From: utzoo!decvax!harpo!duke!unc!brl-bmd!wmartin
Newsgroups: net.followup
Title: Re: Computer Crime Article in August Smithsonian
Article-I.D.: brl-bmd.286
Posted: Thu Jul 29 13:25:09 1982
Received: Fri Jul 30 06:20:09 1982


Every CBBS I ever tried to access would only accept 300 bps at most.
Reading all of them at that rate would keep someone busy 25 hours a day!
(At least!)

I've seen references on some BBS's to the effect that they all know that
the authorities are reading them, so I wonder how much reward the FBI
really gets out of this. Probably just "big brother" psychology; knowing
that someone is watching deters many marginal miscreants.

Actually, I resent that my tax dollars are being spent to pay these
FBI people to protect MCI, Sprint, Ma Bell, or any corporation. They
can hire their own security people and do it themselves! Gather
the evidence and present a package to the appropriate district attorney,
without spending public monies doing this!

The same argument goes for the incredible waste of my tax monies when
the FBI harasses video pirates for violating copyrights, or tape
and record counterfeiters, or, for that matter, people peddling
fake Levis or Cartier watches. Companies should be responsible for
gathering the evidence of offenses against them themselves, and the
public agancies only take over when presented with already-collected
evidence of the violation of criminal law. (And for that matter,
copyright should be solely a CIVIL, not a criminal issue!)

I seemed to have wandered... The magic flame button was pressed...

Regards, Will Martin