Computer underground Digest Tue Jan 04 1994 Volume 6 : Issue 02
ISSN 1004-042X
Editors: Jim Thomas and Gordon Meyer (TK0JUT2@NIU.BITNET)
Archivist: Brendan Kehoe (BEST WISHES, BK)
Shadow-Archivists: Dan Carosone / Paul Southworth
Ralph Sims / Jyrki Kuoppala
Ian Dickinson
Copy Editor: Greg Sharegold
CONTENTS, #6.02 (Jan 04 1994)
File 1--Welcome to 1994 and Vol 6 of Cu Digest
File 2--BRENDAN KEHOE UPDATE
File 3--Public Hearings on Privacy
File 4--Software patent holds up $1 billion network
File 5--Article on online sexual harassment
File 6--Call for Pioneer Awards Nominations
File 7--Public Hearings on Privacy
File 8--Feds Bust Boston-area Gay BBS (#1)
File 9--Feds Bust Boston-area Gay BBS (#2)
File 10--Dutch Hewlett-Packard User Group Conference, May '94
Cu-Digest is a weekly electronic journal/newsletter. Subscriptions are
available at no cost electronically from tk0jut2@mvs.cso.niu.edu. The
editors may be contacted by voice (815-753-0303), fax (815-753-6302)
or U.S. mail at: Jim Thomas, Department of Sociology, NIU, DeKalb, IL
60115.
Issues of CuD can also be found in the Usenet comp.society.cu-digest
news group; on CompuServe in DL0 and DL4 of the IBMBBS SIG, DL1 of
LAWSIG, and DL1 of TELECOM; on GEnie in the PF*NPC RT
libraries and in the VIRUS/SECURITY library; from America Online in
the PC Telecom forum under "computing newsletters;"
On Delphi in the General Discussion database of the Internet SIG;
on the PC-EXEC BBS at (414) 789-4210; and on: Rune Stone BBS (IIRG
WHQ) (203) 832-8441 NUP:Conspiracy; RIPCO BBS (312) 528-5020
CuD is also available via Fidonet File Request from 1:11/70; unlisted
nodes and points welcome.
EUROPE: from the ComNet in LUXEMBOURG BBS (++352) 466893;
In ITALY: Bits against the Empire BBS: +39-461-980493
ANONYMOUS FTP SITES:
AUSTRALIA: ftp.ee.mu.oz.au (128.250.77.2) in /pub/text/CuD.
EUROPE: ftp.funet.fi in pub/doc/cud. (Finland)
UNITED STATES:
aql.gatech.edu (128.61.10.53) in /pub/eff/cud
etext.archive.umich.edu (141.211.164.18) in /pub/CuD/cud
ftp.eff.org (192.88.144.4) in /pub/CuD
halcyon.com( 202.135.191.2) in mirror2/cud
ftp.warwick.ac.uk in pub/cud (United Kingdom)
KOREA: ftp: cair.kaist.ac.kr in /doc/eff/cud
COMPUTER UNDERGROUND DIGEST is an open forum dedicated to sharing
information among computerists and to the presentation and debate of
diverse views. CuD material may be reprinted for non-profit as long
as the source is cited. Authors hold a presumptive copyright, and
they should be contacted for reprint permission. It is assumed that
non-personal mail to the moderators may be reprinted unless otherwise
specified. Readers are encouraged to submit reasoned articles
relating to computer culture and communication. Articles are
preferred to short responses. Please avoid quoting previous posts
unless absolutely necessary.
DISCLAIMER: The views represented herein do not necessarily represent
the views of the moderators. Digest contributors assume all
responsibility for ensuring that articles submitted do not
violate copyright protections.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 13 May 1993 22:58:01 CST
From: CuD Moderators <cudigest@mindvox.phantom.com>
Subject: File 1--Welcome to 1994 and Vol 6 of Cu Digest
We welcome new readers, but on a sad note with the news of Brendan
Kehoe's accident (see update file below). The response of offers of
help for him have been impressive, and his many friends on the net
wish him a speedy recovery and have made it obvious that we are here
as a resource.
Because of a backlog of material, there will be three CuDs this week,
but then we'll attempt to return to our once-a-week schedule.
We remind folks to send in articles (but avoid short "me too" posts),
news blurbs, and other info. We've received a number of comments from
readers, especially those on Unix using nn as their reader, that they
never see the CuD header. So, we'll reproduce it below for those who
have never seen it.
Happy New Year--------
Gordon and Jim
==== Cu Digest Header Follows - Delete if you've seen it ===
Computer underground Digest Sun Jan 02 1994 Volume 6 : Issue 01
ISSN 1004-042X
Editors: Jim Thomas and Gordon Meyer (TK0JUT2@NIU.BITNET)
Archivist: Brendan Kehoe
Shadow-Archivists: Dan Carosone / Paul Southworth
Ralph Sims / Jyrki Kuoppala
Ian Dickinson
Copy Editor: Craig Shergold, XIII
CONTENTS, #6.01 (Jan 02 1994)
File 1 --Cu Digest Content Index, Vol 5.01 - 5.95 (1993)
Cu-Digest is a weekly electronic journal/newsletter. Subscriptions are
available at no cost electronically from tk0jut2@mvs.cso.niu.edu. The
editors may be contacted by voice (815-753-0303), fax (815-753-6302)
or U.S. mail at: Jim Thomas, Department of Sociology, NIU, DeKalb, IL
60115.
Issues of CuD can also be found in the Usenet comp.society.cu-digest
news group; on CompuServe in DL0 and DL4 of the IBMBBS SIG, DL1 of
LAWSIG, and DL1 of TELECOM; on GEnie in the PF*NPC RT
libraries and in the VIRUS/SECURITY library; from America Online in
the PC Telecom forum under "computing newsletters;"
On Delphi in the General Discussion database of the Internet SIG;
on the PC-EXEC BBS at (414) 789-4210; and on: Rune Stone BBS (IIRG
WHQ) (203) 832-8441 NUP:Conspiracy; RIPCO BBS (312) 528-5020
CuD is also available via Fidonet File Request from 1:11/70; unlisted
nodes and points welcome.
EUROPE: from the ComNet in LUXEMBOURG BBS (++352) 466893;
In ITALY: Bits against the Empire BBS: +39-461-980493
ANONYMOUS FTP SITES:
AUSTRALIA: ftp.ee.mu.oz.au (128.250.77.2) in /pub/text/CuD.
EUROPE: ftp.funet.fi in pub/doc/cud. (Finland)
UNITED STATES:
aql.gatech.edu (128.61.10.53) in /pub/eff/cud
etext.archive.umich.edu (141.211.164.18) in /pub/CuD/cud
ftp.eff.org (192.88.144.4) in /pub/CuD
halcyon.com( 202.135.191.2) in mirror2/cud
ftp.warwick.ac.uk in pub/cud (United Kingdom)
KOREA: ftp: cair.kaist.ac.kr in /doc/eff/cud
COMPUTER UNDERGROUND DIGEST is an open forum dedicated to sharing
information among computerists and to the presentation and debate of
diverse views. CuD material may be reprinted for non-profit as long
as the source is cited. Authors hold a presumptive copyright, and
they should be contacted for reprint permission. It is assumed that
non-personal mail to the moderators may be reprinted unless otherwise
specified. Readers are encouraged to submit reasoned articles
relating to computer culture and communication. Articles are
preferred to short responses. Please avoid quoting previous posts
unless absolutely necessary.
DISCLAIMER: The views represented herein do not necessarily represent
the views of the moderators. Digest contributors assume all
responsibility for ensuring that articles submitted do not
violate copyright protections.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 4 Jan 1994 16:22:13 CST
From: CuD Moderators <tk0jut2@mvs.cso.niu.edu>
Subject: File 2--BRENDAN KEHOE UPDATE
For those who missed it, Brendan Kehoe, author of ZEN AND THE ART OF
THE INTERNET, the CuD archivist at ftp.eff.org, and long-time net
denizen, was seriously injured in an automobile accident on Friday, 31
December, in Newton, Pennsylvania.
According to Newton police, the accident was called in at 1:45 p.m,
and police arrived at 1:49 p.m. According to a police spokesperson,
Brendan was driving on Eagle Road, on which there is a stop sign at
the Rightstown road intersection, where the accident occured.
According to the police spokesperson, there was one passenger with him
who was treated and released.
Brendan was taken to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania.
Attempts to contact their patient information number (215-662-3308)
today were unsuccessful.
Brendan's brother suggested that cards could be sent to his mother at
the hotel in which she was staying (see below) for a short time, but
it might be better if cards were sent directly to the hospital until
further notice:
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
Founders' Building, Room 579
3400 Spruce St.
Philadelphia, PA 19104
We urge readers to send him a card. We will be collecting the notes
that come in wishing him well via e-mail, and send them to him in
about two weeks. So, if you want to send him an E-note, send it to us
(tk0jut2@mvs.cso.niu.edu) with the subject header: TO BRENDAN
Aaron Dickey compiled the following messages from the
comp.org.eff.talk Usenet group for the folks on Mindvox
(mindvox.phantom.com):
Subject--Brendan Kehoe Critically Injured
From--kieran (Aaron Dickey)
Date--Tue, 04 Jan 94 01:57:07 EST
+---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date--Mon, 3 Jan 1994 14:41:00 CST
From--TK0JUT2%NIU.bitnet@vmd.cso.uiuc.edu
Subject--Brendan Kehoe critically injured in car accident
Brendan Kehoe, Cu Digest archivist at ftp.eff.org and author of
ZEN AND THE ART OF THE INTERNET, was critically injured in an
automobile accident in Pennsylvania on Friday, 31 December. He
sustained massive head injuries, but on Monday, the prognosis for
his survival was "cautiously optimistic," according to his
brother. Tragically, the severity of the injuries will likely
produce permanent disability, although the nature and extent
remains uncertain at this time. Doctors expect that he will be
semi-comatose for at least two weeks.
The hospital is not allowing him to receive flowers or other
tangibles. Cards may be sent to him at:
Brendan Kehoe
c/o Alice Kehoe
Penn Tower Hotel
Civic Center Blvd ad 34th Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Brendan will not be able to directly communicate for some time.
But, his brother and a few friends intend to set up a net-link to
keep people informed of his condition.
==========================================================================
+---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date--Mon, 3 Jan 1994 15:26:14 -0500 (EST)
From--Stanton McCandlish <mech@eff.org>
Subject--Brendan Kehoe hospitalized - update 01/03/94 3pm EST
For those that missed the news, Brendan Kehoe was involved in an injurious
automobile accided that left him hospitalized. See previous post for details.
When we have info on where to send get well notes, etc., we'll post it, so
please hold off on the inquiries. Kehoe is the author of "Zen and the Art
of the Intenet", and has been a long-time EFF volunteer, maintaining the
CuD archives on ftp.eff.org. Mike Godwin contacted Brendan's family and
had this to report:
'He is in "fair" condition today, according to his brother. The
auto accident caused Brendan a number of head injuries. His right
ear was destroyed, says his brother, but there is evidence that
he retains hearing in his left ear.
'The surgeons performed a number of craniotomies to relieve the pressure
caused by pooling blood in his skull, and removed a section of the left
side of his brain. The doctors predict that if he recovers--he is still
at risk of death--he will be aphasic. They are not certain whether he will
be able to recover his ability to speak and comprehend language through
rehabilitation.'
Stanton McCandlish * mech@eff.org * Electronic Frontier Found. OnlineActivist
============================================================================
+---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date--Mon, 3 Jan 1994 17:04:19 -0500
From--farber@central.cis.upenn.edu (David Farber)
Subject--Re--Brendan Kehoe critically injured in car accident (fwd)
If you want to keep in touch with his condition you can call Brendan Kehoe
patient info # is 215 662-3308. As stated cards etc are not receivable but
for record the hospital address and his room number is:
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
Founders' Building, Room 579
3400 Spruce St.
Philadelphia, PA 19104
==================================================================
From--Stanton McCandlish <mech@eff.org>
Subject--Brendan Kehoe hospitalized - update 10pm EST, 01/03/94
According to Pat McGregor <pat@cygnus.com>, by way of the Two Glees (Glee
Willis <pgw@unr.edu> and Glee Harrah Cady <glee@netcom.com>):
Brendan, as of 4pm, was not comatose any longer, but semi-conscious, and
is recognizing voices, faces, music, etc. He was operated on 3 times to
relieve pressure on the brain. The surgery and damage have left him with
in "restless and irritable" shape, apparently a good sign. It was also
observed that his pelvis, which broke, took most of the damage in the wreck,
preventing more internal injury.
He's being moved from the ICU to a regular room soon. Following that, he'll
be relocated to Boston for more surgery and rehab.
Doctors will need to wait a few weeks before they can fully assess his
condition, as his brain is still subject to swelling, and the accident
caused a lot of other damage. His entire face is in need of reconstructive
surgery.
Cyngus plans to continue him on salary, and he did have health insurance, but
"there will be expenses" Pat understates, mentioning that he and some others
are looking into setting up a fund to help defray these costs. EFF's also
been thinking about how to go about this, so it looks pretty likely that
there will be one.
Thanks to Pat and Glee and Glee for passing on the info.
For those that missed the news, Brendan Kehoe was in a really bad car wreck.
See previous posts for more details, incl. phone/address info, etc.
Brendan is a long-time EFF volunteer, wrote "Zen and the Art of the
Internet", and is the archivist for Computer underground Digest.
Stanton McCandlish * mech@eff.org * Electronic Frontier Found. OnlineActivist
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1993 13:00:10 EST
From: Dave Banisar <banisar@WASHOFC.CPSR.ORG>
Subject: File 3--Public Hearings on Privacy
Public Hearings on Privacy
NEWS
US OFFICE OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: George Idelson (USOCA)
December 10, 1993 (202)634-4344
Patricia Faley (USOCA)
(202)634-4329
PUBLIC HEARINGS ON INFORMATION AGE PRIVACY SET FOR CALIFORNIA AND
WASHINGTON, DC.
Sacramento: January 10-11, 1994; Washington, DC: January 26-27,
1994. Public Invited to Participate.
Representatives from the public, private and non profit
sectors will present their views on personal privacy and data
protection in the information age at public hearings of a U.S.
Government task force in early 1994.
The hearings will be open meetings of the Privacy Working
Group, chaired by Patricia Faley, Acting Director of the United
States Office of Consumer Affairs (USOCA). The Working Group is
part of a task force set up by the Clinton Administration to
consider how to spur development of an "information
superhighway." officially known as the National Information
Infrastructure (NII), the "data highway" will be capable of
exchanging data, voice and images electronically within a vast
network of individuals, businesses, government agencies and other
organizations around the world. Ensuring ready access to
information is the goal of the Administrative initiative, but
protecting individual privacy is essential to its success.
The public meetings will examine privacy issues relating to
such areas as law enforcement, financial services, information
technology, and di:rect marketing. The California mooting,
January 10th and llth, will be hosted by Jim Conran, Director,
California Department of Consumer Affairs in the First Floor
Hearing Room at 400 R Street in Sacramento. The Washington, DC
meeting, January 26th and 27th, will be held at the U.S.
Department of Commerce Auditorium, 14th & Constitution Ave. NW.
Registration begins at 8:30am, meetings at 9am.
The public is invited to attend, question speakers and to
make brief comments, but space is limited. Concise written
statements for the record should be sent to "Privacy," USOCA,
1620 L Street NW, Washington DC 20036 or faxed to (202)634-4135.
# # #
United States Office of Comumer Affairs - 1620 L Street, NW, Washington,
D.C. 20036-5605
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 19 Dec 1993 12:56:51 +0200 (WET)
From: ygoland@SEAS.UCLA.EDU
Subject: File 4--Software patent holds up $1 billion network
Forwarded message:
>From league-tactics-request@ai.mit.edu Sat Dec 18 21:09:55 1993
From--friedman@gnu.ai.mit.edu (Noah Friedman)
A billion dollar DoD procurement for a new communications network
maybe running into problems because of software patents dealing with
encryption. The Defense Message System network will serve nearly one
million users, and will replace a existing global Defense network.
The project, being managed by the Air Force Standard Systems Center,
will be a billion-dollar boost for the C/C++ COTS industry, with
companies such as Microsoft, Lotus, ATT, and MCI planning to bid on
the project.
Unfortunately, the encryption technology planned for use in the
DMS network is the subject of a long-running battle between the
government and Public Key Partners (PKP). PKP claims that the
proposed Digital Signature Standard (DSS) put forward by the National
Institute of Standards (NIST) in 1991 infringes on public-key patents
held by RSA Data Security and Prof. Claus Schnorr, both represented
by PKP.
Last summer the Commerce Department, after two years of
unsuccessfully dealing with the legal challenges of PKP's software
patents, said it would hand over an exclusive license for DSS to PKP.
But over one hundred companies condemned the plan as illegal, and NIST
backed off. The deal was also opposed by the European Community and
the Canadian government. The deal would allow PKP to charge $1 for
each public-key certificate issued using DSS.
As of last week, the DoD was not prepared to say whether the
procurement would be delayed by the patent problem. Negotiatons
between PKP and the Commerce Department are still underway.
For information, see an article in December 15, 1993 issue of
Network World, page 4, on the patent issues, and an article in the
November 1 edition of Federal Computer Week, page 2, for an article on
the DMS procurement.
============================
Greg Aharonian
Internet Patent News Service
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 03 Jan 94 14:17:04 CST
From: Mitch Pravatiner <U15289@UICVM.BITNET>
Subject: File 5--Article on online sexual harassment
The Winter, 1994 issue of _On the Issues_ magazine includes an article
called "Take Back the Net!," by Stephanie Brail, on sexual harassment
online. It describes some common forms of harassment via email and
real-time talk, on the Internet and commercial online services. It
cites a survey by Anita Borg, of the Systers mailing list, which
reported that 20 percent of the 500 respondents had been harassed
online. The article goes on to describe several of the major online
services, including the percentage of women among their subscribers.
(The ECHO service in New York is highest, at 40 percent; Delphi and
Compuserve are tied for last, at 10 percent.) It reports that a new,
woman-oriented ser-vice, called WIRE (Women's Information Resource and
Exchange) has been estab-lished in San Francisco, bringing together
databases on topics such as women's history, women's health issues,
networking for women business owners, and others.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 4 Jan 1994 15:34:45 -0500
From: Mike Godwin <mnemonic@EFF.ORG>
Subject: File 6--Call for Pioneer Awards Nominations
THE THIRD ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL EFF PIONEER AWARDS:
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS
Deadline: January 20, 1994
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 for deserving individuals
and organizations.
The Pioneer Awards are international and nominations are open to all.
In March of 1992, the first EFF Pioneer Awards were given in Washington
D.C. The winners were: Douglas C. Engelbart, Robert Kahn, Jim Warren, Tom
Jennings, and Andrzej Smereczynski. The 1993 Pioneer Award
recipients were Paul Baran, Vinton Cerf, Ward Christensen, Dave
Hughes and the USENET software developers, represented by the
software's originators Tom Truscott and Jim Ellis.
The Third Annual Pioneer Awards will be given in Chicago, Illinois
at the 4th Conference on Computers, Freedom, and Privacy
in March of 1994.
All valid nominations will be reviewed by a panel of impartial 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.
6) Every person or organization, with the single exception of EFF
staff members, are eligible for Pioneer Awards.
7) Persons or representatives of organizations receiving a Pioneer
Award will be invited to attend the ceremony at the Foundation's
expense.
You may nominate as many as you wish, but please use one form per
nomination. You may return the forms to us via email to
pioneer@eff.org
You may mail them to us at:
Pioneer Awards, EFF,
1001 G St. NW
Suite 950 East
Washington, DC 20001
You may FAX them to us at:
+1 202-393-5509
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 may 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
via surface mail to:
EFF
1001 G St. NW
Suite 950 East
Washington, DC 20001
via FAX to +1 202 393 5509
Nominee:
Title:
Company/Organization:
Contact number or email address:
Reason for nomination:
Your name and contact information:
Extra documentation attached:
DEADLINE: ALL NOMINATIONS MUST BE RECEIVE BY THE ELECTRONIC FRONTIER
FOUNDATION BY MIDNIGHT, EASTERN STANDARD TIME U.S., JANUARY 20, 1994.
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 17 Dec 1993 13:00:10 EST
From: Dave Banisar <banisar@WASHOFC.CPSR.ORG>
Subject: File 7--Public Hearings on Privacy
Public Hearings on Privacy
NEWS
US OFFICE OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: George Idelson (USOCA)
December 10, 1993 (202)634-4344
Patricia Faley (USOCA)
(202)634-4329
PUBLIC HEARINGS ON INFORMATION AGE PRIVACY SET FOR CALIFORNIA AND
WASHINGTON, DC.
Sacramento: January 10-11, 1994; Washington, DC: January 26-27,
1994. Public Invited to Participate.
Representatives from the public, private and non profit
sectors will present their views on personal privacy and data
protection in the information age at public hearings of a U.S.
Government task force in early 1994.
The hearings will be open meetings of the Privacy Working
Group, chaired by Patricia Faley, Acting Director of the United
States Office of Consumer Affairs (USOCA). The Working Group is
part of a task force set up by the Clinton Administration to
consider how to spur development of an "information
superhighway." officially known as the National Information
Infrastructure (NII), the "data highway" will be capable of
exchanging data, voice and images electronically within a vast
network of individuals, businesses, government agencies and other
organizations around the world. Ensuring ready access to
information is the goal of the Administrative initiative, but
protecting individual privacy is essential to its success.
The public meetings will examine privacy issues relating to
such areas as law enforcement, financial services, information
technology, and di:rect marketing. The California mooting,
January 10th and llth, will be hosted by Jim Conran, Director,
California Department of Consumer Affairs in the First Floor
Hearing Room at 400 R Street in Sacramento. The Washington, DC
meeting, January 26th and 27th, will be held at the U.S.
Department of Commerce Auditorium, 14th & Constitution Ave. NW.
Registration begins at 8:30am, meetings at 9am.
The public is invited to attend, question speakers and to
make brief comments, but space is limited. Concise written
statements for the record should be sent to "Privacy," USOCA,
1620 L Street NW, Washington DC 20036 or faxed to (202)634-4135.
# # #
United States Office of Comumer Affairs - 1620 L Street, NW, Washington,
D.C. 20036-5605
------------------------------
Date: 17 Dec 1993 00:39:41 GMT
From: cburian@UX4.CSO.UIUC.EDU(Christopher J Burian)
Subject: File 8--Feds Bust Boston-area Gay BBS (#1)
The UPI wire service reported that Medford, Massechusetts resident
Alden L. Baker Jr. was indicted Wednesday for distributing child
pornography from his computer bulletin board, "Boston's Eagle's Nest."
Baker is also accused of employing or coercing a minor to engage in
sexually explicit acts for images to be distributed via computer.
Prosecutors claim that the BBS made available for download many images
involving the use of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. If
convicted, Baker could be sentenced up to 10 years in prison and a
fine of up to $100,000 on each count.
US Attorney Donald K. Stern said, "The use of computerized 'bulletin
board' systems which distribute pornographic images to members
throughout the country are particularly deserving of our vigorous
prosecution."
Here is a commentary from a Boston-area resident:
==== Repost ====
From--kip@world.std.com (Bob B Chatelle)
Subject--Feds Bust Boston-area Gay BBS
Date--Thu, 16 Dec 1993 22:17:56 GMT
According to today's Boston Herald, Federal prosecutors have arrested
the sysop of a local gay BBS called the Boston Eagle's Nest and
charged him with distributing child pornography. The sysop is facing
ten years in prison and a $100,000 fine.
Busting gay boards is SOP for the Feds here in the Boston area.
During the summer of 1992, they busted a very fine board called Doug's
Den, which I very much miss. Doug's Den was busted on the usual bogus
kiddie-porn charges. (I downloaded enough porn from Doug's Den to
know that the charges were false.) I'm sure that the charges against
the Eagle's Nest are just as phony as the charges against Doug's Den.
The intent is to close down the boards and discourage other boards
from operating--or at least from exercising their First Amendment
rights.
I'm curious about how many gay boards all over the country Janet Reno
and her stormtroopers are shutting down. Any info will be greatly
appreciated.
Date: Sunday, 19 Dec 23:18:21 PST
From: anonymous by request <tk0jut2@mvs.cso.niu.edu)
Subject: File 9--Feds Bust Boston-area Gay BBS (#2)
Here's a post from comp.org.eff.talk that might interest CuD
readers, where a discussion is in progress.
=================
Date--18 Dec 1993 20:41:40 GMT
From--betsys@cs.umb.edu (Elizabeth Schwartz)
Subject--MA BBS bust for child pornography
Here are some excerpts from the Boston Globe article, Friday Dec 17, 1993,
pp 37 and 49:
+++++
The federal indictment of a Medford man in an alleged scheme to
distribute child pornography through a computer bulletin board marks
the start of a major crackdown on computer crimes, especially those
that prey on children, US Attorney Donald K. Stern said yesterday.
According to the indictment, Baker enticed young boys to engage in
sex acts in his Medford home, where he photographed them [description
of BBS uploading deleted]
The equipment and assorted paraphernalia, along with large stocks of
child pornography, were uncovered by Medford police, who searched his
home while investigating the rape charge against Baker.
Alden J. Baker Jr, 44, who is serving a 6- 10 year term in Gardner
State prison for raping his limousine driver, now faces a 187-count
indictment for sexual exploitation of minors.
[ 10 paragraphs of stuff about how BBS's are trucking porno on the
information highway, and advertising and selling memberships,
deleted]
Medford police began to investigate Baker about three years ago,
when a 31-year-old, emotionally handicapped man walked into the police
station and charged that Baker had raped him.
[pp on doubts about pursuing the case deleted]
But police not only pursued the case that led to Baker's rape
conviction, they also made surprising discoveries at his High Street
home. Among the leg chains, whips, and cattle prods, they found a
system of computer equipment allegedly used to send child pornography
from Anchorage to New Zealand.
Police also seized hundreds of hard-core videotapes, printed
pornography, and instant photographs. They also found extensive camera
equipment as well as a raft of computer hardware and software.
The FBI joined the case and discovered that Baker would entice
teen-age boys to come to his house, then induce them to engage in
sexually explicit conduct for the cameras, according to his
indictment. Neighbors told police they routinely saw boys leaving
Baker's house early in the morning.
Despite Baker's alleged success with his bulletin board,
single-subject bulletin boards generally have not demonstrated much
staying power, said Jeff Lipton, of Boardwatch Magazine. "Porno
boards, or boards that cater to one premise, don't last," he said.
Receivers of the information as well as the disseminators are
criminally liable, but prosecutor Pellegrini says that the present
push is to eliminate the distributor.
In this case, she said, "Instead of just getting one or two spokes,
we got the whole wheel."
------------------------------
Date: 8 Dec 1993 09:18:53 +0100
From: prompt@HACKTIC.NL(Frank A. Vorstenbosch)
Subject: File 10--Dutch Hewlett-Packard User Group Conference, May '94
Please find enclosed our information package on the 1994 PROMPT
Anniversary Conference. In case you do not know us: PROMPT is the
Dutch user group for all Hewlett-Packard calculators and handheld
computers.
We celebrate our 10th anniversary in 1994, and we have organized a
number of activities to celebrate this. One of them was inviting
numerous 'famous' HP personalities to write a guest article for our
journal throughout 1993.
Another, and perhaps the most important event will be the conference
in 1994. To take care of organizational matters, we have established
a separate foundation, HPCALC. After a relative long period of silence
since the 1992 HPCC London conference, we are in a position now to
start taking registrations.
The information enclosed comprises general information on the
conference, a registration form, and a call for papers. To ensure that
the conference will be a great success:
Please spread the word!
We ask you to distribute the enclosed information to as many
interested friends, collegues, etc. If you want more information, or
if you want to contribute, please contact us at one of the addresses
shown in the accompanying information.
Hoping to see you at the conference,
The PROMPT Committee
------------------ CUT HERE ---------------
The 1994 Anniversary Conference On graphical interfaces, user groups
and PC compatibility (or Is bigger better in handheld computing?)
Dear HP user,
PROMPT - the Dutch user group for all Hewlett-Packard calculators and
handheld computers - is proud to announce the 1994 PROMPT Anniversary
Conference.
We celebrate our 10th anniversary in 1994, and we have organized a
number of activities to celebrate this. One of them was inviting
numerous 'famous' HP personalities to write a guest article for our
journal throughout 1993.
Another, and perhaps the most important event will be the conference
in 1994. To take care of organizational matters, we have established
a separate foundation, HPCALC. After a relative long period of silence
since the 1992 HPCC London conference, we are in a position now to
start taking registrations. For information on how to register, look
at the end of this article.
When and where
+--------------
The conference will be held at the Galaxy hotel right in the heart of
Amsterdam, the Netherlands. The conference will be held in the weekend of
28 and 29 May 1994.
We have set aside four rooms for the conference: one large one, where
the main presentations will be held, two smaller rooms for workshops,
and one final room where clubs and dealers can present themselves. All
presentations and workshops will be held in the English language.
Main theme
+----------
There will be a number of main threads throughout the conference.
- Calculators and education
With the advent of more and more powerful calculators, the question
arises whether these so called 'super calculators' should be
allowed for use in higher education.
At the conference, we would like to start a discussion on this
topic, looking into reasons to forbid (or encourage) their use, and
also comparing the rules in the different countries around the
world.
- Graphical user interfaces
Was the introduction of the HP48G and GX models just the beginning
in the quest for the friendliest user interface? Or, will the fancy
forms and menus just hamper the serious user? Given the limited
computation power present in a handheld, where should the line be
drawn? We hope to answer these and other questions on this subject
at our conference.
- User groups
The user groups catering for HP calculators and handhelds seem to
go up and down in the 'popularity polls'. Were there once many
thriving user groups all around the world, it seems that a large
number of them are no longer with us. The last few years, however,
new groups are being formed, either on a formal or informal basis.
Have the still surviving clubs changed?
What does the 'perfect' user group look like: regular meetings,
glossy maga-zines, mail order? Seen in this light, is there a
function for the Europe-wide body HEX?
Aside from these threads, there will be a number of workshops, where
the more 'practical' sides of using the calculators and handhelds will
be shown. Currently planned topics include: User and System RPL,
Synthetic Programming, Use of the Solver, Databases and C programming
on the 95/100, etc.
The latest machines from Hewlett-Packard will of course be in the
limelight most (such as the 48G and GX, 100LX), but don't think there
will nothing of interest to, say, 41 die-hards! And we never know if
there might be some news to spread during the conference...
Small print
+-----------
There should be a registration form with this introduction, or you
should be able to get it from the same source. Attendance fee for the
conference (two days) will be f175 (175 guilders, approximately US$
95, or UKP60) if you register before the 31st of january 1994, f200 if
registering later. This will cover entry to the conference, a copy of
the proceedings, and coffee, tea and lunch on both days.
There will be farewell diner organized on Sunday, for which you can
register separately, at f50 per person. You are expected to find your
own way on Saturday evening (although we can probably organize
something for the foreign visitors).
The Galaxy hotel
+----------------
If you would like to stay the night (or two) at the Galaxy hotel,
please tick the appropriate box on the registration form. The Galaxy,
a luxurious hotel right in the heart of Amsterdam, offers a special
deal for conference attendees at f150 guilders per person per night.
If this is not within your budget, we can provide you with a list of
alternatives, and we might be able to help with reservations.
More information
+----------------
If you want to write a paper for the proceedings, or if you want to
hold a presentation or workshop, please read the Call for Papers,
which can be found at the same palce where you got this information
sheet. We will send new information to all user groups and Bulletin
Board Systems who received this information. We will also post
messages to the appropriate newsgroups on the Internet. If you would
like more information, please feel free to contact us in one following
ways:
- Email:
prompt@hacktic.nl or kuiperh@nlr.nl
- Fax:
+31-(75)-167183
- BBS:
+31-70-355 8674 (14400,8N1)
(leave a message for the sysop)
- Regular mail:
P.O. Box 1081
1500 AB Zaandam
Netherlands
On behalf of the PROMPT committee,
Herman Kuiper
Frank A. Vorstenbosch
------------------------------
End of Computer Underground Digest #6.02
************************************