
|
all my .GIF's
|
|
c) All those programmers keep tying up the modem lines
|
|
d) I have to stay in school to keep it
|
|
|
|
10) Check your watch now. What time is it?
|
|
a) 10 am... coffee break
|
|
b) 3 pm.... General Hospital's on
|
|
c) 12 am... one last login before I hit the sack
|
|
d) 4 am.... Oh my God, I've got a test tomorrow
|
|
|
|
ALRIGHT, FOLKS. SCORING TIME!
|
|
|
|
0-25 points: You're not a nerd. Go read a manual or two and come back
|
|
next year.
|
|
25-50 points: You're an up-and-coming Internet nerd. Why don't you
|
|
telnet over to 128.6.4.8 and play around with the Quartz
|
|
BBS for a while.
|
|
50-75 points: You're a full-fledged Internet nerd. Join the club.
|
|
75-100 points: You're an Internet addict. Try going to the library
|
|
this week, it'll do you some good.
|
|
100+ points: You're an Internet obsessive-compulsive. Unplug your
|
|
computer, go out in the woods for a few days, and relax.
|
|
Lay back and listen to the birds singing. Clear your mind.
|
|
And don't forget to unsubscribe yourself from all those
|
|
lists before you leave.
|
|
|
|
|
|
--written by slewis@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Sarah Lewis) in a moment
|
|
of extreme boredom. Disclaimer: OSU doesn't know I wrote this, and
|
|
it's probably better that way. Sigh. Time to hit the books....
|
|
|
|
-==--==--==-<>-==--==--==-
|
|
|
|
THE ELECTRONIC FRONTIER FOUNDATION'S FIRST ANNUAL PIONEER AWARDS
|
|
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS
|
|
(Attention: Please feel free to repost to all systems worldwide.)
|
|
|
|
In every field of human endeavor,there are those dedicated to expanding
|
|
knowledge,freedom,efficiency and utility. Along the electronic frontier,
|
|
this is especially true. To recognize this,the Electronic Frontier
|
|
Foundation has established the Pioneer Awards. The first annual Pioneer
|
|
Awards will be given at the Second Annual Computers, Freedom, and Privacy
|
|
Conference in Washington, D.C. in March of 1992.
|
|
|
|
All valid nominations will be reviewed by a panel of outside judges
|
|
chosen for their knowledge of computer-based communications and the technical,
|
|
legal, and social issues involved in networking.
|
|
|
|
There are no specific categories for the Pioneer Awards, but the
|
|
following guidelines apply:
|
|
1) The nominees must have made a substantial contribution to the
|
|
health,growth, accessibility, or freedom of computer-based
|
|
communications.
|
|
2) The contribution may be technical, social, economic or cultural.
|
|
3) Nominations may be of individuals, systems, or organizations in the
|
|
private or public sectors.
|
|
4) Nominations are open to all, and you may nominate more than one
|
|
recipient. You may nominate yourself or your organization.
|
|
5) All nominations, to be valid, must contain your reasons, however
|
|
brief, on why you are nominating the individual or organization, along
|
|
with a means of contacting the nominee, and your own contact number. No
|
|
anonymous nominations will be allowed.
|
|
5) Every person or organization, with the single exception of EFF
|
|
staff members, are eligible for Pioneer Awards.
|
|
|
|
You may nominate as many as you wish, but please use one form per
|
|
nomination. You may return the forms to us via email at:
|
|
pioneer@eff.org.
|
|
You may mail them to us at:
|
|
Pioneer Awards, EFF,
|
|
155 Second Street
|
|
Cambridge MA 02141.
|
|
You may FAX them to us at:
|
|
(617) 864-0866.
|
|
|
|
Just tell us the name of the nominee, the phone number or email address
|
|
at which the nominee can be reached, and, most important, why you feel
|
|
the nominee deserves the award. You can attach supporting documentation.
|
|
Please include your own name, address, and phone number.
|
|
|
|
We're looking for the Pioneers of the Electronic Frontier that have made
|
|
and are making a difference. Thanks for helping us find them,
|
|
|
|
The Electronic Frontier Foundation
|
|
|
|
-------EFF Pioneer Awards Nomination Form------
|
|
|
|
Please return to the Electronic Frontier Foundation via email to:
|
|
pioneer@eff.org
|
|
or via surface mail to EFF 155 Second Street, Cambridge,MA 02141 USA;
|
|
or via FAX to USA (617)864-0866.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Nominee:
|
|
|
|
Title:
|
|
|
|
Company/Organization:
|
|
|
|
Contact number or email address:
|
|
|
|
Reason for nomination:
|
|
|
|
|
|
Your name and contact number:
|
|
|
|
Extra documentation attached:
|
|
|
|
-------EFF Pioneer Awards Nomination Form------
|
|
|
|
-==--==--==-<>-==--==--==-
|
|
|
|
MEMBERSHIP IN THE ELECTRONIC FRONTIER FOUNDATION
|
|
|
|
In order to continue the work already begun and to expand our efforts
|
|
and activities into other realms of the electronic frontier, we need the
|
|
financial support of individuals and organizations.
|
|
|
|
If you support our goals and our work, you can show that support by
|
|
becoming a member now. Members receive our quarterly newsletter,
|
|
EFFECTOR, our bi-weekly electronic newsletter, EFFector Online (if you
|
|
have an electronic address that can be reached through the Net), and
|
|
special releases and other notices on our activities. But because we
|
|
believe that support should be freely given, you can receive these
|
|
things even if you do not elect to become a member.
|
|
|
|
Your membership/donation is fully tax deductible.
|
|
|
|
Our memberships are $20.00 per year for students, $40.00 per year for
|
|
regular members. You may, of course, donate more if you wish.
|
|
|
|
Our privacy policy: The Electronic Frontier Foundation will never, under
|
|
any circumstances, sell any part of its membership list. We will, from
|
|
time to time, share this list with other non-profit organizations whose
|
|
work we determine to be in line with our goals. But with us, member
|
|
privacy is the default. This means that you must actively grant us
|
|
permission to share your name with other groups. If you do not grant
|
|
explicit permission, we assume that you do not wish your membership
|
|
disclosed to any group for any reason.
|
|
|
|
---------------- EFF@eff.org MEMBERSHIP FORM ---------------<<<
|
|
|
|
Mail to: The Electronic Frontier Foundation, Inc.
|
|
155 Second St. #22
|
|
Cambridge, MA 02141
|
|
|
|
I wish to become a member of the EFF I enclose:$
|
|
$20.00 (student or low income membership)
|
|
$40.00 (regular membership)
|
|
$100.00(Corporate or company membership.
|
|
This allows any organization to
|
|
become a member of EFF. It allows
|
|
such an organization, if it wishes
|
|
to designate up to five individuals
|
|
within the organization as members.)
|
|
|
|
[ ] I enclose an additional donation of $
|
|
|
|
Name:
|
|
Organization:
|
|
Address:
|
|
City or Town:
|
|
State: Zip: Phone:( ) (optional)
|
|
FAX:( ) (optional)
|
|
Email address:
|
|
|
|
I enclose a check [ ].
|
|
Please charge my membership in the amount of $
|
|
to my Mastercard [ ] Visa [ ] American Express [ ]
|
|
|
|
Number:
|
|
|
|
Expiration date:
|
|
|
|
Signature: ________________________________________________
|
|
|
|
Date:
|
|
|
|
I hereby grant permission to the EFF to share my name with
|
|
other non-profit groups from time to time as it deems
|
|
appropriate [ ].
|
|
Initials:___________________________
|
|
|
|
|====================================================================|
|
|
| EFFector Online is published by |
|
|
| The Electronic Frontier Foundation |
|
|
| 155 Second Street, Cambridge MA 02141 |
|
|
| Phone:(617)864-0665 FAX:(617)864-0866 |
|
|
| Internet Address: eff@eff.org |
|
|
| Reproduction of this publication in electronic media is encouraged |
|
|
| To reproduce signed articles individually, |
|
|
| please contact the authors for their express permission. |
|
|
|====================================================================|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Downloaded From P-80 International Information Systems 304-744-2253
|