Computer underground Digest Sun Oct 16, 1994 Volume 6 : Issue 90 ISSN 1004-042X Editors: Jim Thomas and Gordon Meyer (TK0JUT2@NIU.BITNET) Archivist: Brendan Kehoe Retiring Shadow Archivist: Stanton McCandlish Shadow-Archivists: Dan Carosone / Paul Southworth Ralph Sims / Jyrki Kuoppala Ian Dickinson Urban Legend Editor: E. Greg Shrdlugold CONTENTS, #6.90 (Sun, Oct 16, 1994) File 1--"Operation Sundevil" is finally over for Dr. Ripco File 2--Turing Test Conference File 3--Internet Security: Secure Comm over Untrusted Networks File 4--CPSR Award to Antonia Stone File 5--"Tastes like Chicken" ("chicken" domain explanation/Canada) File 6--More Gems from Spam-meister Siegel (NYT Excerpts) File 7--Cu Digest Header Information (unchanged since 10 Sept 1994) CuD ADMINISTRATIVE, EDITORIAL, AND SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION APPEARS IN THE CONCLUDING FILE AT THE END OF EACH ISSUE. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sat, 8 Oct 1994 00:57:06 -0500 (CDT) From: bje@RIPCO.COM(Bruce Esquibel) Subject: File 1--"Operation Sundevil" is finally over for Dr. Ripco ((MODERATORS' NOTE: I first learned of Operation Sundevil, part of the US Secret Service's "hacker crackdown" of 1990 described by Bruce Sterling in the book of the same name, the day after it happened. I called RIPCO BBS in Chicago and received a voice message instead of the familiar computer tone. Dr. Ripco and Ripco BBS had been busted, and he bade farewell to us all: This is 528-5020. As you are probably aware, on May 8, the Secret Service conducted a series of raids across the country. Early news reports indicate these raids involved people and computers that could be connected with credit card and long distance toll fraud. Although no arrests or charges were made, Ripco BBS was confiscated on that morning. It's involvement at this time is unknown. Since it is unlikely that the system will ever return, I'd just like to say goodbye, and thanks for your support for the last six and a half years. It's been interesting, to say the least. Talk to ya later. %Dr. Ricpo% The raiders carted off Dr. Ripco's BBS-related computer hardware, books, posters, and other possessions. No computer-related charges were filed against Dr Ripco then or since. Nor was he given any indication that he was under suspicion for any offense. For over four years, he remained in legal limbo, while over $15,000 worth of computer equipment depreciated in government possession. Because of its lively and diverse message boards, the large cross-section of users, and the exceptional competence of Dr. Ripco as a sysop, the BBS became one of the most popular "underground" boards in the country in the 1980s. Despite its reputation as a "hacker haven," Ripco was an open system with at that time one of the best collection of text files in the nation. As we reported in CuD 3.02 in 1991, it also attracted an informant known as "The Dictator," also identified as "Dale Drew." According to court documents, "The Dictator's" reports were the primary "evidence" to justify the Ripco raid. When announcing the news of Operation Sundevil, Secret Service spokespersons lauded its scope--150 USSS agents in addition to local law enforcement support, 13 cities, 28 search warrants, 23,000 seized computer disks--they had no reason to suspect that their then-perceived "success" would quickly turn into a major embarrassment of comic proportions (see CuD 1.09 for Sundevil news). A few eventual arrests--some of which were not Sundevil dependant--were the only demonstrable outcome. Even these were tarnished by USSS and others' hyperbole and similar excesses: The ludicrous claim that this "group" was responsible for what one newspaper reported as "up to $50 million" in fraud costs, the questionable use of an informant, the seemingly indiscriminate manner in which equipment was seized, the lack of subsequent information to convince a skeptical community that the raids' excesses were warranted--soon had Sundevil operatives on the defensive. Some of those responsible for Sundevil, such as USDA Bill Cook and USSS special agent Tim Foley, were successfully sued in civil court for their excesses in raiding Steve Jackson Games a few months earlier. One high-profile state prosecutor closely associated with Sundevil often cautioned critics to "wait until all the facts come out," presumably because the operation and those who planned it would be vindicated. After over four years, vindicating facts have not yet emerged. Quite the opposite: Sundevil was costly, had few significant results, produced few directly-related indictments or convictions, proved a major public relations disaster, and messed up some innocent lives. Sundevil did, however, have some significant unintended consequences. It galvanized the cybercommunity, increased the visibility of The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility (CPSR), and led to the involvement of many individuals and groups in monitoring and shaping legislation affecting the "information infrastructure." Ripco BBS returned to operation a few months after the raid more popular than ever, and has since evolved into a sophisticated system linked to the Internet. The original telephone number is the same, although it now has multiple lines to accommodate all the users. And, for Dr. Ripco, Operation Sundevil has finally come to a close. His equipment was finally returned, although the original files were erased. Ripco can be reached at (312) 528-5020.)) == Dr. Ripco's report on events this week == Hiya Jim, Besides offering greetings I just wanted to let you know that Operation Sundevil is officially closed, I guess. Ripco (the original) came home to roost, the SS finally released the seized hardware and I picked it up today. From what I gathered I was the last one to get out of their hair. I know SJ had some problems but surprisingly, everything seems to be in fairly good shape. My guess is it all probably just sat in storage. Although it physically is back, the system isn't. One condition was to have all the data erased prior to return because of the copyrighted pirate warez lurking about. The guy from the justice department said it wouldn't look right to just return it, would put the feds in the light that it was ok to have it with their blessing. I suppose I could of cut some deal leaving the non-warez intact but after seeing it take 4 1/2 years just to make up their mind to return it, I didn't feel like waiting another 4 for someone to sort everything out. A few pieces of the hardware still have some value today, the old bbs would only have historical value. It would also appear (Secret Service agents) Foley & Golden are/were the butt of some inside joke. Every time their names were mentioned, someone either rolled their eyes or engaged in jest. The new guy in charge (Greg Meyer) seemed pretty cool overall. I know, never trust a fed, but it was interesting he had the same attitude like the guy in D.C. (Josuha Silverman), a hint of embarrassment and total lack of logic behind the whole thing. It appears the computer fraud division, at least here in the Chicago office is more aiming at counterfeiting. Anyway, I wanted to say thanks for everything. I don't know what would have happened if we didn't communicate early on, but it's unlikely things would have ended in a whimper like it did. I'm totally convinced the efforts of CuD, the EFF and CPSR made a major impact on all of this; it put the feds in a defensive position instead of offensive. Things could always have come out better but you have to be grateful for what you have. Thanks much Jim, all your efforts and assistance is deeply appreciated. Bruce Esquibel (Dr. Ripco) bje@ripco.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 8 Sep 1994 00:10:27 -0700 (PDT) From: Robert Epstein Subject: File 2--Turing Test Conference ********************************************************************** NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS NEWS For Immediate Release September 1, 1994 ********************************************************************** INTERNATIONAL QUEST FOR THINKING COMPUTER TO BE HELD IN SAN DIEGO (Human vs. Computers on December 16th) In the very near future, many believe that human beings will be joined by an equally intelligent species -- computers so smart that they can truly think, converse, and perhaps even feel. To expedite the search for this new species, the fourth annual Loebner Prize Competition in Artificial Intelligence will be held at the new San Marcos campus of California State University on Friday, December 16th, 1994. The Loebner Prize pits humans against computers in what the Wall Street Journal described as "a groundbreaking battle." The first three competitions drew national and international media coverage. In the event, human judges converse at computer terminals and attempt to determine which terminals are controlled by fellow humans and which by computers. For the 1994 competition, conversation will be restricted to certain topics. This year, as in 1993, all judges will be members of the national press. The 1993 judges represented TIME Magazine, Popular Science, PBS, the Voice of America, and elsewhere. The contest has drawn media attention around the world, including coverage on CNN television, PBS television, the New York Times (front page), the Washington Post, the London Guardian, The Economist, the San Diego Union Tribune (front page), Science News, and many periodicals in the computer field, including Computerworld and AI Magazine (cover story). "Surprisingly, in early competitions, some of the computers fooled some of the judges into thinking they were people," said Dr. Robert Epstein, Research Professor at National University, Director Emeritus of the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies, and the organizer and director of the three previous contests. The author of the winning software of this year's event will receive $2,000 and a bronze medal. In 1995, Epstein said, the first open-ended contest -- one with no topic restrictions -- will be conducted. When a computer can pass an unrestricted test, the grand prize of $100,000 will be awarded, and the contest will be discontinued. The competition is named after benefactor Dr. Hugh G. Loebner of New York City and was inspired by computer pioneer Alan Turing, who in 1950 proposed a test like the Loebner contest as a way to answer the question: Can computers think? Transcripts of conversations during the first three competitions are available from the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies (telephone 617-491-9020). Diskettes that will play back the conversations in real time may also be purchased. A partial list of sponsors of previous competitions includes: Apple Computers, Computerland, Crown Industries, GDE Systems, IBM Personal Computer Company's Center for Natural Computing, Greenwich Capital Markets, Motorola, the National Science Foundation, The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and The Weingart Foundation. Application guidelines: Official rules and an application may be obtained by contacting Dr. Robert Epstein, Contest Director, 933 Woodlake Drive, Cardiff by the Sea, CA 92007-1009 Tel: 619-436-4400 Fax: 619-436-4490 Internet: repstein@nunic.nu.edu * The deadline for receipt of applications is November 1, 1994. * Applications must be accompanied by printed protocols recording actual interaction between the system to be entered and one or more humans. The protocols may not exceed ten double-spaced pages. * Applications must specify a single domain of discourse in which the computer system is proficient. The domain must be expressed by an English phrase containing no more than five words. * Each entry must communicate using approximations of natural English, and it must be prepared to communicate for an indefinite period of time. * Computer entries may contain standard or customized hardware and software. The hardware may be of any type as long as it is inorganic and as long as its replies are not controlled by humans responding in real time to the judges' inputs. * Entrants must be prepared to interface their systems to standard computer terminals over telephone lines at 2400 baud. * The prize will be awarded if there is at least one entry. Advance notice of new guidelines for 1995: The 1995 event will be an unrestricted Turing Test, requiring computer entries to be able to converse for an indefinite period of time with no topic restrictions. In 1995, entries may be required to run on hardware located at the competition site. For further information: Complete transcripts and IBM-compatible diskettes that play the 1991, 1992, and 1993 conversations in real-time are available for purchase from the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies (tel: 617-491-9020). Sponsorship opportunities are available. ************************ CONTACTS: Dr. Robert Epstein Contest Director 619-436-4400 (fax 4490) repstein@nunic.nu.edu Dr. Hugh G. Loebner Prize Donor 201-672-2277 (fax 7536) loebner@acm.org ------------------------------ From: voidstar@NETCOM.COM(Scott Corcoran) Subject: File 3--Internet Security: Secure Comm over Untrusted Networks Date: Thu, 22 Sep 1994 08:35:44 GMT INTERNET SECURITY SECURE COMMUNICATIONS OVER UNTRUSTED NETWORKS A one-day seminar on November 12, 1994 Embarcadero Hyatt Regency Hotel in San Francisco. Methods of achieving authentication, authorization, confidentiality, integrity, and nonrepudiation are key to the successful realization of the National Information Infrastructure (NII). Today's Internet is a proving ground for what will become the NII. The San Francisco Chapter of the IEEE Computer Society has put together an outstanding program on encryption, intrusion detection, firewalls, architectures, and protocols for Internet Security. Speakers in this seminar will describe several of the main techniques that exist today and the directions in which they are evolving. The seminar will be helpful to engineers, engineering managers and product planners seeking current knowledge of Internet Security. PROGRAM 8:30 a.m. Registration opens 9:00 a.m. Introduction 9:05 a.m. Keynote Address James Bidzos, President of RSA 9:45 a.m. Steven Bellovin, Ph.D., Bell Labs "Firewalls for Computer Security" 11:00 a.m. Teresa Lunt, SRI "Intrusion Detection" 11:45 a.m. Round Table Lunch (incl. with registration) 1:00 p.m. Professor Martin E. Hellman, Ph.D., Stanford "Cryptography: The Foundation of Secure Networks" 2:00 p.m. Dan Nessett, Ph.D., SunSoft and PSRG "Future Internet Security Architecture" 3:00 p.m. Matt Blaze, Ph.D., Bell Labs "Protocols: Security Without Firewalls" 4:00 p.m. "Public Safety vs. Private Liberty" A Panel Discussion on the Social Implications of Internet Security Rex Buddenberg NPS Alan McDonald FBI Stewart Baker formerly of the NSA James Bidzos President of RSA Matt Blaze Bell Labs Martin Hellman Stanford A one day seminar in San Francisco, on Saturday, November 12th, covering private and public-key encryption, key-escrow, fire-walls, architecture and protocols for security, intrustion detection, and a spirited panel discussion on "Public Safety vs. Private Liberty" ! SEATING IS LIMITED. PRE-REGISTER BY OCTOBER 15TH. 9:05 Keynote Address James Bidzos, President of RSA James Bidzos, President of RSA Data Security, will present the keynote address. Mr. Bidzos heads a company whose encryption technologies are licensed for products ranging from computer operating systems, to software copy protection, to electronic mail, to secure telephones. RSA has licensed several million copies of its encryption software, and has become a focal point for debate on appropriate application of cryptography. Mr. Bidzos has gained a unique perspective on the requirements of effective cryptographic systems. He will highlight the problem of providing strong encryption for users of computer networks while meeting the legitimate needs of law enforcement 9:45 Steven Bellovin, Ph.D., Bell Labs "Firewalls for Computer Security" When you connect your computer to the Internet, you also create a channel into your computer. Clever vandals, thieves and industrial spies have found ways to abuse most of the Internet protocols from FTP and Telnet to the World Wide Web and Network Time Protocols. Short of pulling the plug, firewalls provide the surest defense. The firewall administrator must keep abreast of new methods of attack and understand how firewalls can mitigate the threat. Steven M. Bellovin, Ph.D., is a senior researcher at AT&T's Bell Laboratories and co-author of the well known guide "Firewalls and Internet Security: Repelling the Wily Hacker." As one responsible for protecting "the phone company" from Internet hackers, Dr. Bellovin can describe from firsthand experience how firewalls can be constructed to screen them out. Dr. Bellovin will join us in a live video teleconference from Bell Laboratories. 11:00 Teresa Lunt, SRI "Intrusion Detection" Inevitably, someone will try to breach your firewall and might succeed. The time it takes you to discover the intrusion and catch the culprit depends on the event logging you have established. However, logging the many different transactions that might expose trespassing produces mountains of data. Automatic digestion of the logs is the only hope of monitoring them all. Teresa F. Lunt, Director of Secure Systems Research at SRI's Computer Systems Laboratory, directs work in multilevel database systems and intrusion detection. Ms. Lunt will describe intrusion detection and demonstrate automated tools developed at SRI to analyze audit data for suspicious behavior. 1:00 Professor Martin E. Hellman, Ph.D., Stanford "Cryptography: The Foundation of Secure Networks" Data in transit across unsecured networks like the Internet are subject to wiretapping attacks and impersonation. Moreover, privacy of communication and authentication of the sender's message are essential to Internet commerce, with exchange of contracts, receipts, credit card drafts and the like increasingly commonplace. Encryption can solve some of these problems, but what kind of encryption? Authentication only or encrypted messages? Secret key or public key, or both? Will you need a giant key ring for mes sage keys, session keys, file keys, and passwords? Martin E. Hellman, Ph.D., Professor of Electrical Engineering at Stanford University, is co-inventor of public key cryptography with Whitfield Diffie and Ralph Merkle. He was elected a Fellow of the IEEE for contributions to cryptography. Dr. Hellman will explore threats to communication and costs of electronic countermeasures. He will explain the importance and means of authenticating electronic messages, and he will survey public key cryptography. Dr. Hellman will describe public key techniques including Rivest-Shamir-Adleman (RSA), Diffie-Hellman, ElGamal and Digital Signature Standard (DSS). He will also describe the current status of export control and encryption standards such as the Data Encryption Standard (DES), Escrowed Encryption Standard (EES) and its encryption algorithm, Skipjack, which is implemented in Clipper and Capstone chips. 2:00 Dan Nessett, Ph.D., SunSoft and PSRG "Future Internet Security Architecture" Dan Nessett, Ph.D., of the SunSoft Division of Sun Microsystems, and until recently with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, has worked extensively in local area networks, distributed operating systems and distributed systems security. He is a member of the Privacy and Security Research Group (PSRG), which is convened under the auspices of the Internet Society. Dr. Nessett will explain the emerging Internet security architecture work undertaken by the PSRG. The architecture will guide the development of security mechanisms used in Internet standards. 3:00 Matt Blaze, Ph.D., Bell Labs "Protocols: Security Without Firewalls" We use firewalls because Internet protocols are not inherently secure. Can we rehabilitate the Internet protocols to produce protocols which are secure, not computationally prohibitive, and compatible with existing protocols? Matt Blaze, Ph.D., of Bell Laboratories will talk about the problems of integrating cryptographic protection into large-scale network infrastructure. Dr. Blaze is the author of "A Cryptographic File System for Unix," presented at the 1993 ACM Conference on Communications and Computer Security, and co-author with John Ioann idis of "The Architecture and Implementation of Network-Layer Security Under UNIX," which describes "swIPe," a network-layer security protocol for the IP protocol suite. Dr. Blaze will address issues concerning network security protoc ols, key management and distribution, and threats and models for cryptographic engineering. 4:00 A Panel Discussion on the Social Implications of Internet Security "Public Safety vs. Private Liberty" At one end of an imagined security spectrum lies the information police-state. Through traffic analysis, mandatory personal ID numbers and escrowed encryption, and the ability to record all messages and commerce carried out on the Information Superhighway, governments could maintain dossiers on every aspect of the personal life and business of its citizens. Privacy advocates fear that a corrupt government could use such information against its political enemies and to subvert personal freedoms. At the other extreme lies information anarchy. Through the use of digital cash, anonymous remailers, and strong non-escrowed encryption, the Information Superhighway could become a hide-out for criminals and national security threats. The potential for black-market activity and the associated tax-evasion is so enormous that some have speculated that governments could eventually collapse. Law-enforcem ent advocates fear that they will be unable to keep up with criminals and terrorists who ply their trade electronically. Our distinguished panel will provide insight into the interplay between the rights of individuals to privacy and freedom, the rights of companies to conduct unrestrained trade, and the ability of law enforcement and security agencies to perform their functions efficiently. This conclusion to the seminar will put into perspective the social changes that might be wrought by the technical advances discussed earlier in the day. Panelists include: Rex Buddenberg NPS Alan McDonald FBI Stewart Baker formerly of the NSA James Bidzos President of RSA Matt Blaze Bell Labs Martin Hellman Stanford Rex Buddenberg, Instructor of information systems architecture and applied networking at the Naval Postgraduate School, will moderate the panel. Mr. Buddenberg is a maritime command, communication, control and intelligence (C3I) consultant and a computer networking author. As a C3I architect for the U.S. Coast Guard, he developed plans and specifications for extending Internet connectivity to oceanographic ships. Mr. Buddenberg contemplates the means and effects of net warfare as both the good guys and bad guys share the same network. Alan McDonald, Special Counsel for Electronic Surveillance Matters, Information Resources Division, Federal Bureau of Investigation, is a specialist in the law and policy concerning electronic surveillance, Digital Telephony, and encryption issues. He frequently represents the FBI's view of law enforcement equities in light of advanced telecommunications and encryption. Stewart Baker is a former General Counsel to the NSA and a partner in Steptoe & Johnson, a Washington, DC law firm. His expertise is in telecommunications, computer export policy, security of national information infrastructure and encryption. Mr. Baker brings direct experience with the problem that strong encryption creates for the NSA in protecting our national security. QUESTIONS? CALL (415)-327-6622. Cut-off and complete this form, enclose your check payable to the IEEE SFCS, and mail to: IEEE Council Office 701 Welch Rd. #2205 Palo Alto, CA. 94304 To qualify for the reduced Pre-registration fees, your application with check must be postmarked no later than Oct. 15, 1994. Registration fee includes lunch, refreshments, and parking. Seating is limited. To make sure the seminar is not sold out, call (415) 327-6622. please check the appropriate box Fees on or before Oct. 15th: ___ IEEE Member $ 110 ___ Non-member $ 120 ___ Student $ 85 Fees after Oct. 15th: ___ IEEE Member $ 125 ___ Non-member $ 145 ___ Student $ 100 (students must present ID) The seminar location is the Hyatt Regency Embarcadero Hotel, near the Ferry Building, in San Francisco. Your registration fee includes the all day seminar, lunch, and convenient parking in the garages underneath adjacent Embarcadero Centers 1, 2, or 3. (Keep your ticket for validation). Please print clearly: Name : __________________________________________ Title : __________________________________________ Company: __________________________________________ Address: __________________________________________ __________________________________________ _______________________________ ___ ______ Day phone #:(___)_____-_______ IEEE member (or affiliate) #:_______ ____ (for discount) College/University (if student):___________________ ___ Vegetarian lunch option Refunds will be honored through October 22nd, substitutions any time. Additional information can be obtained by telephoning the IEEE Bay Area Council Office: (415)327-6622. IEEE SFCS RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE SEMINAR Sponsored by the San Francisco Chapter of the IEEE Computer Society. The IEEE is a non-profit organization. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 7 Oct 94 16:27:22 PDT From: email list server Subject: File 4--CPSR Award to Antonia Stone Playing To Win Founder Antonia Stone Wins Prize for Social Responsibility Palo Alto, Calif., October 6, 1994 - Computer Professionals for Social Responsibility (CPSR), the national public interest organization based here, announced today that Playing to Win founder Antonia Stone is the 1994 winner of the Norbert Wiener Award for Social and Professional Responsibility. The award is presented annually to a distinguished computer professional who has, through personal example, demonstrated a deep commitment to the socially responsible use of computing technology. "The greatest danger on the horizon for the National Information Infrastructure is that we will be left with two societies: a privileged classs that enjoys the benefits of the information age, and another that is left behind with none of those advantages," said Stanford professor and CPSR board president Eric Roberts. "Through her work with Playing To Win, Antonia Stone has been fighting for years to achieve the equality of access necessary to empower all of us together." "I'm thrilled," said Stone. "I believe that CPSR, in recognizing the work I've been doing by honoring me with the Norbert Wiener award, emphasizes the importance of a grass-roots effort towards real equity of technology access, and the need to offer opportunities for learning about and hands-on use of technology to those who otherwise wouldn't have such an opportunity." Stone will be presented with the Wiener award at CPSR's annual meeting banquet in San Diego, California, on Saturday, October 8th. This year's annual meeting is a two-day conference entitled "Organizing for Access: A National Forum on Computer Networking, Community Action and Democracy", that will bring together local, regional and national activists and decision makers to take a critical look at some of the social implications of the NII. Stone has worked in the area of computer learning since the 1970s. After an intense period of fundraising and outreach, she opened a computer center in a basement room of a Harlem housing project. Starting from that base, with Stone serving as Executive Director from 1980 through 1992, the Playing to Win network has grown to over 45 affiliates located across the US as well as in Poland and Northern Ireland. The PTW network of non-profit groups is dedicated to promoting and providing equitable technology access and education for economically, socially, and geographically disadvantaged people. PTW seeks to establish a national community of neighborhood technology access providers dedicated to true universal technological enfranchisement. Each PTW community computer center shares a belief that everyone can learn as long as they are allowed to follow their own motivational path and develop according to their own interests. The Wiener Award was established in 1987 in memory of Norbert Wiener, the originator of the field of cybernetics and a pioneer in looking at the social and political consequences of computing. Author of the book, The Human Use of Human Beings, Wiener began pointing out the dangers of nuclear war and the role of scientists in developing more powerful weapons shortly after Hiroshima. Past recipients of the Wiener Award have been: Dave Parnas, 1987, in recognition of his courageous actions opposing the Strategic Defense Initiative; Joe Weizenbaum, 1988, for his pioneering work emphasizing the social context of computer science; Daniel McCracken, 1989, for his work organizing computer scientists against the Anti Ballistic Missiles deployment during the 1960s; Kristen Nygaard of Norway, 1990, for his work in participatory design; Severo Ornstein and Laura Gould, 1991, in recognition of their tireless energy guiding CPSR through its early years; Barbara Simons, 1992, for her work on human rights, military funding, and the U.C. Berkeley reentry program for women and minorities; and the Institute for Global Communications, 1993, for their work to use network technology to empower previously disenfranchised individuals and groups working for progressive change. Founded in 1981, CPSR is a national, non-profit, public interest organization of computer scientists and other professionals concerned with the impact of computer technology on society. The mission of CPSR is to provide the public and policymakers with realistic assessments of the power, promise, and problems of information technology. As concerned citizens, CPSR members work to direct public attention to critical choices concerning the applications of information technology and how those choices affect society. For more information about CPSR, the annual meeting, or the awards banquet, call 415-322-3778 or send email to cpsr@cpsr.org. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 2 Sep 1994 11:15:17 -0400 (EDT) From: eye WEEKLY Subject: File 5--"Tastes like Chicken" ("chicken" domain explanation/Canada) A little item that we've received a fair number of queries about. kkc ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ eye WEEKLY August 18 1994 Toronto's arts newspaper .....free every Thursday ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ EYENET EYENET TASTES JUST LIKE CHICKEN!!! by K.K.Campbell On July 21, we found this email awaiting us: address I'm using to send you this message [i.e., eye@io.org] on one of your postings in rec.arts.books . In a recent book, E-mail Addresses Of The Rich And Famous, by Seth Godin (Addison-Wesley, 1994) eye is listed as eye@chicken.planet.org (page 75). Strangely, almost every Canadian address in the book ends with @chicken.planet.org, including Jean Chretien's, and those of many other govt officials and departments. I have a strong suspicion that this is a hoax. Do you know who might have perpetrated it?" Indeed, in the same month, New York Times Magazine was compelled to ask: "Why do the email addresses of so many Canadian government officials end in @chicken.planet.org ?" Here's the story: chicken.planet.org was a "fax gateway," known as Digital Chicken. Run by Toronto's Rob Riley (riley@gold.interlog.com), it died last May. Riley distributed a list of maybe 100 people/organizations reachable through Digital Chicken. By writing email to, say, ontatg@chicken.planet.org , a fax would be sent to Ontario Attorney-General Marion Boyd. The list of chicken.planet.org addresses "is all over the place, I still get mail about it," says Riley in a phone interview. "I've put out posts saying the service is no longer operating, but it's apparently not getting spread as rapidly as the original list." Godin thought it was a list of email addresses and included them in the book without verifying the list by contacting Riley or Digital Chicken. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Retransmit freely in cyberspace Author holds standard copyright Full issue of eye available in archive ==> gopher.io.org or ftp.io.org Mailing list available http://www.io.org/eye eye@io.org "Break the Gutenberg Lock..." 416-971-8421 ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 16 Oct 1994 17:21:01 PDT From: Anonymous Subject: File 6--More Gems from Spam-meister Siegel (NYT Excerpts) "SPAMMING' ON THE INTERNET BRINGS FAME AND FORTUNE Source: New York Times, Sunday Oct 16, 1994 (Business, p. 9) Author: Laurie Flynn ((Here are some extracts from a NYT story in spam artists. The story begins by noting that Laurence Canter and Martha Siegel have been heavily criticized since their "Green Card" advertisement on April 12 was sent to thousands of Internet targets. Laurence Canter and Martha Siegel have been the focus of intense criticism on computer networks since April 12, when they posted an advertisement offering their immigration legal services on thousands of Internet bulletin boards, called Usenet news groups.)) The episode forced the debate about commercialism and free speech on the global computer network, which is not governed by any single regulating body. It also earned the pair, who are married, $100,000 in new legal business. ((The article explains that Canter and Siegel abandoned their law careers to help businesses and individuals market on the Internet. It notes how they have written a book on it. The book, called "How to Make a Fortune on the Information Superhighway" is scheduled to appear in November.)) Some quotes from Siegel: Question: Are you really the ones who ought to be writing such a book? Answer: Ms. Siegel: Who would be better? We know exactly what's going on. We know exactly how it should be done. Canter: We know all the pros and cons we experienced everything positive and negative. Q: Do you think that people who follow the advice in your book, the almost step-by-step instructions, are going to get the same reaction you did? Ms. Siegel. I think the same small group of people will continue to react that way, but it's important to understand that they are a small group. The people who were in favor of us, who sent us requests for information, makes up the overwhelming majority, and they will react in the same way again, too. We got 20,000 to 25,000 positive requests for information. In direct mail terms, that's an incredibly positive response. Canter. There were probably somewhere between 20,000 and 25,000 flames that we received but they were not from 20,000 to 25,000 people. There were individuals who sent us hundreds and thousands. There was one guy who sent us close to 1,000 a day. As far as the positive responses, we did get slightly over 1,000 paying clients out of it. Q. Has the commercialization of the information highway become a personal cause rather than merely a business opportunity? Ms. Siegel. Freedom of speech has become a cause for us. I continue to be personally appalled at the disrespect for freedom of speech by this handful of individuals who would take over the net if they could. Canter. The Internet is a very powerful communications vehicle, and it should be available for everyone. The problem we have is the few people and in some cases companies trying to control it for their own benefits. Q. So you believe many of the people trying to protect the Internet are really just trying to horde the profits for themselves? Ms. Siegel. I think there are two parts to this group. There are the wild-eyed zealots who view the Usenet as their home. They don't view it as just for recreation or a place where you exchange information. To them it's become a womb practically, and they're defending their home. They have a very exaggerated sense of importance of the Usenet in their lives, that the average person doesn't share. I think that the other group is people like Wired magazine, who want to be the ones who make money off it. They can do that; but if they believe they're going to control everyone who comes in, they've overstepped their boundaries. Q. You founded Cybersell a few months ago. How many clients do you have? Canter: We have over 100 people who are involved with us now. We plan to have a grand opening soon, primarily on a Web site. Q. What's going to happen with advertising on the Internet? Ms. Siegel. I think the debate is going to go away quite fast. Canter. We put advertising guidelines in the book. I think if people follow all those, in particular designating something as an ad so somebody clearly knows it's an advertisement, I don't see there's really an valid objections. The most common objection I hear, that on the surface makes sense, is how it's going to clog everything up. The truth is what's clogging up the Usenet and the Internet is that there are just too many people on it. ((The article notes that Canter was born on June 24, 1953, and Siegal was born on June 9, 1948. The article also adds some of their personal history)). ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1994 22:51:01 CDT From: CuD Moderators Subject: File 7--Cu Digest Header Information (unchanged since 10 Sept 1994) Cu-Digest is a weekly electronic journal/newsletter. 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