Previous Politech messages: "Hoax a reporter with a fake domain name, go to jail?" http://www.politechbot.com/p-04420.html "Reporter poses as Internet terrorist, dupes Computerworld" http://www.politechbot.com/p-04418.html This is a sad day for Internet journalism. -Declan --- From: "dan tynan" <danat_private> To: <declanat_private>, <politechat_private> Subject: Re: AP on reporter posing as Net-terrorist duping Computerworld Date: Thu, 6 Feb 2003 22:26:11 -0500 Declan: Thought your readers might want to read Brian McWilliams' side of the story. He's posted an explanation of motives on his site at http://www.pc-radio.com/why.html. It also contains links to the original Computerworld stories, which the magazine has removed from its site. dan tynan contributing editor, pc world inside @cess, cnet danat_private --- Date: Thu, 06 Feb 2003 17:44:45 -0800 To: declanat_private From: Bob Schuchman <schuchmanrat_private> Subject: Slammer Hoax Good old Google helped me find Brian McWilliams story on why he created the Harkat Hoax. It's at http://www.pc-radio.com/why.html . --- From: "Christopher Null" <cnullat_private> To: <declanat_private> Subject: RE: Hoax a reporter with a fake domain name, go to jail? Date: Thu, 6 Feb 2003 18:07:10 -0800 Organization: filmcritic.com HR 4640 or not, he's very possibly also guilty of Obstruction of Justice -- same as providing a false lead during a police investigation or confessing to a crime you didn't commit. Though he didn't make these statements to an official investigator, they did eventually become part of the public record with (malicious?) intent to mislead and during an ongoing investigation. The punishment is a fine and up to 10 years in prison, depending on the interpretation of the actual crime. ------------------------------------------------------ Christopher Null / cnullat_private / journalist, film critic, novelist www.filmcritic.com - www.sutropress.com - www.chrisnull.com "Completely absorbing!" "Raw and frightening!" "Brilliant!" / www.sutropress.com See me read from HALF MAST at Barnes & Noble (Oakland - Jack London Square), Feb. 13, 7:30pm ------------------------------------------------------ --- Date: Thu, 6 Feb 2003 21:17:53 -0500 (EST) From: Dean Anderson <deanat_private> To: Declan McCullagh <declanat_private> cc: disenbergat_private Subject: Re: FC: Hoax a reporter with a fake domain name, go to jail? Bahahahahahaha. Like that would be enforced. I can't get the FBI to investigate computer __crackers__ That is, people who break into computers with tools written by someone else, but who are themselves so inept that they leave behind everything but their home phone number. And their home phone number is no doubt easy to find, if you are the FBI. Unfortunately, script kiddies "are not a prosecution priority". No doubt, domain faker's aren't either. The NSA and the pentagon are interested in such things, but only in how the exploit worked, and whether any foreign government is behind the exploits. They don't prosecute anyone. So if it turns out to uninteresting from an intelligence POV, then they are done with it. Frankly, that's a waste of my time. Most domain registrars' have policies against fake information on domains, and will frequently enforce those policies on complaints. Some won't though. That is really the problem. It would be better to make it a crime for any registrar (in the US or out) to knowingly accept false information, and not to cancel domains with fake information. Registrars outside the US that don't comply with these policies will lose their accreditation as a registrar. (The ICANN/IETF which authorizes domain registrars is subject to US law) It would also be better to create a technology enforcement agency to enforce computer crime laws. Clearly, the FBI won't, and seems to have little competence in the subject. We are in a situation similar to drug enforcement in the 70's. As you might recall, it was only after parents discovered their kids using drugs, and subsequently discovered that the FBI wouldn't enforce the drug laws, that the DEA was created. --Dean --- Date: Thu, 6 Feb 2003 20:16:42 -0600 (CST) From: elijah wright <elwat_private> To: Declan McCullagh <declanat_private> cc: politechat_private Subject: Re: FC: Hoax a reporter with a fake domain name, go to jail? > Congressional legislation introduced (but not passed) last year > could have made McWilliams a criminal for what he did. The legislation, > H.R. 4640, provided: > > "Whoever knowingly and with intent to defraud provides material > and misleading false contact information to a domain name registrar, > domain name registry, or other domain name registration authority in > registering a domain name shall be fined under this title or imprisoned > not more than 5 years, or both." > See http://thomas.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/z?c107:H.R.4640: so what about entities who're running Web sites on extremely unpopular topics (anti-war sites and pro-choice sites come to mind immediately...) who don't list much contact information at all? would those persons have been prosecuted? i've seen a rash of sites lately that don't have correct contact information listed in WHOIS - many are corporations, rather than persons who would have any reason to conceal their identities. elijah --- Date: Thu, 6 Feb 2003 16:38:49 -0500 (EST) From: Dean Anderson <deanat_private> To: Declan McCullagh <declanat_private> cc: politechat_private Subject: Re: FC: Reporter poses as Internet terrorist, dupes Computerworld Oh please. 42 is the answer given by the computer Deep Thought to the question "what is the meaning of the life, the universe, and everthing" in Douglas Adams' "Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy" seriers. --Dean ------------------------------------------------------------------------- POLITECH -- Declan McCullagh's politics and technology mailing list You may redistribute this message freely if you include this notice. To subscribe to Politech: http://www.politechbot.com/info/subscribe.html This message is archived at http://www.politechbot.com/ Declan McCullagh's photographs are at http://www.mccullagh.org/ ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Like Politech? Make a donation here: http://www.politechbot.com/donate/ Recent CNET News.com articles: http://news.search.com/search?q=declan -------------------------------------------------------------------------
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