Date: Wed, 21 Oct 92 03:23:28 EDT From: mcmullen@MINDVOX.PHANTOM.COM(John F. McMullen) Subject: File 4--NY State Police Decriminalize the word "Hacker" (Newsbytes) The following appeared on Newsbytes (10/21/92). Newsbytes is a commercial service an its material is copyrighted. This piece is reprinted with the express permission of the authors. ========================================================== ALBANY, NEW YORK, U.S.A., 1992 OCT 21(NB) -- Senior investigator Ron Stevens of the New York State Police Computer Unit has told Newsbytes that it will be the practice of his unit to avoid the use of the term "hacker" in describing those alleged to have committed computer crimes. Stevens told Newsbytes "We use the term computer criminal to describe those who break the law using computers. While the lay person may have come to understand the meaning of hacker as a computer criminal, the term isn't accurate. The people in the early days of the computer industry considered themselves hackers and they made the computer what it is today. There are those today who consider themselves hackers and do not commit illegal acts." Stevens had made similar comments in a recent conversation with Albany BBS operator Marty Winter. Winter told Newsbytes ""Hacker" is, unfortunately an example of the media taking what used to be an honorable term, and using it to describe an activity because they (the media) are too damned lazy or stupid to come up with something else. Who knows, maybe one day "computer delinquent" WILL be used, but I sure ain't gonna hold my breath. Stevens, together with investigator Dick Lynch and senior investigator Donald Delaney, attended the March 1993 Computers, Freedom and Privacy Conference (CFP-2) in Washington, DC and met such industry figures as Glenn Tenney, congressional candidate and chairman of the WELL's annual "Hacker Conference"; Craig Neidorf, founding editor and publisher of Phrack; Steven Levy, author of "Hackers" and the recently published "Artificial Life"; Bruce Sterling, author of the recently published "The Hacker Crackdown"; Emmanuel Goldstein, editor and publisher of 2600: The Hacker Quarterly and a number of well-known "hackers". Stevens said "When I came home, I read as much of the literature about the subject that I could and came to the conclusion that a hacker is not necessarily a computer criminal." The use of the term "hacker' to describe those alleged to have committed computer crimes has long been an irritant to many in the on-line community. When the the July 8th federal indictment of 5 New York City individuals contained the definition of computer hacker as "someone who uses a computer or a telephone to obtain unauthorized access to other computers.", there was an outcry on such electronic conferencing system as the WELL (Whole Earth 'Lectronic Link). Many of the same people reacted quite favorably to the Stevens statement when it was posted on the WELL. (Barbara E. McMullen & John F. McMullen/19921021) ------------------------------ Downloaded From P-80 International Information Systems 304-744-2253