Path: gmd.de!xlink.net!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!news.kei.com!eff! usenet.ins.cwru.edu!gatech!swrinde!pirates.cs.swt.edu!cs.utexas.edu! chinacat!not-for-mail Newsgroups: comp.society.cu-digest From: Cu-Digest (tk0...@mvs.cso.niu.edu) <TK0JUT2%...@UICVM.UIC.EDU> Subject: Cu Digest, #5.86 Date: Sun, 14 Nov 1993 19:17:24 CST Message-ID: <1993Nov14.191724.4474@chinacat.unicom.com> Organization: the Computer Underground Digest gateway Reply-To: tk0...@mvs.cso.niu.edu Approved: use...@chinacat.unicom.com (mail-to-news gateway) Sender: use...@chinacat.unicom.com (mail-to-news gateway) Lines: 808 Computer underground Digest Sun Nov 14 1993 Volume 5 : Issue 86 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 Eatitor: Etaoin Shrdlu, III CONTENTS, #5.86 (Nov 14 1993) File 1--Details on Phiber Optik Sentencing (Newsbytes Reprint) File 2--Sentencing in Elansky Case set for Nov. 19 File 3--BCS Community Technology Publication Available File 4--NII Call for Action File 5--On-Line Access to Gov't Info in Texas File 6--CPSR NII Call for Action File 7--DOS 6.2 BUG!!! Cu-Digest is a weekly electronic journal/newsletter. Subscriptions are available at no cost electronically from tk0...@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 /pub/mirror/cud ftp.warwick.ac.uk in pub/cud (United Kingdom) 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: Wed, 10 Nov 93 19:33:37 EST From: mcmu...@MINDVOX.PHANTOM.COM(John F. McMullen) Subject: File 1--Details on Phiber Optik Sentencing (Newsbytes Reprint) ** This article appeared on Newsbytes, an international commercial service. It is copyright and is re-printed here with the express permission of the authors. ** Phiber Optik Sentenced To Prison - 11/08/93 NEW YORK, NEW YORK, U.S.A..(NB) 110893 -- Mark Abene, known also by the hacker handle "Phiber Optik" has been sentenced in federal court to one year and one day in federal prison for activities related to computer intrusion. Abene will surrender himself on Friday, January 7, 1994 to authorities to begin his sentence. Abene pled guilty on July 2, 1993 to two counts of computer related crime. Count One involved conspiracy with 4 other individuals to commit computer crime while Count Two involved breaking into a computer belonging to Southwestern Bell Telephone Company. The four other persons named on the conspiracy indictment, Elias Ladopoulous ("Acid Phreak"), Paul Stira ("Scorpion"), Julio Fernandez ("Outlaw"), and John Lee "("Corrupt") , had pled guilty prior to Abene and, with the exception of Fernandez, are all currently serving sentence. A federal prosecutor told Newsbytes that date will be set shortly for Fernandez's sentencing.. Justice Louis Stanton, presiding over Abene's case, began the proceeding by asking whether there were any objections to the report prepared by the probation department concerning Abene. Paul Ruskin, attorney for Abene, stated that he believed that the report seems "unreasonably harsh". Stanton replied that, while that may be the case, it was just one of the items that he would consider in determining sentence. He added that he had received more correspondence concerning this case than for "any that he could remember". Stanton then said that the parties should understand that he was not considering in his decision an incident involving New York City television station WNET where computer intruders interrupted the use of a computer system - Abene had denied involvement and The U.S Attorney's letter of October 29th to Judge Stanton concerning Abene's sentencing said "The Government does not have any information that Mr. Abene was actually responsible for the destruction of WNET's information. It is clear that Mr. Abene's co-conspirators were responsible." The judge then asked for statements from the attorneys and Abene. Paul Ruskin, representing Abene, said the teenager that committed the acts to which Abene pled guilty to is not the person sitting in court and that Abene hopes to use his computer skills for the benefit of society to atone for his actions. Ruskin mentioned a letter sent to Judge Stanton by ex-military intelligence officer Robert Steele, offering to secure Abene a position with a government agency to fulfill community service. Ruskin asked that the judge consider that as an alternative to incarceration. Abene then spoke, saying that he apologized for his actions and was "sorry that they were misconstrued malicious." Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman said that he found it difficult to believe that Abene's actions disconnecting the phone service of rival hackers was not malicious. He also said that Abene "does not show contrition even today for his actions." He also said "Hacking crimes constitute a real threat to the expanding information highway. A message must be sent that breaking into other people's computers is a serious crime and will be treated as serious" Stanton then began his sentencing by reviewing some of the issues, saying, in part, "One argument concerning the defendant's actions is that they took place when he was young, from seventeen to twenty. At that age, people excited by things may do reckless things. .... The objectives of punishment are both to change the behavior of the person (sentenced) and to deter others from similar actions. .. Invasion of computers is seductive to the young both because of the intellectual challenge and the risk. A message must be sent that it is serious. .. The defendant stands as a symbol because of his own efforts; therefore, he stands as a symbol here today." Stanton then imposed the sentence. - 12 months and 1 day of incarceration in federal prison - 600 of community service with the hope that it will involve the use of Abene's computer skills - 3 years supervised probation - $100 special assessment. Stanton said that he was imposing no fine, other than the required special assessment, because it was clear that Abene has no real assets. He said that he was imposing no restitution to the victims of Abene's actions because it was not evident what expenditures could be traced directly to his actions rather than to needed security improvements and because the victims had not been able to clearly show what services of theirs that Abene had used and to what extent. He added that he had been tempted to impose a longer sentence but decided that this was sufficient. Berman told Newsbytes "the government feels that the sentence was appropriate. Judge Stanton clearly understands the issues and his use of this knowledge in determining the sentence was extremely important." Berman added "Abene was the most culpable of MOD (ed. the hacker group named in the indictment). He was the only member of the conspiracy active for the entire life of the conspiracy. Agents seized highly incriminating documents from him in 1990. His response was not to walk the straight and narrow; it was rather to continue his illegal actions. He has shown no contrition for his acts and has continually portrayed himself as one of the top computer hackers in the country. The sentence is important because it sends a message that it is a crime to intrude in public data networks. MOD was one of the biggest hacking organizations in the country. The case was very significant." Abene's attorneys. Lawrence Schoenbach and Paul Ruskin also spoke to Newsbytes after the verdict. Schoenbach said "While I'm disappointed that Mark is going to jail, I recognize the judge's concern for deterring this type of crime -- this is the crime of the "next century". Mark has always been the message bearer for computer hacking. When it was for hacking, he was the leader; now he is the in the punishment -- The Leona Helmsley of computer hacking." Paul Ruskin said "The government and the court is taking the position that it is better to deter in this area by punishment rather than deterring through effective use of technology." Mike Godwin, staff counsel for the Electronic Foundation, commented on the sentence to Newsbytes, saying "The sentence is harsher than I had hoped for bit I'm pleased that the judge gave a lot of attention to the underlying issues involved in such a case" ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 Nov 1993 08:28:32 EST From: IIRG <ru...@world.std.com> Subject: File 2--Sentencing in Elansky Case set for Nov. 19 ((MODERATORS' NOTE: The following edited summary was provided by Mercenary of the IIRG in Briston, Conn.)). SENTENCING IN COMPUTER CASE NOV. 19 (From The Hartford Courant, Nov 11, 1993) By John M. Moran A West Hartford man, jailed after police found bombmaking recipes on his computer bulletin board, will spend at least another nine days behind bars--and possibly much longer. In Hartford, Superior Court Judge Thomas Miano, who is about to sentence Michael Elansky, said at a pre-sentencing hearing Wednesday ((Nov. 10)) that he is not convinced the 21-year old fully realizes his mistakes. (The article describes the judge's comments to Elansky, in which he felt that Elansky should "wake up" and fully admit "wrong-doing" as a step toward "rehabilitation.") Elansky has been held at the Hartford Correctional Center since his arrest in August on charges of illegally keeping bomb-making instructions on his computer bulletin board. At the time, Elansky was on probation for previous charges involving explosives and illegal credit card use. He was also facing an unrelated count of conspiring to burglarize Hall High School in West Hartford. (The article notes that Elansky has pleaded guilty for violating probation and that the prosecution will not press charges relating to the high school burglary charges or the bomb recipes. The Prosecutor, Ass't State's Attorney Joan Alexander, argued for a prison sentence because she felt Elansky "refuses to accept responsibility" for his actions." Elansky's attorney, Richard Brown, disagreed. He claimed that Elansky has learned his lesson from 90 days in jail and more jail/prison time would be "counterproductive"). Elansky, himself, made a tearful plea for mercy, saying he just wants to go back to his family and his job. "This place is truly hell for me, your honor," he told Miano. "I've had to do a lot of growing up while I've been in jail. I've gotten the message that only jail can deliver." ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 1 Nov 93 23:30:14 PST From: Peter Miller <bcs...@IGC.APC.ORG> Subject: File 3--BCS Community Technology Publication Available Boston Computer Society Social Impact/Public Service Publication Available -- ------- ------ ------------- ------- ----------- --------- The 44-page November 1993 issue of IMPACT, the Boston Computer Society's social impact, nonprofit assistance, and public service publication, contains lots of community telecommunications material, both about what's happening and from online mailings and conferences: * Michael Stein on "Aether Madness: Nonprofits Enter Cyberspace" * The statement of seven democratic public interest telecommunications principles generated by Telecommunications Policy Roundtable and the Center for Media Education (CME), an introduction to the principles, info about CME and the 66 organizations who signed on for the October 26th press conference. * The Center for Civic Networking's National Vision and Strategy * Dilbert in cyberspace, and and other print and online resources including a number of the EduNets. * On IGC/PeaceNet/EcoNet winning this year's CPSR Award, and more info about CPSR. Other feature articles include: * The lead article on "TecsChange and the Caravan to El Salvador" by Aram Falsafi, a journey last March which saw the welcoming party for the materials and technology delivery turn into a nonviolent demonstration which closed down the National Assembly. * "Technology and Community," Gary Chapman's keynote panel address at the 3rd New England Computers and Social Change Conference, an update of the conference, the BCS Social Impact Group monthly program, and the January '94 Conference at MIT on Unemployment and the High Tech Revolution. * A special center insert on "Community Computing Center News and Notes," with information about the Playing to Win network of community computing centers, an edited selection from the Handbook for Future Center, the Community Technology Lab at Capital Children's Museum in Washington DC, and articles about computer programs and resources for the homeless in Boston. * A summary report on projects in San Antonio, Dallas, Baltimore, Oakland, and Boston which won the five REACH Awards, the computer industry's first year acknowledgement of community technology programs, organized by Ziff-Davis and the Association of Personal Computer User Groups (APCUG), at this year's spring Comdex in Atlanta. * An overview of ITRC/CompuMentor in Chicago, news from CompuMentor/SF, a listing of members of the Technology Resource Consortium, and an update on the BCS Nonprofit Assistance Program and other public service news. * * * * * * * * * * A large number of subsidized subscriptions are already supported, and there are a limited number of additional copies available for $5 which will be distributed on a first-come, first-serve basis. Send check made out to BCS to: Marlene Archer Public Service Coordinator Boston Computer Society 1 Kendall Square Cambridge, MA 02139 617/252-0600 x3312 m...@world.std.com ~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~* Please repost. ~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~*~~* ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 2 Nov 1993 12:55:44 -0800 From: Al Whaley <Al.W...@SNYSIDE.SUNNYSIDE.COM> Subject: File 4--NII Call for Action Date--Mon, 1 Nov 93 14:46:22 PST From--Doug Schuler <sch...@cpsr.org> +------------------------------------------------------------- Please distribute widely to interested colleagues and friends. +------------------------------------------------------------- Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility NII Call for Action Autumn, 1993 Introduction The Clinton administration has recently developed an "Agenda for Action" to develop a National Information Infrastructure (NII), a very high capacity network for communication of digital information in the United States. While Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility (CPSR) applauds much of this effort, we feel that there are serious concerns that must be addressed if this technology is to meet our country's needs and our citizen's expectations into the 21st Century. This is a critical technology that transcends entertainment, convenience shopping, and instant polling. Communication and information are at the core of a democratic and equitable society. We believe that the development of this technology has the potential to fundamentally change the nature of community and democratic discourse and, hence, is one of the most critical issues facing us. We feel that this issue deserves serious and comprehensive public participation. Important decisions may be made in the near future with inadequate public participation. This document is designed to help spur that participation. We urge you to contact us with your ideas for what needs to be done, and your feedback on this call for action. Motivation The United States is faced with profound challenges as it prepares to enter the 21st century. These include wide disparities in income and economic opportunity as well as a declining sense of community involvement. Many of today's children are growing up in an unsafe environment with little hope for the future. These problems may well be exacerbated by a lack of access to communication and information technology. We believe that ensuring affordable access could help increase political participation, improve economic opportunities, reinvigorate community, and promote opportunities for lifelong learning. While not a panacea, technology may be useful in this area if it is developed with full democratic participation and if genuine human needs are addressed. Why a Call for Action? CPSR has written a policy statement with recommendations for those who will be building the NII. This statement was released in conjunction with a press conference by the Telecommunications Policy Roundtable (TPR), a coalition group of some 60 public interest organizations. CPSR's policy document, entitled "Serving the Community: A Public-Interest Vision of the National Information Infrastructure", is largely addressed to policy makers. At the same time, we realize that top-down action from government policy makers is only one piece of the puzzle. Action at all levels is required if the NII is to become a shared national (and ultimately international) resource. This call for action is being released simultaneously with the policy statement. TPR Principles The TPR principles represent a consensus view of a variety of public- interest organizations. These principles represent as shared desire for an equitable public space that we can hold in common as a society. We urge you to adopt them in any future discussions, proposals, or pilot projects. (1) Universal access. All people should have affordable access to the information infrastructure. (2) Freedom to communicate. The information infrastructure should enable all people to effectively exercise their fundamental right to communicate. (3) Vital civic sector. The information infrastructure must have a vital civic sector at its core. (4) Diverse and competitive marketplace. The information infrastructure should ensure competition among ideas and information providers. (5) Equitable workplace. New technologies should be used to enhance the quality of work and to promote equity in the workplace. (6) Privacy. Privacy should be carefully protected and extended. (7) Democratic policy-making. The public should be fully involved in policy-making for the information infrastructure. Based on our experience as both users and designers of networking systems we have formulated an additional principle: (8) Functional integrity. The NII must be engineered to high standards of reliability, robustness, and extensibility. Opportunities for Action We believe that substantial effort will be required if the NII is to live up to the principles outlined above. Some of this work can be initiated by individuals and some by organizations at the community, regional, and national levels. CPSR at both the national and the chapter level intends to be a strong player in this effort. These objectives will not be realized without a strong diversified and distributed effort and we hope that you will become involved in this effort. We've included a list of possible opportunities actions - there are lots of others! Education and Public Meetings + Organize and attend public meetings on the NII + Organize and attend study groups on NII issues + Write articles and editorial pieces for publication emphasizing the eight public-interest principles and their application to specific NII proposals and plans. Work with Community + Help assess community information and services needs + Develop criteria for NII related projects and services to evaluate whether they support the public-interest principles and address community needs + Work with local organizations, projects, and networks to develop models of how the NII can promote the public good and to ensure that the principles are followed + Co-design local service and information related pilot projects that can be used by others as models Work with Government + Contact government officials to sponsor hearings and consider NII issues + Identify government information and services for inclusion on NII. + Attend and offer testimony at public hearings + Help to develop equitable regulatory approaches to NII implementation Work with Organizations + Work with local cultural, civic, social service, educational, and library organizations to develop NII policies, pilot projects, and proposals. + Work with organizations that are actively working in this area + Work with organizations to educate them as to the importance of these issues + Form coalitions with organizations in this area Work with Business + Work with businesses to encourage them to acknowledge and support public access to the NII + Work with businesses to ensure that affordable public access systems and concerns are included in technological and regulatory development Develop and Build Models + Develop Community Networks, Free-Nets, Civic Networks, information and services cooperative and organizations and conduct other experiments in local telecommunications. + Communicate goals, concerns, and findings to the rest of the community About CPSR Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility stands alone as the only national, non-partisan, public-interest organization dedicated to understanding and directing the impact of computers on society. Decisions regarding the use of this technology have far-reaching consequences that necessarily reflect the basic values and priorities of the people who govern their use. We will continue our work on Calling Number ID, workplace issues, participatory design, privacy, freedom of information, redirection of national technology policy for non-military purposes and other issues in addition to our recent NII initiatives. Founded in 1981, CPSR has 2000 members from all over the world and 22 chapters across the country. Each of our members is an important participant in the dialogue that is helping to shape the future use of computers in the United States. Our National Advisory Board includes one Nobel laureate and three winners of the Turing Award, the highest honor in computer science. We believe that as the influence of computers continues to permeate every aspect of our society, it is important that professionals become active participants in formulating the policy that governs computer use and access. CPSR welcomes any and all who share our convictions. To obtain copies of the CPSR NII Policy Document or to obtain additional information about CPSR, contact us at cp...@cpsr.org or CPSR, P.O. Box 717, Palo Alto, CA, 94302. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 14 Nov 1993 11:19:22 CDT From: CuD Moderators <cudi...@mindvox.phantom.com> Subject: File 5--On-Line Access to Gov't Info in Texas ((MODERATORS' NOTE: The original header from the following post was garbled, but thanks to the poster nonetheless)). Window on State Government Electronic Bulletin Board 1-800-227-8392 (1-800-BBS-TEXA) This is a free service of the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts for callers in Texas. This board contains a wide variety of economic and tax information, state spending by category and year, state revenue by source and year, news releases, Comptroller job postings, and a mailbox for comments, suggestions and questions. It operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. TO SET UP AN ACCOUNT: Call and follow the instructions. The BBS provides menus and prompts to guide you along. COMMUNICATION SETTINGS: NO parity, 8 databits, 1 stopbit, FULL duplex (N,8,1,F). Twelve lines with 4 14,400 baud modems and eight 9600. MODEM NUMBER: 1-800-227-8392 (475-1051 in Austin) VOICE LINE: 1-800-531-5441, ext. 5-0996 (475-0996 in Austin) CONTACT PERSONS: Drew Scherz, Gabriel Zavala, Robert Cavazos Current tax rules are online. They are listed under Taxability Information (Main Menu Option 5 and Taxability Information Menu Option 4). Main Menu Option 2 is Comptroller News & Information. From the Comptroller News & Information menu you can access Comptroller Job Postings, News Releases, the federal National Performance Review and the federal Proposed National Health Plan and President's Speech to Congress. Also under Comptroller News & Information Option 9 (File Library), there are a number of files that you can read onscreen or download. Among these files are lists of Texas House and Senate members and the 1987 SIC Codes. In addition to news and information from the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, there is access to information from other sources. >From the BBS News menu (Main Menu Option 6), you will find a list of Texas public information bulletin boards and can connect to some Texas bulletin boards such as the State Technology Assessment Center BBS, Texas Ethics Commission BBS, Texas State Library, and Texas Employment Commission BBS. Mary Shearer Government Documents Librarian University of Houston Law Library She...@uh.edu ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 11 Nov 1993 11:54:40 CST From: Nikki Draper <dra...@EUPHRATES.STANFORD.EDU> Subject: File 6--CPSR NII Call for Action +------------------------------------------------------------- Please distribute widely to interested colleagues and friends. +------------------------------------------------------------- Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility NII Call for Action Autumn, 1993 Introduction The Clinton administration has recently developed an "Agenda for Action" to develop a National Information Infrastructure (NII), a very high capacity network for communication of digital information in the United States. While Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility (CPSR) applauds much of this effort, we feel that there are serious concerns that must be addressed if this technology is to meet our country's needs and our citizen's expectations into the 21st Century. This is a critical technology that transcends entertainment, convenience shopping, and instant polling. Communication and information are at the core of a democratic and equitable society. We believe that the development of this technology has the potential to fundamentally change the nature of community and democratic discourse and, hence, is one of the most critical issues facing us. We feel that this issue deserves serious and comprehensive public participation. Important decisions may be made in the near future with inadequate public participation. This document is designed to help spur that participation. We urge you to contact us with your ideas for what needs to be done, and your feedback on this call for action. Motivation The United States is faced with profound challenges as it prepares to enter the 21st century. These include wide disparities in income and economic opportunity as well as a declining sense of community involvement. Many of today's children are growing up in an unsafe environment with little hope for the future. These problems may well be exacerbated by a lack of access to communication and information technology. We believe that ensuring affordable access could help increase political participation, improve economic opportunities, reinvigorate community, and promote opportunities for lifelong learning. While not a panacea, technology may be useful in this area if it is developed with full democratic participation and if genuine human needs are addressed. Why a Call for Action? CPSR has written a policy statement with recommendations for those who will be building the NII. This statement was released in conjunction with a press conference by the Telecommunications Policy Roundtable (TPR), a coalition group of some 60 public interest organizations. CPSR's policy document, entitled "Serving the Community: A Public-Interest Vision of the National Information Infrastructure", is largely addressed to policy makers. At the same time, we realize that top-down action from government policy makers is only one piece of the puzzle. Action at all levels is required if the NII is to become a shared national (and ultimately international) resource. This call for action is being released simultaneously with the policy statement. TPR Principles The TPR principles represent a consensus view of a variety of public-interest organizations. These principles represent as shared desire for an equitable public space that we can hold in common as a society. We urge you to adopt them in any future discussions, proposals, or pilot projects. (1) Universal access. All people should have affordable access to the information infrastructure. (2) Freedom to communicate. The information infrastructure should enable all people to effectively exercise their fundamental right to communicate. (3) Vital civic sector. The information infrastructure must have a vital civic sector at its core. (4) Diverse and competitive marketplace. The information infrastructure should ensure competition among ideas and information providers. (5) Equitable workplace. New technologies should be used to enhance the quality of work and to promote equity in the workplace. (6) Privacy. Privacy should be carefully protected and extended. (7) Democratic policy-making. The public should be fully involved in policy-making for the information infrastructure. Based on our experience as both users and designers of networking systems we have formulated an additional principle: (8) Functional integrity. The NII must be engineered to high standards of reliability, robustness, and extensibility. Opportunities for Action We believe that substantial effort will be required if the NII is to live up to the principles outlined above. Some of this work can be initiated by individuals and some by organizations at the community, regional, and national levels. CPSR at both the national and the chapter level intends to be a strong player in this effort. These objectives will not be realized without a strong diversified and distributed effort and we hope that you will become involved in this effort. We've included a list of possible opportunities actions - there are lots of others! Education and Public Meetings + Organize and attend public meetings on the NII + Organize and attend study groups on NII issues + Write articles and editorial pieces for publication emphasizing the eight public-interest principles and their application to specific NII proposals and plans. Work with Community + Help assess community information and services needs + Develop criteria for NII related projects and services to evaluate whether they support the public-interest principles and address community needs + Work with local organizations, projects, and networks to develop models of how the NII can promote the public good and to ensure that the principles are followed + Co-design local service and information related pilot projects that can be used by others as models Work with Government + Contact government officials to sponsor hearings and consider NII issues + Identify government information and services for inclusion on NII. + Attend and offer testimony at public hearings + Help to develop equitable regulatory approaches to NII implementation Work with Organizations + Work with local cultural, civic, social service, educational, and library organizations to develop NII policies, pilot projects, and proposals. + Work with organizations that are actively working in this area + Work with organizations to educate them as to the importance of these issues + Form coalitions with organizations in this area Work with Business + Work with businesses to encourage them to acknowledge and support public access to the NII + Work with businesses to ensure that affordable public access systems and concerns are included in technological and regulatory development Develop and Build Models + Develop Community Networks, Free-Nets, Civic Networks, information and services cooperative and organizations and conduct other experiments in local telecommunications. + Communicate goals, concerns, and findings to the rest of the community About CPSR Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility stands alone as the only national, non-partisan, public-interest organization dedicated to understanding and directing the impact of computers on society. Decisions regarding the use of this technology have far-reaching consequences that necessarily reflect the basic values and priorities of the people who govern their use. We will continue our work on Calling Number ID, workplace issues, participatory design, privacy, freedom of information, redirection of national technology policy for non-military purposes and other issues in addition to our recent NII initiatives. Founded in 1981, CPSR has 2000 members from all over the world and 22 chapters across the country. Each of our members is an important participant in the dialogue that is helping to shape the future use of computers in the United States. Our National Advisory Board includes one Nobel laureate and three winners of the Turing Award, the highest honor in computer science. We believe that as the influence of computers continues to permeate every aspect of our society, it is important that professionals become active participants in formulating the policy that governs computer use and access. CPSR welcomes any and all who share our convictions. To obtain copies of the CPSR NII Policy Document or to obtain additional information about CPSR, contact us at cp...@cpsr.org or CPSR, P.O. Box 717, Palo Alto, CA, 94301. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 12 Nov 1993 04:26:54 GMT From: kyber <ky...@MIXCOM.MIXCOM.COM> Subject: File 7--DOS 6.2 BUG!!! There is a serious bug in MS-DOS 6.2 (the "step-up" from DOS 6.0): A conflict occurs between VSafe, DOS, and Windows that makes it impossible to open Windows. This may be avoided by unloading VSafe before installing 6.2 (actually, it's generally a good idea to dismantle your virus shield before installing programs, after you check that the program is virus-free, of course). If that doesn't work, then delete the "chkdsk.ms" files in the DOS, Windows, and Windows/System directories and reboot. Ignore the Window's messages that it is missing a driver or that it needs to be reinstalled. Microsoft has been getting a lot of calls on this one. ------------------------------ End of Computer Underground Digest #5.86 ************************************