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From: ejbjr@ihlpg.UUCP
Newsgroups: soc.motss,news.misc
Subject: Re: News and Motss
Message-ID: <2990@ihlpg.ATT.COM>
Date: Wed, 4-Mar-87 18:55:05 EST
Article-I.D.: ihlpg.2990
Posted: Wed Mar  4 18:55:05 1987
Date-Received: Fri, 6-Mar-87 05:49:41 EST
References: <1237@steinmetz.steinmetz.UUCP> <1130@uwmacc.UUCP> <291@unisoft.UUCP> <294@unisoft.UUCP>
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories - Naperville, Illinois
Lines: 32
Keywords: news fascist paranoia
Xref: utgpu soc.motss:1260 news.misc:198
Summary: Big brother is probably watching

> >> In case anyone doesn't know this, the new version of news software has
> >> something called FASCIST mode, which gives the news administrator a
> >> convenient way to see every posting from his/her site.

[As noted in other articles, administrators reading all articles has
nothing to do with `fascist' mode.]

Anyone at a large (or even small) technology-oriented company should
expect all network transmissions - netnews and email - to be monitored.
Any company NOT checking out all transmissions is leaving a very large
hole for proprietary info to slip through (both through unintentional
discussion of topics deemed sensitive and deliberate espionage).  People
have been fired for deliberately trying to leak sensitive information
via email.

For articles posted to a public news network there is no basis to complain
about this behavior - they are as much a part of the public as the poster.

For private, directed email this seems to be a violation of privacy,
but it is very legal (after all it is their machine your using) and very
necessary in this dog-eat-dog corporate world - its far better than the
alternative of NO email network and no netnews.

If you don't want your system netnews administrator or company to read
it, don't post it to netnews or send it with email - plenty of alternative
media are available for your use which your company has no legal right
to intercept.  Assume even private email messages might be read by anyone.
-- 
-----------------
Ed Branagan
ihnp4!ihlpg!ejbjr
(312) 369-7408 (work)