State to Save Billions on Software:

Crippling Licence Fees Will Be Avoided by Using Free
Open-Source Programs

http://www.bday.co.za/bday/content/direct/1,3523,1 266306-6099-0,00.html>

Information Technology Editor

When Microsoft introduced a new licensing model for its
software late last year, simmering resentment within
government finally boiled over.

Activist Network in New York City Evicted from Internet by Dow, Verio

Thing.net assistance page: Thing.net

Contact: Thing-group

Bowing to pressure from the Dow Chemical Corporation, the internet
company Verio has booted the activist-oriented Thing.net from the Web.

Internet service provider Thing.net has been the primary service
provider for activist and artist organizations in the New York area
for 10 years.

hydrarchist writes:

You could not make this shit up.

In a press release today, where they gloat at three prosecutions in course against children for warez activity brought to the attention of their 'European Internet Investigation Team', the Business Software Alliance also impart some real pearls of business ideology. And some cautionary words for parents:

Young people are often enthusiastic users, particularly of interactive services like email, chat and instant messaging. These are great tools that have been developed by the software industry so we do not want to limit children’s learning and enjoyment of the Internet. In short, the danger of ‘hanging-out’ in cyberspace is the same as loitering in the wrong part of town. Teenagers can just as easily fall in with the wrong crowd and unintentionally become involved in other serious crimes.

The software industry has been determined to refashion social norms around copyright for quite a while now, and they even managed to have it endorsed as State Doctrine (fear!) during the assembly of the National Information Infrastructure Report between 1993 and 1995. Somewhere out there exist hilarious websites dedicated to teaching children that sharing is wrong. Theft. Criminal.

hydrarchist writes Prior to the publication of "Art of Deception", the publishers Wiley and Sons received a letter threatening legal action on the part of John Markoff, the New York Times hack (sic) who played a key role in Mitnick's demonisation. As a result this chapter was pulled from the book. Fortunately the lost lines appeared miraculously in a yahoo group earlier this month, and it is provided below for your edification.

The account is interesting in several respects. First it demonstrates the shortsightedness of security through obscurity, or a reliance on smart technical fixes for the provision of assurance and safety. Given the continuing tendency towards security culture in political circles the sections on social engineering should act as reminder that most vulnerabilities are human. Secondly it demonstrates the connivance in the criminalization process between respected media mouthpieces and the state. Mitnick's case, along with those of LaMachia and Morris, were seminal from this point of view and established the trend for the decade. Third, he is candid about the very superficial nature of hacker rebellion, which often morphs into betrayal and collaboration with the state and businness without skipping a beat.

Enjoy.

"Chapter 1: Kevin's Story"

by Kevin Mitnick

I was reluctant to write this section because I was sure it would sound self-serving. Well, okay,
it is self-serving. But I've been contacted by literally hundreds of people who want to know
"who is Kevin Mitnick. "
For those who don't give a damn, please turn to Chapter 2. For everybody else, here, for what it's
worth, is my story.