Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!menudo.uh.edu!karazm.math.uh.edu!jet From: jet@karazm.math.uh.edu (J Eric Townsend) Newsgroups: comp.org.eff.talk Subject: repost from comp.dcom.telecom: Well Len, Was it Worth a Prison Term? Message-ID: <1991Jun17.204656.29335@menudo.uh.edu> Date: 17 Jun 91 20:46:56 GMT References: Sender: usenet@menudo.uh.edu (USENET News System) Organization: University of Houston -- Department of Mathematics Lines: 125 Nntp-Posting-Host: karazm.math.uh.edu I DID NOT WRITE THIS! THIS WAS WRITTEN BY PAT TOWNSON, WHO IS NO RELATION TO ME! That said, have an editorial from the moderator of comp.dcom.telecom. If I were moderator, and this were submitted to me, I would not post it. Would you? Apparently with the title of "moderator" comes the priviledge of the bully pulpit. In article telecom@eecs.nwu.edu (TELECOM Moderator) writes: >The Len Rose saga came to an end this past week when a federal judge >considered the circumstances involved and chose to impose punishment >by placing Len in the custody of the Attorney General of the United >States, or his authorized representative for a period of one year. >As in all such cases where the court finds the defendant poses no >immediate danger to the community, Len was given a one month period >from the imposition of punishment to get his personal affairs in order >before beginning his sentence. > >At some point in time between now and July 10 mutually convenient to >Len, his attorney and the government, Len will surrender to the United >States Marshall, and be escorted to the penitentiary. As the first >order of business at the penitentiary receiving room, he'll be >required to submit to a complete strip-search accompanied by a rather >indelicate probing to insure that he does not have in his possession >any drugs; weapons with which he might harm himself, the staff or >other inmates; or other contraband. > >He'll surrender his identity completely: driver's license, credit >cards, social security card -- anything which identifies Len Rose as >Len Rose will be taken from him and returned when he is released. For >the time he is incarcerated, he will be a number stamped on the >uniform he is given to wear. Or, he may be in a minimum security >institution and be permitted to wear his 'street clothes', but without >a shred of ID in his wallet. His ID will be his prison serial number. >But there will still be the initial and occassional thereafter strip >search and urine test on demand. > >Len's wife, who barely speaks English will be left alone to fend for >herself for several months. She'll raise the two children the best she >can, on whatever money she has available to her. It won't be easy, but >then, it wasn't easy when Len was locked up before for a week in the >Dupage Jail in Wheaton, IL while the state charges were pending here. > >Speaking of the kids, I wonder if Len has explained all this to them >yet. I wonder if they know, or are old enough to understand their dad >is going to prison, and why ... > >When Len is released, he'll be 'allowed to' carry the tag "ex-con" >with him when he applies for work and tries to make new friends. One >part of his punishment is that in the future he must reveal his status >to prospective employers. Needless to say, the Internal Revenue >Service and the Justice Department trade files all the time ... so Len >will want to be super-honest on his federal taxes in the future, since >he can probably expect to be audited once or twice in the first five >years or so following his release. > >I wonder if it was all worth it ... if Len had it to do over again if >he would do the same things he did before, or if he might consider the >consequences more carefully. > >Despite the intensive crackdown we have seen by the federal government >in the past few years against 'white collar' and computer crime, there >are still those folks around who either (a) don't think it applies to >them, or (b) don't think they will get caught, or (c) don't understand >what the big fuss is all about in the first place. > >If you don't think (c) is still possible, consider the recent thread >in comp.org.eff.talk -- yes, I know, *where else* !! -- on the student >who got suspended from school for two quarters after downloading and >distributing the system password file on the machine he had been >entrusted to use. The fact that the debate could go on endlessly for >message after message actually questioning what, if anything the chap >did wrong tells us plenty about the mentality and 'social respsonsi- >bility' of EFF devotees, but that is a whole new topic in itself. > >The point is, some of us are simply getting very tired of the >break-ins, the fraudulent messages, the fact that in order to telnet >to a different site we can no longer do so direct from dialup servers >without a lot of rig-a-ma-role because computer (ab)users have stolen >all the trust which used to exist between sites, and the increasing >scarcity of 'guest' accounts on various sites because the sysadmins >are tired of being eaten alive with fraudulent and destructive usage. > >Users had better wise up to one fact: the federal government is going >to continue to crack down on abusers of the net and this media. And >please, none of your hysterical freedom of speech arguments in my >mail, thank you. No one gives an iota what you write about, but when >you get your hands in the password file, rip off root or wheel >accounts, run programs deceptive to other users designed to rip off >their accounts also and generally behave like a two-bit burglar or >con-artist, expect to get treated like one when you get caught. > >And you *will* get caught. Then you can go sit and commiserate with >Len Rose. If Len Rose has half the brain I think he has, he will come >out of the penitentiary a better person than when he went in. The >penitentiary can be, and frequently is a therapeutic experience, at >least for the people who think about what it was that caused them to >get there in the first place. > >I feel very sorry about what has happened to Len Rose. I feel worse >about the circumstances his wife and children are in. But the >socially irresponsible behavior (which some people who call themselves >'socially responsible' seem to condone or wink at) has to stop. Now. > >A US Attorney involved in prosecuting computer crime once said, "users >need an example when they log in of what to expect when they screw up >while on line ..." Indeed we do ... and Len Rose will serve as such. > >And a knowledgeable sysadmin who is quietly cooperating with the >government tells me a federal grand jury is to returning >another cycle of indictments. Need I say more? > >So Len, *was* it all worth it? > > >Patrick Townson -- J. Eric Townsend - jet@uh.edu - bitnet: jet@UHOU - vox: (713) 749-2126 Skate UNIX! (curb fault: skater dumped) -- If you're hacking PowerGloves and Amigas, drop me a line. --