Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!emory!gatech!mcnc!ecsgate!ecsvax!seals
From: seals@uncecs.edu (Larry W. Seals)
Newsgroups: comp.org.eff.talk
Subject: Re: Len Rose and problems in Illinois
Message-ID: <1990Oct30.154415.14590@uncecs.edu>
Date: 30 Oct 90 15:44:15 GMT
References: <1990Oct29.175540.23987@uncecs.edu> <1990Oct30.035606.1282@murdoch.acc.Virginia.EDU>
Organization: UNC Educational Computing Service
Lines: 35



I neglected to mention that the original poster in comp.dcom.telecom
reported that Agent Foley (who I'm sure is familiar to folks in
these parts) came to visit Len just prior to his being fired, having
been alerted by Len's new employer as to the alleged transgressions.

The original author found the whole episode passing strange (as do I).
While my rational being tells me there was no conspiracy, I've read
enough of the government's overreaction to computer security threats
to really begin to wonder. Consider the following:

Len was confronted with a Usenet posting (whatever form it was in) of
alleged wrong-doing. Does the employer have or know someone with access
to Usenet or was the information supplied from somewhere else?  If the
employer has access, did he have any knowledge of Len's past brushes
with the law and yet hire him anyway (closely monitoring his activity)?
Possibly the posting came from Foley who just happened to be johnny-on-
the-spot (keeping tabs on Len?).

As I noted before, this whole thing stinks.  And as others here have
mentioned, it casts a pall on this particular medium of freedom of
expression.  If I can access this forum (and others), so can those who
see this as the new anarchy and who are dedicated to eliminating it. I
have never been one of those who sees a conspiracy behind every act, 
but I suddenly feel a cold chill down my spine...

Is the New Inquisition here?

***********************************************************************
Larry Seals @ Trailing Edge Software - "When it doesn't have to be the
                                        very best!"
"It's time to stop... Hey, what's that sound? Everybody look what's
   going down..." - Buffalo Springfield
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