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From: rogue@cellar.UUCP (Rache McGregor)
Newsgroups: comp.org.eff.talk
Subject: Re: Should we let students run COPS to get each other's passwords?
Message-ID: <HyJP41w164w@cellar.UUCP>
Date: 17 Jun 91 22:50:16 GMT
References: <EMV.91Jun16194925@bronte.aa.ox.com>
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emv@msen.com (Ed Vielmetti) writes:

> In article <1991Jun16.214835.26892@athena.cs.uga.edu> mcovingt@athena.cs.uga.
> 
>    Stealing passwords is a violation of Georgia law and of the
>    policies that students promise, in writing, to obey when they 
>    receive computer accounts.
> 
> Do you have the text of the relevant Georgia law, and of the written
> policy statements which students are required to sign?  That'd be a
> good addition to the archive of policy statements kept at
> ftp.cs.widener.edu:/pub/cud/schools/ .  
> 
> Note that there are some schools which have an "honor code" of some
> sort that is a blanket prohibition of all kinds of unethical behavior;
> for instance, if you were to go about cracking passwords at the U of
> Michigan engineering school chances are that as a student the first
> thing that'll be thrown against you is an honor code violation.
> 
>    All this casuistry about what is meant by "confidentiality" is pointless.
> 
> Nice word, casuistry.  American Heritage just says "determination of
> right and wrong in questions of conduct or conscience by the
> application of general principles of ethics".  Webster goes a bit
> farther and says "sophistical, equivocal, or specious reasoning."
> Apparently you have a low opinion of people who are critical of your
> policies.  

   Now that we're talking about ethics and morality, I'm wondering where the 
"Community Standards" application may come in.  Should we use the community 
standards of Athens, Georgia, or teh community standards of cyberspace?

   For example, this newsgroup is sponsored by the Electronic Frontier 
Foundation, and is intended as a breeding ground for developing the mores of 
cyberspace - the world of computer networks.  Many of those debating the 
topic, including myself, feel that the student should not have been 
disciplined as harshly as he was.  Mind you, we are not in full posession of 
the facts, and for as long as the investigation may take, it seems we will 
not be for some time.


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