7 March 1993

Merlin -

As promised, I have included with this file a copy of the latest issue of Phrack magazine, the closest thing the so-called computer underground has to a journal.

Since sending you that e-mail a few days ago, I have given quite a bit of thought to the issue of access to information concerning the development of computer technology. I think the best way for MAGIC to approach it is by creating a conference dedicated to the discussion of issues surrounding computer security, access to information about technology, electronic freedom of speech, and networking. I would therefore suggest the creation of The Electronic Frontier, a new area on MAGIC devoted to these topics.

Why The Electronic Frontier? Well, I think it sums up the challenge we face with new networking and computer technologies. As stated in the first issue of EFFector, the publication of the Electronic Frontier Foundation:

A new world is arising in the vast web of digital, electronic media which connect us. Computer-based communication media like electronic mail and computer conferencing are becoming the basis of new forms of community. These communities without a single, fixed geographical location comprise the first settlements on an electronic frontier.

While well-established legal principles and cultural norms give structure and coherence to uses of conventional media like newspapers, books, and telephones, the new digital media do not so easily fit into existing frameworks. Conflicts come about as the law struggles to define its application in a context where fundamental notions of speech, property, and place take profoundly new forms. People sense both the promise and the threat inherent in new computer and communications technologies, even as they struggle to master or simply cope with them in the workplace and the home.

We are all 'civilizers of the electronic frontier', and the EF forum would provide a place for discussion on the various legal, social, and cultural issues surrounding technological change.

In addition to a general discussion area, the forum could have the following areas:

CyberCulture - A discussion of the cultural side of technological change, from cyberpunk literature to virtual reality and beyond. How will our cultural lives be effected by technological change?

Computer Underground - This would be the only 'private' area of the conference, an open discussion of the place of the so-called computer underground in the electronic frontier, the latest news, and issues of Phrack and related 'zines. Hopefully, this would be a place where hacker-types, computer enthusiasts, security people, and others could discuss things - this model has worked okay on the Well with their EFF.conf as far as I know. This area would have limited access, so that the ability to read sensitive information would remain controlled (ironically enough... but MAGIC isn't a hacker board, and we should know who is reading this stuff... I think that's fair enough...).

Law and Disorder in Cyberspace - A discussion of freedom of speech issues and computers, security issues, viri, and so on, along with the latest publications from the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

The Net - A forum to exchange information, ask questions, and chart the development of large networks such as Internet and USENET, as well as BBS technology. Files such as Zen & the Art of Internet and the Internet Tour Hypercard stack could go here.

There is a lot of very good material out there, including the regular Computer Underground Digest and EFFector from the American Electronic Frontier Foundation. Phrack is a stickier thing. I find the most valuable parts of it to be the so-called world news that they do, presenting summaries of stories which have appeared in the mainstream press about the computer underground . Especially in the past, Phrack has contained some semi-legal information concerning computer security and the telephone system. However, the other side of this is that Phrack is available to anyone with an Internet address, or even a computer, a modem and a little patience. I don't see why we can't make it available for information purposes. I read it, and I don't go out an defraud Bell or break into the U of Guelph mainframe. If we restrict access to the Computer Underground area to people who can justify access, then I really don't see any legal problems. As I said before, CRS has several issues of Phrack on line (although they might not be that aware of just what they have...).

I would be happy to moderate this conference. I come at computer use as someone with a background in media and social activism. I care about the new computer culture which we are all creating. Who controls technology? Who will be the gatekeepers of the information I want to access? Is my personal information safe from prying eyes? I have been using computers for more than a decade, starting with Commodore PETs and TRS-80s and now a Macintosh user. I am not a hacker by any means, but have a friend or two in the 'underground'. As I said, I have a lot of interesting info already, and access to more.

Please let me know what you think.

John S