Computer underground Digest Sun Feb 17, 1994 Volume 6 : Issue 17 ISSN 1004-042X Editors: Jim Thomas and Gordon Meyer (TK0JUT2@NIU.BITNET) Archivist: Brendan Kehoe (Improving each day) Acting Archivist: Stanton McCandlish Shadow-Archivists: Dan Carosone / Paul Southworth Ralph Sims / Jyrki Kuoppala Ian Dickinson Whacker Editor: Tonya Harding CONTENTS, #6.17 (Feb 17, 1994) File 1--Photography, Computer Underground, and Images File 2--Update on Canadian BBS "Licensing" (Re: CuD 6.15) File 3--AP Article on Clipper File 4--Congress Online File 5--White House altering of Public Electronic E-Docs? File 6--Clipper Questions and Answers in a Nutshell Cu-Digest is a weekly electronic journal/newsletter. Subscriptions are available at no cost electronically. 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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) ftp.warwick.ac.uk in pub/cud (United Kingdom) UNITED STATES: aql.gatech.edu (128.61.10.53) in /pub/eff/cud etext.archive.umich.edu (141.211.164.18) in /pub/CuD ftp.eff.org (192.88.144.4) in /pub/Publications/CuD ftp.halcyon.com (192.135.191.2) in mirror2/cud 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: Sat, 19 Feb 1994 11:13:52 -0800 From: Rika Kasahara Subject: File 1--Photography, Computer Underground, and Images ((MODERATORS' NOTE: In CuD 6.16, we reported a solicitation for "freaks" for the cover story on computer culture in a Japanese magazine. A bit of a language barrier resulted in the solicitation being misunderstood by ourselves and others. We are quite happy to acknowledge that the intent of the cover is the exact opposite from what it appeared to be. We apologize to Rika Kasahara, the original poster, for the misunderstanding. In a series of private and quasi-public posts, Rika has explained the differences between the Japanese and U.S. images of the computer culture. The intent of the story and the proposed cover was, in fact, an attempt to do precisely what we suggested the media to, which is to break down stereotypes. One reader suggested that Rika's proposal would be identical to the cover on Scientific American a few years ago depicting four "computer nerds" from Legion of Doom as virile, well-dressed and exceptionally photogenic businessmen as a way of challenging stereotypes. I agree. Rika's private communications to me in the past week have been valuable in adding to my own understanding of another culture. One reader suggested that CuD itself promotes cultural misunderstanding by focusing almost exclusively on North America, even though a substantial portion of readers are from virtually all other continents and about 40 countries. They're right. We STRONGLY ENCOURAGE READERS IN OTHER COUNTRIES, especially in South America and Asia, to submit articles describing their experiences. Another suggested that I was attempting to distance myself from computer folk who looked different. Because, depending on mood and season, I would qualify as an appropriate grunge candidate for the cover, the poster's observation is off-target. But, his point might be reframed as simply his way of emphasizing our own position that it's important to appreciate difference rather than use differences to create damaging stereotypes that lead to bad laws, bad polices, and bad enforcement. In her post below, Rika explains how she would challenge stereotypes. In doing so, she also gives us some insight into her own culture. We admire her patience and grace in successfully contributing to our own understanding)). +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Let me post another note to make my point clearer. I hope my English is better in this one. I got a friend to help me to write it. I guess I was misunderstood (in the previous post). In Japan, where there is not a mature computer culture, overground or underground, the hacker's image is on a par with that of rapists and murderers - except that the hackers are seen as being a little smarter. However, they aren't seen as anything more than common, lowlife criminals. The stereotypical hacker in Japan is usually seen as either as a balding, overweight, myopic individual lurking behind a monitor throughout his life, with little purpose to his existence other than using his computer to cause trouble for the society outside his door -- or -- as an evil, scheming figure, waiting in the darkness, with secret plans, sharp fangs, and a plot to steal your software. The hacker's image is that of an overgifted antagonist who runs in the same circles as the common footpad and heroin junkie. They aren't viewed as having any redeemable features whatsoever, but their intelligence makes them a grave threat to legitimate members of society, so their very existence is feared. The meaning of their lives is composed of almost nothing more than invading protected systems and selling data for personal gain. Friendless, angry, and ready to inflict damage onto the electronic world, this mythical villain hides just beyond your senses, waiting to strike whenever he sees you are vulnerable. For the most part, "hackers," (is there a good encompassing, concise definition for a hacker?) aren't this way at all. HoHoCon, for some reason, had a surprising lack of dark, cloaked, shadowy figures in attendance. Most hackers appear and act like ordinary people except they are usually intrinsically curious about the machinations of their reality, and will stop at no end in order to figure out how the world actually works. In order to fix this bad image and show that a hacker is indeed a real person and not a thief or murderer, the magazine has been reporting real hackers' stories, including mine. And this time, I wanted to get some photos of some real hackers or anybody from the computer underground culture for the story, and for the cover page- to show that, contrary to popular opinion, hackers aren't all myopic, overweight bald guys, and shadowy vampires. I was kind of joking when I said "don't be an ordinary computer nerd" and the things about long hair or a nose ring. I was not trying to find computer freaks, but photogenic, interesting-looking people who wouldn't mind being photographed and put in a magazine. The magazine cannot pay for people being in these photographs - they do not have enough of a budget to model rates, so this is an appeal to get some good pictures of actual hackers who wouldn't mind having their pictures appear publicly. Although after this there may not be any people that want to show up, I still would like to take pictures of actual hackers. I don't want to get pictures that damage the image of hackers, but pictures that improve it - pictures that show that hackers are real people that have interesting lives, not shadowy thieves, like the current hacker image is in Japan. If anyone wouldn't mind showing up for this, I will be taking pictures tomorrow ((Feb. 19)) at Buena Vista Park, on the corner of Buena Vista West, and Haight at 1 pm. If you want to show up, please do so. This isn't a cattle call for a freak show, but I just want pictures of some interesting people to use in the magazine. I'm sorry if what I said before was understood as something different. I didn't mean to offend anybody. =+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+ + END THIS FILE + +=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+===+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=